John CarpenterThe Sotted, Sentimental Swagger of Shane MacGowan and the PoguesThe list of cultural seats for the Irish-American diaspora usually starts and ends with New York or Boston. Chicago maybe. But Tulsa? Not...
John CarpenterOld Friends and Rising Stars at Florida's 30A Songwriter's FestI generally think of music festivals as minimally clad young people writhing in blazing heat taking duck-lip selfies amid a greater...
John CarpenterRail Trails: From Once-Mighty Train Lines to Wonderfully Gentle Bike Paths(Note: This article was originally published in the Chicago Tribune on April 19, 2023.) I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised by the...
John CarpenterTurning 60 (Finally) Pays Off: My Unlikely Run at the World Series of Poker I counted out a sizable bet and slid it across the green felt toward the three aces face-up in the middle of the table. Then I rested my...