As James J. Braddock was rising out of boxing obscurity, and winning over the hearts of a Depression-ravaged nation, the legendary journalist Damon Runyan famously dubbed Braddock "Cinderella Man," because of the fairy tale nature of Braddock's comeback. That moniker was later used as the title of Jeremy Schaap's brilliant book about Braddock, and Ron Howard's wonderful movie … [Read more...] about The Boxer Known as “Irish Jim”
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The Survivor
On the corner of 34th and Broadway the crowds of tourists and harried workers tried to look the other way. But it was hard to ignore the tall tanned handsome man in the crisp white shirt with the gray hair -- even in New York, where every day a million handsome men pass along the crowded streets. "Hiya," he says, his face splitting in half, his arms swooping me up in a … [Read more...] about The Survivor
How the Irish Saved Washington’s Early Civilization
Two hundred years ago, the city of Washington was just over ten years old and, quite frankly, a mess. One visitor reported that it was little more than a boggy marsh dotted by tree-stumps, with rutted tracks linking half-finished buildings and randomly placed dwellings. Thomas Jefferson was the occupant of the one prominent building that looked in any way completed. This was … [Read more...] about How the Irish Saved Washington’s Early Civilization
The Majestic Shannon
Ever thought about Ireland just for a weekend? Well, now you can. Especially if you live in the Boston area. On May 2, 2005, American Airlines began scheduled flights from Logan to Shannon, and in so doing opened up a gateway to a myriad of leisure possibilities in the Shannon region: Clare, Galway, Limerick, Tipperary and Offaly. Of course, you don't have to confine yourself … [Read more...] about The Majestic Shannon
The Hold Steady
A whole world resides inside a Hold Steady CD, one in which Catholic girls tap a drug haze for a sense of spirituality, where small-town-Minnesota kids struggle for cool nicknames, and where a pimp named Charlemagne strolls the street in sweat-pants. Often, Hold Steady characters created in one track will resurface on another track. The rock and roll band possesses a unique … [Read more...] about The Hold Steady