Read this passage.My career in journalism has taught me the challenges of capturing sporting events, yet Gregor Powell’s descriptions are flawless. Powell is a gold-medal Paralympic swimmer, but his memoir proves that his true strength is the power of his insights.
Read this passage.As a curator of the Art Institute of Chicago, I have witnessed the changing subject matter of American folk art. In this essay, “Beyond the Barns,” Ana Ramon explores the new faces and objects of this beloved genre.
Read this excerpt from the introduction to Wheels of Change by Sue Macy.Wheels of Change looks at how the bicycle took America by storm in the 1880s and '90s, and especially at the ways in which it changed women's lives. It also explores the bicycle culture of the era with short features, appearing after each chapter, that highlight the impact of the two-wheeler on everyday life. You'll meet celebrity cyclists of the day, learn cycling slang, read about cycling songs and magazines, and see bicycles used in advertisements for everything from carpets to candy to baking flour.
Read this excerpt from the introduction to Wheels of Change by Sue Macy.When I was a kid, I took great pleasure in jumping on my bike and riding to the corner candy store about half a mile away. Although I had no knowledge of the part the bicycle had played as a vehicle of change for turn-of-the-20th-century women, I was acutely aware that it allowed this 1960s girl a unique measure of independence. On my bike, I could break free of the bonds that held me in my neighborhood to go buy Necco Wafers and candy necklaces and Atomic FireBalls. If I felt particularly adventurous, I could even ride a bit farther for a fresh ice-cream cone at Applegate Farm.
Read this introduction to a magazine article.Summertime is near, and the lifeguard’s whistle beckons. It is almost time for the swimming season. Of course, with swimming season comes slippery pool decks and shallow water at the end of some docks. And there are always a few swimmers who overestimate their skills or underestimate their fatigue.
Read this excerpt from Leah Missbach Day’s foreword to Wheels of Change.It is a challenge for many African girl students to remain in school. A myriad of obstacles often stand in their way. They have so many chores to do in the morning they often cannot get to school or start their lessons on time. Or, their parents need them to take care of younger siblings while they go work in the fields—a job they would never bestow on their boy children. It used to take Lewanika an hour to walk to and from school. Now her biking commute is 20 minutes. Lewanika is able to get her chores done, make it to school on time, and feel refreshed enough to pay attention in class.
Read this introduction to a magazine article.Your hands are up, your eyes are squeezed tight, your mouth is poised to unleash a scream . . . you are on a roller coaster. But are you recalling science-class lessons about gravity and inertia? Are you contemplating the gears and mechanisms providing this thrill? It is unlikely that academics are on your mind, but lessons are lurking behind every ride.
Read this excerpt from Wheels of Change by Sue Macy.That said, it's hard to grasp the full extent of the bicycle's impact on Americans in the late 19th century—particularly female Americans. Imagine a population imprisoned by their very clothing; the stiff corsets, heavy skirts, and voluminous petticoats that made it difficult to take a deep breath, let alone exercise. Add to that the laws and social conventions that cemented a man's place as head of the household and holder of the purse strings. How suffocated women must have felt. And how liberated they must have been as they pedaled their wheels toward new horizons.
Read this excerpt from Leah Missbach Day’s foreword to Wheels of Change.Studies continue to prove that if a girl stays in school she will strengthen her family, community, and nation. A long list of benefits of educating a girl in a developing country compiled by the World Health Organization includes later marriages, smaller families, better hygiene, greatly increased likelihood that further children will receive education, and my favorite—greater confidence.
Read this passage.I recall watching the fields and pastures outside my window slowly transform into roads, factories, and high-rises as our train rumbled east. My inaugural train trip to New York City sparked a curiosity about rail travel that blossomed even as the industry declined.
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