Ex PGer Ramirez Pens a Memoir of Her Family’s Life in Colombia
There’s a necessary sprawl to stories written about generational families, entwined by their idiosyncrasies and twisting in the divisions of their time and place. Consider Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude as being the literary exemplar. In her stunning family memoir that also stretches across a nearly centennial timeline, an early chapter in Adriana Ramírez’s The …
Pileated Woodpeckers
I don’t understand why people don’t go wild over pileated woodpeckers. They look like little pterodactyls. They undulate as they fly, with a flap and glide pattern. Their call is a loud KA-KA-KA and when they drum on trees, which they do to defend territories and attract mates, the sound reverberates through the forest. People …
A Neighborhood Poker Game
The 90 homes in our South Hills subdivision were built between 2007 and 2010, attracting early residents who valued the excellent school district and beautiful surrounding woods. Most were dual-income with no children or first-time homebuyers with young children — lawyers, doctors, bankers, union trade craftsmen and IT professionals. The new neighborhood was a real …
Barebones’ “Ulster American” is a Brutally Entertaining Tragicomedy
A few days ago, my spooky and very prescient social media algorithm sent me a video explaining the distinctions between England, Ireland, Britain, and Great Britain – in other words, how to understand the political geography of the British Isles. Little did I know that this would be the subject of Barebones Productions’ new show, …
Explore French Creek in Venango County
About a 90-minute drive north of Pittsburgh, in Venango County, there’s a new, beautiful, forested Western Pennsylvania Conservancy-owned nature preserve — great to visit for getting a sense of the French Creek watershed. French Creek is an ecologically important and beautiful stream, whose branches meander from Erie County in northwestern Pennsylvania and from southwestern New …
AMERICA, GASLIGHTER
AMERICA, GASLIGHTER what would you payfor remembering? in the lockdown against deathhow much I loved:night surfingsexy abecedarysilencelaughterthe junkyard warbler a bulldozer’s sleep traumaproof an unknown source sings in my mouthin a dark time broken bell reaching for outer landsvows to seeask how are youhungry reasons for staying *All words in this poem are taken from titles …
Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy at 30
When we talk about quality of life in Pittsburgh, we often point to neighborhoods, schools, or cultural institutions. But for me, it begins somewhere simpler — and more profound: access to our parks. Access means different things to different people. For one person, it’s a peaceful morning walk beneath tree canopies. For another, it’s experiencing …
The Fall 2026 issue:
What Does America Mean to Me?
On the eve of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, we asked a group of leading Pittsburghers to consider and answer that question. We thank them for giving their thoughts on this important occasion. MARK WIEDMAN, PRESIDENT, PNC America represents the promise that where you start doesn’t have to define where …
What’s Ahead in the Second Half for Markets?
Editor’s note: We asked a group of leading Pittsburgh-area wealth managers to give their answers to this question: “So far, 2026 has been treacherous for investors. What do you expect for the second half and where do you see opportunity?” DAMIAN MCINTYRE, FEDERATED HERMES Investor outlook in 2026 has been shaken repeatedly by conflicts and …
Glasco’s Biography Examines August Wilson’s Pittsburgh Origins and Voice
In 1918–19 in Zurich, Switzerland, English painter Frank Budgen found himself often drinking wine while enjoying long talks about writing with James Joyce, author of the controversial novel Ulysses. It was during one of those discussions that the self-exiled Irish writer shared his vision on getting the detailed setting of that masterpiece right: “I want …
Pittsburgh Tomorrow
With Pittsburgh Tomorrow turning two years old, a citizen might ask: What is it and what is it doing? I publish this magazine, and I also started Pittsburgh Tomorrow, working with a great team to improve this region’s future. Pittsburgh Tomorrow is a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) non-profit funded by Pittsburgh citizens — wealthy people and working …
Mystery and Reverie
“Do not (repeat: DO NOT) attempt to cross the creek during periods of high water. This is a significant waterway and the current can be very strong.” So said the Guide to the Quehanna Trail tucked in my backpack. But exactly how high was “high water”? Yes, it was spring, but it hadn’t rained for …
A Wintry Forest Trail Walk in Lawrence County
About an hour’s drive north of Pittsburgh in Lawrence County, Plain Grove Fens Natural Area is a wonderful place to visit. It’s just a few miles from the Slippery Rock exit off I-79, and once you’re there, you’re greeted with a 400-acre preserve featuring a hiking trail, hardwood forest, vernal pools and woodland stream. The …
20 Years of Interviews
Editor’s note: Since late 2005, we have interviewed many of the most interesting and noteworthy people in our “city-state of Pittsburgh” as my old editor and friend John Craig used to call this area. The number of interviews that have appeared in this magazine reaches well into the hundreds (writer Jeff Sewald alone has interviewed …
No One Claps For The Critic
“We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection.” — Lincoln, First Inaugural Address (1861) I have always felt that the sentence most essential to democracy — and to free expression — is the 1906 quote, often attributed to Voltaire, but …
What’s Ahead in the Second Half for Markets?
Editor’s note: We asked a group of leading Pittsburgh-area wealth managers to give their answers to this question: “So far, 2026 has been treacherous for investors. What do you expect for the second half and where do you see opportunity?” DAMIAN MCINTYRE, FEDERATED HERMES Investor outlook in 2026 has been shaken repeatedly by conflicts and …
What Does America Mean to Me?
On the eve of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, we asked a group of leading Pittsburghers to consider and answer that question. We thank them for giving their thoughts on this important occasion. MARK WIEDMAN, PRESIDENT, PNC America represents the promise that where you start doesn’t have to define where …
The Future of Pittsburgh History
As the nation marks its 250th anniversary this year, the importance of understanding our shared past has never been clearer. Here in Pittsburgh, that moment of reflection is taking shape in a tangible way, as the Senator John Heinz History Center is set to embark on a major expansion that reflects the organization’s remarkable evolution …
A Crowning Achievement
It’s hard to escape Pittsburgh. Everywhere I go it’s always there, in one way or another. The Statue of Liberty is no exception. At the behest of my 7-year-old grandson, Henry, we booked a visit to climb to her crown. Since the bookings must be made six months in advance, due to her popularity, and …
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