At the local carnival there was always some kid who freaked out and made the wiry man who manned the ride’s controls stop the rickety ride mid-spin.  I was that kid. I was the kid who refused to ride even the carousel because it made me dizzy.  By the time I reached my college years, I’d relegated...

Image via http://ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=1&f=5&t=1123970 As the debate rages on over whether the Muslim community center Park51, better known by the misnomer the “Ground Zero Mosque,” should be allowed to be constructed near the former cite of the World Trade Center, little media...

Pretty much anything that could go wrong with the live Church Hopping event to the Church of St. Anselm in the Bronx went wrong—and then God proved He’s in control of everything.  I figured God only gives you one miracle per day, and I wondered what would happen once we left St. Anselm’s for...

photo (c) Stephanie Nikolopoulos I imagine that all New Yorkers have at least one story involving St. Patrick’s Cathedral, regardless of whether or not they’re Catholic.  I grew up just over the George Washington Bridge, in New Jersey, and the cathedral looms large in my relationship with, and understanding...

photo (c) Stephanie Nikolopoulos Have you ever stopped to really look around your own city?  Have you ever considered the history behind the buildings you pass every day?  Has a church’s beauty ever stopped you in your tracks? This past Saturday, with the support of our very own Burnside Writers...

Whenever my friend from Tokyo visits New York, she wants me to plan our itinerary.  If I ask her what sort of things she wants to see or do, she’ll inevitably respond that she wants to see art galleries.  She’s awesome.  I eagerly begin combing listings for exhibits and then quickly remember...

Some say politics and religion have no place together.  They haven’t seen Michael Caines’ art show Perfect Happiness, currently on view at Mulherin Pollard Projects. Like a child with a pair of scissors and stack of disparate magazines and storybooks, Caines mixes and matches heads of politicians...

Last month I flew out to Michigan to represent Burnside at the Festival of Faith and Writing (FFW).  I wasn’t sure what to expect from the Midwest.  I mean, I’m from Manhattan.  My perception is that the Midwest must be so cold, flat, and boring that anyone with any shred of culture wants...

Kendrick's "Markers" / Photo by Stephanie Nikolopoulos Earlier this week I was making my way from one publishing house to another, and decided to take a shortcut.  Usually, I stick to 5th Avenue so I can window shop my way to meetings.  Monday, though, I decided to get back to nature. ...

I am tired of hating the Yankees. The Phillies have lost. Chase Utley has lost. Cliff Lee has lost. Ryan Howard has lost. It is the Yankees who say yes or no. Those who tried to defeat the Yankees have lost. It is baseball and we have no salary cap. The little teams are unable to keep up. The smaller...