2026 Spring Archives - Pittsburgh Quarterly

We are often surprised by the little things we find when someone passes away, things we were perhaps not aware of, or things that were saved because they carried an importance we didn’t realize. In the case of my mother, who passed not long ago, I found, in her closet, the ballet shoes she wore …

Pittsburgh Ballet’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” Reaches for the Sublime Read More »

Books

Refreshing Candor Imbues the Senator’s ‘Unfettered’

by Fred Shaw

The poet Rainer Maria Rilke once said, “The only journey is the one within.” For people experiencing tough times (and the accompanying feeling of doom that might follow), it’s an important consideration. John Fetterman also regards those moments as important turning points in his life, and there are more than a few bumps to balance …

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Opinion

A Pittsburgh Legacy

by Samuel Hazo

Pittsburgh is known for many things, but some of its most significant legacies are largely unknown or underplayed. Among the most famous are as the steel capital of the U.S., with the city’s contribution to the allied victory in World War II best described by Winston Churchill as the war that was won by steel. …

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Nature

Highlighting the Beautiful Eastern Redbud

by Thomas Saunders

This spring, there is a brief and spectacular sight to see right in the urban areas of Pittsburgh. The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy has been planting Eastern redbud trees in Pittsburgh since 2016. Their blooming period varies slightly from year to year, but generally begins in early to mid-April and lasts for two to three weeks. …

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Travel

AI vs. Me

by Barbara Eichenlaub

I have always loved to travel. Whether a grand tour of Europe, an exotic safari or simply a weekend away, I embrace it. And, I actually enjoy the planning — selecting destinations, flights, lodgings, itineraries, activities, restaurants, and tailoring each trip to our interests. As a child, I pored over each spiral-bound AAA TripTik and …

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History

The Horseless Carriage Comes to Pittsburgh

by John G. Hennon

The weather in Pittsburgh was rather bleak during March 1896. Snow and sub-freezing temperatures were the norm. Nicer weather arrived on March 10, so two young men took that opportunity to test a remarkable new apparatus. Anyone who was on the streets of the East End that day caught a glimpse of the first automobile …

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Opinion Profiles

50 Leaders Give Their Rx for Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O’Connor, Pt. VII

by PQ Staff

Editor’s Note: We asked Pittsburgh leaders to give their prescriptions for Mayor Corey O’Connor on how to build a bright future for Pittsburgh. Their answers follow. Previously in this series: 50 Leaders Give Their Rx for Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O’Connor, Pt. VI Alex Dick, Co-Founder, Dick Building Company Divisiveness dominates national politics while capital and talent …

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Birds

Jean Jacques’ Audubon and the Eastern Phoebe

by David Liebmann

Jean Jacques Audubon was born in 1785 to a naval officer and a maid in what became Haiti. Raised in his father’s native France, he came of age interested in fencing, music, dance, riding, and, importantly, drawing. His father had invested in property near Philadelphia in the young United States, and at age 18, Audubon …

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Profiles

50 Leaders Give Their Rx for Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O’Connor, Pt. VI

by PQ Staff

Editor’s Note: We asked Pittsburgh leaders to give their prescriptions for Mayor Corey O’Connor on how to build a bright future for Pittsburgh. Their answers follow. Previously in this series: 50 Leaders Give Their Rx for Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O’Connor, Pt. V Amanda Gillen, Executive Director, The Frick Pittsburgh Museums & GardensTo me, the heart …

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Profiles

50 Leaders Give Their Rx for Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O’Connor, Pt. V

by PQ Staff

Editor’s Note: We asked Pittsburgh leaders to give their prescriptions for Mayor Corey O’Connor on how to build a bright future for Pittsburgh. Their answers follow. Previously in this series: 50 Leaders Give Their Rx for Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O’Connor, Pt. IV Jerad Bacher, President & CEO, VisitPITTSBURGHNow is the time to intentionally forge what’s …

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Obituaries People

Gumberg, Tobin, McGregor, Blumstein, Sheetz, Northrop, McDonough, Fenves, Davidson, Murphy, Patterson, Queenan

by PQ Staff

Ira Gumberg, 72With a Harvard Business School degree, he joined J.J. Gumberg Company, the real estate company his grandfather started, and as chairman, he helped grow the shopping center mall business. The company launched its retail property division in 1977 and built the first American-style mall in India, eventually expanding throughout the subcontinent. He was …

Gumberg, Tobin, McGregor, Blumstein, Sheetz, Northrop, McDonough, Fenves, Davidson, Murphy, Patterson, Queenan Read More »

Nature

The Indian Pipe

by Daryln Brewer Hoffstot

An eerie plant appears in the woods. i bend down and study its translucent white color — ghostly against the vibrant green of mid-summer. The three-inch stems have specks of gray and black, and its tiny leaves resemble scales. Some of the pipe-shaped flowers stand upright, while others droop in a melancholy manner. I think …

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Profiles

50 Leaders Give Their Rx for Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O’Connor, Pt. IV

by PQ Staff

Editor’s Note: We asked Pittsburgh leaders to give their prescriptions for Mayor Corey O’Connor on how to build a bright future for Pittsburgh. Their answers follow. Previously in this series: 50 Leaders Give Their Rx for Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O’Connor, Pt. III Kendra Whitlock Ingram, President & CEO, Pittsburgh Cultural TrustThe arts have a unique …

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Profiles

50 Leaders Give Their Rx for Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O’Connor, Pt. III

by PQ Staff

Editor’s Note: We asked Pittsburgh leaders to give their prescriptions for Mayor Corey O’Connor on how to build a bright future for Pittsburgh. Their answers follow. Previously in this series: 50 Leaders Give Their Rx for Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O’Connor, Pt. II Wayne Walters, Superintendent, Pittsburgh Public SchoolsAs Mayor O’Connor begins his tenure, Pittsburgh’s path …

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Sports Sports & Outdoors

When the Steelers Hired Three Coaches — In One Season

by Richard “Pete” Peterson

As Mike McCarthy takes over as coach of the Steelers, sportswriters across the country remarked about the Steelers’ “unprecedented stability” with just four head coaches in 57 years, “unmatched by any NFL franchise in the Super Bowl era.” Well, sports fans, it wasn’t always that way. In fact, in the early years, the opposite was …

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Profiles

50 Leaders Give Their Rx for Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O’Connor, Pt. II

by PQ Staff

Editor’s Note: We asked Pittsburgh leaders to give their prescriptions for Mayor Corey O’Connor on how to build a bright future for Pittsburgh. Their answers follow. Previously in this series: 50 Leaders Give Their Rx for Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O’Connor, Pt. II Jim McQuade, President & CEO, Dollar BankMayor O’Connor has a real opportunity to …

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Profiles

50 Leaders Give Their Rx for Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O’Connor

by PQ Staff

Editor’s Note: We asked Pittsburgh leaders to give their prescriptions for Mayor Corey O’Connor on how to build a bright future for Pittsburgh. Their answers follow. David Holmberg, CEO, Highmark HealthI lived Downtown for many years before the pandemic and saw firsthand the experiences that brought people together. Pittsburgh’s future depends on creating a vibrant, welcoming …

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Science

How Pittsburgh Will Conquer Space

by Beth Marcello

If the biosciences are to medicine what steel was to manufacturing, then Pittsburgh is on the cusp of its next great economic boom. Ashok Trivedi believes that we are. Trivedi is so bullish on the biological sciences that he endowed the just-launched $25 million Trivedi Institute for Space and Global Medicine at the University of …

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Opinion

Mayor O’Connor, Let’s Travel to Japan and Show Our Appreciation

by Dennis Unkovic

Mark Twain’s famous quote, “history doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes,” can easily apply to our region today. Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania are in the midst of a renewed period of self-evaluation. While there are some who perceive our future with pessimism, I tend to believe the opposite. Our region is now uniquely positioned …

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Profiles

The Art of Determination

by Tara Rieland

Thomas Solich is the owner of Solich Piano & Music, which has stores in Cleveland, Columbus, Detroit, and, as of 2022, Pittsburgh. Blind since birth, he became a champion wrestler, classically trained pianist and successful entrepreneur, becoming one of the largest Yamaha piano dealers in the U.S. Solich lives in Columbus, Ohio with his wife …

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Opinion

No News is Bad News

by Douglas Heuck

Within a day of the Jan. 7 news that the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette will close on May 3, I began receiving emails suggesting I create a group to save the paper or start a replacement. Why? Because I worked at The Pittsburgh Press and Post-Gazette for 20 years as an investigative reporter and business editor, and …

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