How a futuristic urban idea for an underground Pedestrian Network put the death knell in Downtown Dallas’ charm — It’s an odd feeling to look at photos from the past and feel as if they’re from the future. In a world where we seem to innovate less and refine more, it’s become a common occurrence. I am always shocked by the supersonic European Concorde and the American Space Shuttle…

These epics will take you on a journey of early American stories — From the Colonization of Jamestown to the Salem Witch Trials and the American Revolution, I have always been interested in American history. But studying it can sometimes feel daunting. You might also think, “Where do I start?” For history buffs, watching movies is a great way to learn more about…

What’s behind the uptick in the Oscar’s ratings — The Oscars are back — kind of. After nearly a decade of declining viewership, The Oscars cemented a second year of increased viewership, topping out at 18.7 million telecast viewers. Still, the glitzy award show is struggling to find its footing in an era of streaming and political division. When…

Perusing the vintage, rare, and local Texana sections of my favorite bookstores — Some things are a given. Gravity will continue to pull objects toward the Earth. The seasons will change in a predictable pattern every year. And I will bring all my friends to my favorite vintage bookstore when they visit Dallas. My spot of choice is the Half Price Books flagship…

An Optimistic Outlook For The Future Of New AI Tools like ChatGPT — AI is a lot of things — new, confusing, exciting, bizarre. It’s certainly scary to many of us. But there’s one thing it’s not — human. What I mean is this: AI is not imaginative or original. It can’t actually come up with anything new on the spot like humans…

Laocoön and his Sons (3rd-1st Century BCE) depicts the Trojan Priest, Laocoön, after attempting to warn the Trojans about the looming wooden horse replete with bloodthirsty Greek soldiers. He angers the will of the gods who have ordained the fall of Troy, and he is punished — colossal serpents lunge…

Notes on grief, loss, and the meaning of “home” — Helping my dad move out of our family home, my childhood home, hasn’t felt real in the slightest. We hand over the keys in just a few days. Packing boxes, organizing, finding old treasures. The past seems alive. The pandemic this year turned the world upside down for us all…

Jacques-Louis David (1748–1825) was a renowned neoclassical artist and politico, with much of his most famous work being produced during the throes of the French Revolution in the late 1700s. In his 1793 work, The Death of Marat, David details an idealized death of Jean-Paul Marat, a radical populist and…

Storytelling, in pre-written times, served as a way for society to pass on family lore. Without a written narrative, storytelling from memory and generational traditions were the only way to transmit history. Even in modern times, much of our family histories go unwritten. A pandemic that wipes out the elderly…