One of Us
City Council’s Curtis Jones Jr. Talks Dangerous Missions, Closing Prisons and His Green Thumb
My full name is … Curtis Joseph Jones Jr. I have to put the Jr. on because my father doesn’t want his reputation sullied. I […]
Fresh Air Host Terry Gross on Her Hardest Interviews and Her Secret Twitter Account
My full name is … just Terry Gross. People think it’s short for Teresa, but it’s just Terry. I grew up in … Brooklyn, before […]
Rebecca Rhynhart on Her Political Aspirations and the One Book Everyone Should Read
I was born in … Madison, Wisconsin. My parents were at school there. And then I grew up in Abington, went to Abington High School, […]
Tamala Edwards on Broadcasting From Her Living Room and Inspiring the Next Generation
My full name is … Tamala Edwards Lugrine. My sons were just asking me why “Edwards” is in there. They said, “Get rid of that. […]
Jose Garces on Restaurant Critics and the Strangest Thing He’s Ever Eaten
My full name is … Jose Alonso Garces. There are accents on it, but I don’t use them. I was named after my grandfather, who […]
City Council’s Kendra Brooks on the Big Change She’d Like to See at City Hall
My full name is … Kendra Nicole Brooks. I was named after Angela Davis’s friend Kendra, who was mentioned in the New York Times in […]
Mummers Parade Host Steve Highsmith Talks Inclusivity and $10,000 Costumes
I was born in … Fort Gordon, a United States Army installation outside of Augusta, Georgia. I grew up in a military family. I got […]
DJ Robert Drake on Living in Mummerville and the One Holiday Song He’ll Never Play
My full name is … Robert Alan Drake. I’d like to think my initials — RAD — represent me in the ’80s. I grew up […]
Temple’s New Basketball Coach Talks Allen Iverson and the Team’s Owl Mascot
My full name is … Aaron Fitzgerald McKie. I actually don’t know where the “Fitzgerald” came from. Maybe Kennedy? I grew up in … North […]
Maria Quiñones Sánchez on Her Pet Shih Tzu and Hanging Out in Northeast Philly Bars
My full name is … Maria de los Angeles Quiñones Sánchez. The woman next to my mother in the delivery room — her child passed […]
Vai Sikahema on Punching Goalposts, the NFL Catch Rule, and the Amazing Story Behind His Name
I was born in … Nuku’alofa, the capital of Tonga, a small island nation in the South Pacific. My first name means … “water” in […]
Phillies Announcer Dan Baker on Bryce Harper, Gritty, and People Who Say Baseball Games Are Too Long
When I was a kid, I wanted to grow up to be … a Phillies, Eagles or Warriors player. I’ve always rooted for everything Philadelphia. […]
Josh Shapiro on Meeting the Pope, Gun Culture, and Custom Bocce Balls
I was born in … Kansas City, Missouri, but raised in Upper Dublin, and these days, I live in Abington. I got real far from […]
Philly Rapper Chill Moody on Writing Songs in the Shower and the Secret to Winning Monopoly
My full name is … Eric Tyrone Chill Moody. When I was a baby, my aunt started calling me Chill, and it’s been my name […]
Pizza Maestro Joe Beddia on the One Thing You Should Never Order on Your Pie
My last name is pronounced … BED-ee-ah, but everybody says beh-DEE-ah. It’s Sicilian. My dad was born in Sicily. I live in … Fishtown, where […]