2026 Spring Archives - Pittsburgh Quarterly

It’s somewhat unusual to buy a house without ever seeing it, as christy redican and her husband, cardiologist Fran Redican, did when they purchased their historic home in Fox Chapel 16 years ago. They were moving to Pittsburgh for his new position at Allegheny General Hospital and shopping long-distance from New Hampshire. “We were used …

A Long Distance Romance Read More »

Books

Miller Pens Excellent Biography of Baseball’s Diminutive Giant: Manager Earl Weaver

by Fred Shaw

Though he couldn’t keep his job after the Pittsburgh Pirates spun their wheels to begin the 2025 season, former skipper Derek Shelton could recognize the baseball man who best embodied the qualities needed for success: the legendary Earl Weaver. In his best-selling biography of the Baltimore Orioles’ Hall of Famer, The Last Manager: How Earl …

Miller Pens Excellent Biography of Baseball’s Diminutive Giant: Manager Earl Weaver Read More »

Books

Nostalgic and Piercing, Bardenwerper Examines the Charm and Decline of Small Town Baseball

by Fred Shaw

At first glance, Sewickley resident Will Bardenwerper’s Homestand: Small Town Baseball and the Fight for the Soul of America sounds like the kind of book that promises more than it can deliver. Instead, it’s a thorough examination of the state of minor league baseball through the lens of 21st century America (and often vice versa). …

Nostalgic and Piercing, Bardenwerper Examines the Charm and Decline of Small Town Baseball Read More »

Books

Daniels Explores Rustbelt Childhood in An Ignorance of Trees

by Fred Shaw

In his first nonfiction book, An Ignorance of Trees, touted as a “memoir in essays,” author Jim Daniels seeks to upend that old saw — “You can’t go home again” — by returning to his Rust Belt roots in Warren, Michigan. It’s an act borne of the nostalgia and reflection that comes with age and …

Daniels Explores Rustbelt Childhood in An Ignorance of Trees Read More »

History Opinion

Look at Your Fish: David McCullough’s History Matters

by Richard “Pete” Peterson

Historian and biographer David McCullough, winner of two Pulitzer Prizes, two National Book Awards, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, said that his strength as a writer was his love of storytelling. Over his brilliant career, he wrote about remarkable events — the building of the Brooklyn Bridge and Panama Canal — and remarkable people …

Look at Your Fish: David McCullough’s History Matters Read More »

Arts

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

by Stuart Sheppard

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 …

Refreshing Candor Imbues the Senator’s ‘Unfettered’ Read More »

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. …

A Pittsburgh Legacy Read More »

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. …

Highlighting the Beautiful Eastern Redbud Read More »

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 …

AI vs. Me Read More »

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 …

The Horseless Carriage Comes to Pittsburgh Read More »

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 …

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

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 …

Jean Jacques’ Audubon and the Eastern Phoebe Read More »

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 …

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

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 …

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

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 …

The Indian Pipe Read More »

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 …

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

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 …

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

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 …

When the Steelers Hired Three Coaches — In One Season Read More »

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 …

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

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 …

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