PREVAIL

Fifteen years ago, for the tenth anniversary of the attacks, I decided to put down in writing my own experiences on 9/11 and the days that followed. It’s not that my story is special—not at all—but memory is a fickle thing, and I wanted to make sure I wouldn’t ever forget what happened that horrible day. This piece originally ran in the now defunct Nervous Breakdown in 2010. I released it again on Medium in 2018. Because I don’t want the AI to voice this for me, I recorded myself reading it.

I’ll cry until you suspect my tears. You’re not the only one who can turn it on When you need it. —Elvis Costello, “Suspect My Tears” ~~~ Every piece at PREVAIL is free to read and always will be. No paywalls, ever. Your generous support keeps it that way.

Dear Reader, It is September 27, 1849. It is four o’clock in the morning. Edgar Allan Poe sets off from Richmond to the cottage in the Bronx that is his current residence. He’s been in Virginia for months, recuperating from a debilitating illness—cholera, he believes—and is finally well enough to travel. He is 40 years old. He is, finally, famous.

Good morning! Every piece at PREVAIL is free to read and always will be. No paywalls, ever. Your generous support keeps it that way. Thank you! Our Treasury Secretary hosted the Russian finance minister in Asheville, received his marching orders, and went on TV the next day and literally delivered fresh-from-the-Kremlin talking points—mendacious propaganda about how the rising gas prices are a result of the Ukrainians blowing up Russian oil refineries.

Hakeem Jeffries, the House Minority Leader, had a clandestine meeting with Jared Kushner “in recent weeks,” according to a New York Times report by Maggie Haberman and Annie Karni, who cited five sources confirming the sit-down: The private get-together was described by one of the people as a catch-up for Mr. Kushner and Mr. Jeffries. The two men have stayed in touch since they worked together on a criminal justice bill midway through Mr. Trump’s first term.

Spotted yesterday, on a sign outside a downtown Pittsburgh church. Dear Reader, Both of them were born in 1946. And this year, both gave their names to mid-sized U.S. airports. Otherwise, they are almost polar opposites of each other. One is like a butterfly, soft and gentle as a sigh; the other is a rough beast. One earned a fortune through her talent and gave vast sums away to charity; the other is an artless criminal who hoards his wealth and lies about his philanthropy.

Good morning. Here is today’s ramble. Every piece at PREVAIL is free to read and always will be. No paywalls, ever. Your generous support keeps it that way. Thank you! And here is a transcript, edited for clarity…but it’s better to watch this one, so you can hear me laughing. Good morning from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where I am here at the coin show, the American Numismatic Association’s annual show, for my day job. And there was a surprise this week.

Two weeks ago, supporters of the former kickboxer and “manosphere” influencer Andrew Tate rallied outside a Miami courtroom to show their support for a noxious individual the Guardian called “the king of toxic masculinity”—a self-avowed misogynist, professional pornographer, and alleged sex trafficker, predator, and violent sexual assailant—whom British authorities have requested the United States extradite to the United Kingdom to stand trial.

Dear Reader, In the first four episodes of Heroes, the 2006 NBC series about normal people suddenly afflicted with X-Men-esque superpowers, the main characters are introduced, the initial conflicts are established, and the various plot-lines are set in motion. We meet a bunch of random Americans (and two guys from Japan) whose “abilities” begin to simultaneously manifest: Ali Larter’s Niki, down on her luck, turns into a Hulk-like alter ego, Jessica.

Good morning! Here is my Friday ramble…with a twist. Every piece at PREVAIL is free to read and always will be. No paywalls, ever. Your generous support keeps it that way. Thank you! Here is a transcript, edited for clarity: Good morning. As you’re watching this, it’s Friday morning, August 21st. I’m recording on Thursday evening, August 20th.