Articles Archive - Page 58 of 155 - Pittsburgh Quarterly

Job growth in Western Pennsylvania continued to slide in November. It was the second consecutive month of decline following several years of steady, if weak, growth. According to the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics, from November 2018 until November 2019, overall job growth decreased by .38 percent in the seven-county Pittsburgh …

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PQ Poem

Hoopie: A Haibun

by Hannah Starcher

The Starcher’s used the word everywhere—In the confined spaces of the one-story home, the living room floor accommodating all fifteen of the cousins for bed. Hoopie sat with us in that house on top of the rolling hills, overlooking Easter Flower Hollow. It circled the round oak dining room table, just barely big enough to …

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Books

Appalachian Reckoning: An Antidote to Hillbilly Elegy?

by Fred Shaw

Tasteless jokes abound on the internet, including one I recently read: “Did you know the toothbrush was invented in West Virginia? Anywhere else and it would have been called a teeth brush.” I chuckled before considering the misguided notion that it’s still OK to trash poor whites. Writing for NPR’s “Code Switch,” Leah Donnella explains …

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Sports

Duck De-Nastied

by Matthew John Milligan

Winter is just days away, and with it the frigid conditions in a number of NFL cities. The Chiefs and Broncos already know first-hand, playing through six inches of snow in Kansas City’s blowout win. While not quite as imposing at Heinz Field, a brisk 30 degrees awaited the visiting Buffalo Bills at kickoff. Along …

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Events

Four Winds Gallery Celebrates Anniversary with “Form and Spirit” Exhibition

by PQ Staff

Four Winds Gallery celebrated their 45th anniversary on Walnut Street with “Form and Spirit,” an exhibition of resident metalsmith Carol Krena’s latest jewelry creations and the innovative work of Pittsburgh sculptor Ken LeDonne. The show drew over 75 attendees to its opening night on December 6, 2019, and will run until February 1.

Creative Capital

The Middle Abdicates

by Greg Curtis

“I think the West has forgotten what democracy means.” —Vera Lengsfeld, holder of the Federal Cross of Merit, Germany’s highest civilian honor Roughly a million years ago I sat down one day and, in a fit of pique, wrote a long essay entitled, “The Essential Liberal.” That essay was published in a journal headquartered in …

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Nature

Trying to Save a Horse

by Daryln Brewer Hoffstot

There have been phone calls in my life I wish I’d never received. I was cold and wet from swimming in an Irish lake when I returned to the house to see my husband standing in the driveway. Waiting for me. That wasn’t normal. My father had called. My mother was dead. She was unloading …

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American Spirit

Bad Apples

by Kate Benz

The people are standing, sitting, heads down, waiting in line, eyes buried in iPhones. Dockers tucked into crisp blue Oxford button downs and rugby ties next to man buns and lip rings, neon yellow fake nails and plaid school uniforms. Black, white, fat, thin, in a rush, using a cane to slowly walk by. Waiting …

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Health

Is Exercising Dangerous in Cold Weather?

by Joseph A. Luxbacher

Question: “Is it dangerous to exercise outdoors in extremely cold temperatures? I like to walk and jog year-round and am worried that breathing frigid air can cause lung damage.” The human body is designed to function in cold weather and has mechanisms that ensure the air we breathe is at body temperature and humidified when …

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Architecture & Neighborhoods

Charlie’s Village Turns 100

by David Weber

It all started after Charles Bowdish returned to his hometown of Brookville, Jefferson County, after a stint in the U.S. Army during World War I. Exposed to mustard gas during the war and left with respiratory illness, he commenced building a miniature railroad and village so finely detailed that it was an instant hit when …

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Sports

Duck and the Defense Bring Home Another

by Matthew John Milligan

The fireworks were on full display Sunday. Through the first 13 weeks of the season, teams had scored 40 points or more on 19 occasions. This week alone, five teams accomplished that feat, with a handful of 30+ performances sprinkled in. The Steelers have yet to eclipse the 30-point threshold, but the wins keep on …

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Creative Capital

The Investment Policy Statement

by Greg Curtis

“Te Kaitiaki Tãhua Penihana Kaumatua õ Aotearoa.” —The New Zealand Super Fund, in Mãori The final strategy Te Kaitiaki Tãhua Penihana Kaumatua õ Aotearoa follows (at least for purposes of this series of blog posts) is to create and follow religiously an investment policy statement (IPS). The Super Fund—switching back into English—calls its IPS a …

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Health

Is it Really Better to Give than to Receive?

by Kelly Casey

Dr. Gary Swanson has been the recipient of two gifts given in his honor: a goat donated to a family in Africa and trees planted along the streets of Detroit. As someone who likes goats and hails from Detroit, he appreciates the thoughtfulness behind these gifts. But, research shows it was the gift giver who …

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Regional News

Local Wages Rise, but Growth is Slow

by Bill O'Toole

Wages in the seven-county Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical area continued to grow in the second quarter of 2019, but at a slower rate than the average among Pittsburgh Today benchmark regions, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. The region’s average weekly wage rose from $1,134 to $1,159 from the second quarter of 2018 to …

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Regional News

Widening Wage Gap Separates White and Minority Workers

by Bill O'Toole

The gap between white and minority workers grew by a whopping 62 percent from 2007 to 2017 in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area, according to a new report from the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland. The report’s authors said the findings, based on data from the Brookings Institution’s Metro Monitor Report for 2019, point to weaknesses …

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Arts

Nuts About Nutcrackers

by Barbara Eichenlaub

When Steubenville comes to mind, you probably don’t think of the Rust Belt town as a travel destination. Mayor Jerry Barilla has been intent on changing that and the narrative of industrial decline that has dominated the town. Its population of 18,000 is less than half what it was in 1940—between 1980 and 2000, Weirton-Steubenville …

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Architecture & Neighborhoods

Hard Times in Yellow Dog

by John Beale

In 2014, Joe Meyer moved across Pennsylvania with a dream of transforming Yellow Dog Village, an abandoned limestone mining town in Armstrong County, into a living historic site where tourists could experience life in the early 1900s. Five years later, facing tax liens and unable to secure financing, Meyer’s dream of restoring Yellow Dog into …

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Health

Climbing Past the Weight-Loss Plateau

by Joseph A. Luxbacher

Question: “I’ve been on an exercise plan for several months and have lost 20 pounds. I still hope to lose 5 more pounds but seem to be stuck at my present weight. Why is it so hard to lose those last few pounds, and what can I do to reach my target weight?” You are …

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Sports

Duck Delivers

by Matthew John Milligan

Two teams have separated from the pack through 13 weeks; the Saints and the Ravens have established comfortable three-game advantages. The rest is completely up for grabs. With only four weeks to go, five division leaders are separated by a single game. The stakes are a little higher when December rolls around. With New England’s …

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Opinion

Holiday Thoughts from the Dalai Lama’s Physician

by Douglas Heuck

Dr. Barry Kerzin, Buddhist Monk and physician to the Dalai Lama, is back in Pittsburgh, continuing his work with UPMC nurses, building compassion, resilience and mindfulness into their daily activities, with the goal of decreasing stress and increasing fulfillment. (See a longer PQ story on Kerzin here). He is in discussions to possibly begin similar …

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Creative Capital

Responsible Investing

by Greg Curtis

We are observing how one of the world’s most successful investors—the New Zealand Super Fund—manages its capital, and considering whether we might not mimic some of what the Fund has been doing. The idea is to improve our own returns both on an absolute basis and on a risk-adjusted basis. Here are two more strategies …

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Arts

Andy Warhol Returns to Pittsburgh

by Gordon Nelson

On an autumn evening in Pittsburgh 40 years ago, a larger than usual, fancier than typical, and more expensive than ever event was staged as an acquisition benefit for the Carnegie Museum of Art. On this special Saturday night, 250 formally dressed ladies and gentlemen entered the Heinz Galleries to find a simply decorated space …

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