Over the last decade, I've written for The Missoula Independent, Willamette Week, Maxim, Portland Monthly and a bunch of other publications. (My one by-line in the sadly defunct Philadelphia Independent shines bright in memory.) What follows is a more-or-less random selection of personal favorites. "The Gospel of Paul" Portland Monthly put me on the trail of Paul Young, the unknown suburban dad who wrote (and basically self-published) the evangelical bestseller The Shack. This story furthers my quest to write about Christian culture even though I am manifestly unqualified to do so. "Boomtown" The far east is awesome. The far east of Montana, that is. Good Magazine sent me out to my home state's most remote quadrant to check out the enormous oil boom that's making some people rich and others worried about the fabric of their communities. Oil: it does a body good. "Attack of the $3 Tomato": Willamette Week, 17 August 2005. My adopted homeland of Oregon is positively crawling with crunchy, forward-thinking foodies. This WW feature examines the local-foods movement in Portland. It gave me an excuse to eat well, hang out with some very nice hippie kids and even win an award from the Association of Food Journalists. "The Decemberists Go Big": Associated Press, 3 October 2006. International indie-pop superstar Colin Meloy used to be just another dude in a band in Missoula. Now, he's famous for his hyper-literate (Ha! he loves that one) lyrics and mind-searing melodies. We discuss. "Make Windsor Knots, Not War": Associated Press, 17 August 2006. Ah, Lord Whimsyóman of many cravats. The New Jersey "heuristocrat" and I talk over his amazing, obscurely inspiring book, The Affected Provincial's Companion. "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind": Willamette Week, 2 February 2005. A Portland writer named Donald Miller is a bestselling superstaróbut because his books are "Christian," almost no one in Portland knows who he is. I learn a little about Don (who is a fantastic guy) and a lot about the Godly book world. "Black Queens in the 'Burbs": Willamette Week, 24 September 2003. The Ghananian women's national soccer team based its '03 World Cup campaign in a non-descript suburban hotel. And yes, the scene was as weird as it sounds. "Return of the Piper": Willamette Week, 16 May 2001. You really have to crank up the Way-Back Machine to get to this 'un, but dig: IT'S ABOUT ROWDY RODDY PIPER! I spent a memorable afternoon in a cozy den with the pro wrestling legend, and this is what I learned.
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