LOS ANGELES -- Steve Stringer works his dream job out of a shed in Melrose Hill.

The 500-square-foot outbuilding wasn't where Stringer, an L.A.-based ceramicist, imagined setting up shop. The day he found it, he was touring a neighboring Western Avenue property. When that space turned out to be too big for an art studio, the landlord told ...Read more

As I sit down to write this, my city is preparing to host its 47th marathon.

Which means my daily runs along Lake Michigan are made even more beautiful, more hopeful, more perspective-inducing by the presence of runners hailing from around the world — all different languages, all different paces, all different cultures. Keeping their legs ...Read more

I remember the day quite well. I went to my Rotary Club meeting and returned to my office in the garden. I casually glanced into the garden as I entered the building. I noticed a sizable group of nature lovers gathered around looking through their binoculars. I asked inside if anyone knew what they were looking at. The answer was a great purple ...Read more

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Hair. Human hair. Hair woven into jewelry, wreaths, keepsakes. Michael Jackson’s hair. Marilyn Monroe’s hair.

Hair as art, hair as spectacle.

It was Leila Cohoon’s world, and she showcased it all at Leila’s Hair Museum, located in an otherwise unremarkable freestanding building on Noland Road in Independence, ...Read more

LOS ANGELES -- When Friedia Niimura moved to the U.S. from Japan in her mid-20s, she shared a dream with many Angelenos: acting, or maybe fashion. A TV and media personality in Japan, it seemed a natural fit, only she didn't take to the competitive pace of Los Angeles.

So she dove into one of her other passions: paper.

"When I came to L.A., I ...Read more

Q: After some consideration, I decided to change my age online to 62. I just think 62 sounds better than 65 (and everyone tells me I look young for my age… and I certainly don’t feel 65). What do you think?

-- Susan, 65, Baltimore

A: I would strongly recommend against lying about your age. Yes, you'll likely get more hits, but at what ...Read more

BERKELEY, Calif. — Inflation may be making everything unbearable, but there’s still one great bargain in the Bay Area: a glass of 10-cent beer in Berkeley, poured every single day.

The last time America saw a deal like this might’ve been the notorious “10-cent Beer Night” at the 1974 Cleveland Indians-Texas Rangers baseball game. That...Read more

Q. My ex just changed the email address that he uses to communicate with me to include a derogatory reference to me. It’s obvious what he’s doing, but I’m having a difficult time staying calm. What’s good ex-etiquette?

A. First and foremost, it’s important to acknowledge that any attempt to disrespect you, especially in a shared co-...Read more

PHILADELPHIA -- George had a problem, and he had reached out to Yowei Shaw for help.

After a decade-plus relationship, his wife had come out as queer and divorced him. (George is a Midwesterner using a pseudonym.)

Shaw, the Philly-based creator and founder of the new podcast Proxy, listened to his story and began her search for help.

The ...Read more

Dear Kid Whisperer,

I feel like I’m losing my mind, and this question feels like a stupid and embarrassing one that I should have an answer to. I have a 2-and-a-half-year-old who is starting to sort of do whatever he wants. I’m exhausted from telling him to not have a stick that he brought from outside, to not hit his brother with the ruler...Read more

They say birds of a feather flock together and while that may be true most of the time, I have proof it is not true all the time. Our 12-year-old grandson and a jet-black Cayuga duck sitting beside him, with its long neck and head resting on the boy’s shoulder, have been flocking together for weeks.

The boy says it all began because the duck�...Read more

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A transplant from Miami, Anallive Calle learned her way around Kansas City from behind the wheel of a big yellow school bus.

The tablet near the dash provides turn-by-turn directions to every stop and checks each kid on and off the bus throughout her route. It’s helped her navigate the narrow roads and one-ways that ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — The man stood in the middle of the road in decadent Beverly Hills, gawking at one of those only-in-L.A. streetscapes.

He was looking at a row of palm trees in linear formation, like soldiers awaiting inspection, lining the road as far as the eye could see. Alongside the Spanish colonial homes, the scene is a picturesque look ...Read more

When it comes to getting a good night’s sleep, no snooze is bad news. At least it is for my wife, Sue, who claims she is often kept awake by my snoring, which she once said makes me sound — this is a direct quote — “like Mount Vesuvius.”

“This means,” I helpfully pointed out, “that I have been disturbing your sleep for 2,000 ...Read more

BALTIMORE — Daryl Davis, 67, started trying to talk white supremacists out of hating people like him when he was 10.

In his 2024 book, “The Klan Whisperer,” Davis, an R&B and blues pianist and guitarist, describes his encounters with Klan members and other racists during the past five decades. Over the years, more than 200 white ...Read more

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Lou Lesesne has spent years cultivating a naturalistic garden in his front yard.

He uses only native species of plants and allows them to grow tall, flower and seed without regular mowing. It’s an approach that has gained in popularity as cities adopt friendlier laws recognizing potential environmental benefits of creating ...Read more

Four years ago, an ornamental sweet potato shook up the green industry. It was named after Medusa, a figure from Greek mythology. If you remember from junior high, this lady had snakes for hair.

My take on this is that whenever the green industry names a new plant after Medusa, it turns out to be special. Now four years and 29 awards later, ...Read more

Dear Anna,

I'm in a polyamorous relationship with my girlfriend of two years, and we see each other once a week due to other partners and our demanding work schedules. I completely understand that she's often exhausted when we finally get together, and I'm fine with low-key dates like ordering takeout and watching TV. The problem is that even ...Read more

On Sunday afternoon in downtown Chicago, as couples strolled along sidewalks and kids ran around Maggie Daley Park and diners filled outdoor cafes and the Joffrey Ballet wrapped its final performance of “Carmen” at the Lyric Opera House, U.S. Border Patrol agents wearing tactical gear and carrying long guns patrolled the city’s streets.

...Read more

PITTSBURGH — Though Gabriel Dominic-Dunlap didn't grow up with cassettes, he's now a collector who can be seen sporting a personal tape player.

The 20-year-old Duquesne University student only discovered an enthusiasm for the format, which hit peak popularity in the 1980s, within the past few months. He carries tapes from his small collection...Read more