The so-called “Summer of Love” took place in San Francisco, California in 1967. It turned the San Francisco Bay area into a tourist destination for the curious and thrill-seeking; those wanting to witness the “Hippie” phenomenon for themselves. The newspapers made it sound like the media event of the year. On February 6, 1967, Newsweek printed a […]
The Life of Anton LaVey: Self-Ordained High Priest of Satan Read More »
Credited with single-handedly advancing the genre of “confessional” poetry, Sylvia Plath is considered one of the most dynamic and admired poets of the 20th Century. She is best known for her two highly acclaimed collections, The Colossus and Other Poems (published in 1960) and Ariel (in 1965). As well as her beautifully introspective semi-autobiographical novel,
The Tragic Life of Tortured Poet, Sylvia Plath Read More »
In times of war, the movement of soldiers often leaves trails of death and destruction in its wake. But rarely, they happen to leave behind small acts of humor and mischief. “Kilroy Was Here” was one such mark. A simple phrase accompanied by a cartoonish drawing of a man peering over a wall. This graffiti
Exploring the Enduring Legacy of “Kilroy Was Here” Read More »
Between 1900 and 1903, jockey James Winkfield rode in four consecutive Kentucky Derbies. He finished third, first, first, and second. In 1901 alone, he won somewhere between 160 and 220 races (depending on the source). But despite his extraordinary, natural talent as a jockey, Winkfield received little recognition from within or without the horse-racing community.
The Last Black Jockey to Win the Kentucky Derby:James Winkfield Read More »
For millions of people around the world, December 8, 1980, will forever be remembered as one of the darkest days in modern history. It was the day former Beatle John Lennon was gunned down outside his New York City apartment building by a man named Mark David Chapman. Chapman was a former Beatles fan who
Mark David Chapman: The Man Who Gunned Down John Lennon Read More »
In the late 1960s, amid the so-called “Hippie” counterculture movement taking place in the US, a charismatic minister named Duane Pederson came onto the scene. He preached Christianity to the generation known for promiscuous sex, mind-expanding drugs, and pulsating Rock music. A self-described “Jesus Freak,” Pederson drew comparisons between the Hippies’ message of peace and
The Jesus Freaks: Origins of the Religious Countercultural Movement Read More »
In truth, the Vegas of today resembles little the Vegas of yesteryear, on the surface, anyway. But one needs only stroll through the Mob Museum in downtown Las Vegas to remind them of “Sin City’s” not-too-distant past. There the names Meyer Lansky, “Bugsy” Siegel, Gus Greenbaum, and Moe Sedway aren’t torn from newspaper headlines or the pages of True Crime magazine, they represent
Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas: A History of Organized Crime Read More »
In speculative fiction, H.P. Lovecraft’s name elicits fanaticism second only to Edgar Allan Poe and Bram Stoker. But not for surpassing the bar set by these undisputed giants of the dark and macabre but for the sub-genre he carved out for himself. Credited with creating “cosmic” horror, Lovecraft shifted the genre from stories that reflect
H.P. Lovecraft: Tales From the Edge of Darkness Read More »
For well over a century now, Kellogg’s Toasted Cornflakes, featuring Cornelius “Corny” Rooster on the box, has been a mainstay of households across America. Prototype for the hundreds of other dry breakfast cereals to follow, Toasted Cornflakes effectively put dry cereals on the breakfast menu—and Battle Creek, Michigan, on the map. But few know the story of John Harvey
The Extraordinary Life and Times of the Corn Flake King: John Harvey Kellogg Read More »
For those who think Mardi Gras is a weeks-long celebration of debauchery, drunkenness, and nudity–you’re right. But only half right. At the heart of it, Mardi Gras is also a Christian holiday traced to pagan spring and fertility rites dating back thousands of years that has become a popular cultural phenomenon worldwide. And although Mardi
The Strange and Surprising History of Mardi Gras Read More »
