The Architect and the Animal How animals have inspired architecture, as seen in Kostas Tsiambaos' new book

Kostas Tsiambaos’ “The Architect and the Animal” reexamines how biological forms have entered the imagination of modern architects. www.theusonian.com/p/the-archit...

Introducing "To-Go Zine" A charity zine about food culture in L.A. after the 2025 fires

I’m proud to be part of the team launching “To-Go Zine,” a new independent magazine about food culture in Los Angeles. Issue 1: Care Package examines the impact of the 2025 fires on the city. Learn more here! www.theusonian.com/p/introducin...

Gifted with the Right Stuff, He Helped Put Men on the Moon

Luigi Crocco toiled on Italian military rocketry experiments in relative obscurity until he came to the U.S., when he helped put men on the moon. paw.princeton.edu/article/gift...

Lecciones y rituales - Jorge Torres The Delos Symposia (1963-1965) gathered historians, architects, anthropologists, thinkers, and archaeologists of the...

Nice review of "The Delos Symposia and Doxiadis" in Architectural Viva arquitecturaviva.com/articles/lec...

To-Go Zine—a new publication about food culture in Los Angeles—launches in April. Our first issue, “Care Package” explores how food forms bonds even in catastrophe, from the COVID-19 pandemic to the 2025 fires in Altadena. I’m very proud to be part of this editorial team. Stay tuned for updates!

Contemplating endless war On Ali Cherri's film about the Cypriot conflict, "The Watchman"

Ali Cherri’s short film “The Watchman” uses surrealism to dramatize the endless nature of the Cypriot conflict — and the haunting legacy of having a conflict last for generations. www.theusonian.com/p/contemplat...

Opinion | Could This Be the End of Dubai?

Great piece on Dubai and unrootedness in a mobile world, by Richard Florida www.nytimes.com/2026/03/16/o...

That time I was in a Greek chocolate commercial The double-edged sword of being a different type of DEI hire

One time I was in a Greek chocolate commercial. This is how that happened and what happened next. (Paid Usonian+ exclusive). harrisonblackman.substack.com/p/that-time-...

Andrew Jarecki ’85’s Prison Documentary Is Up for an Oscar The Alabama Solution exposed abuses within the state’s prison system

I spoke with documentary filmmaker Andrew Jarecki about his Oscar-nominated film, "The Alabama Solution," an examination of the abuses of the Alabama state prison system. paw.princeton.edu/article/andr...

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ’03 Axes Military Fellowship at ‘Elite Colleges’ The one fellow Princeton hosts each year brings important perspective to discussions, says SPIA professor Jacob Shapiro

I spoke to Princeton alumni with military backgrounds to react to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's order to eliminate the Senior Service College Fellowship for military personnel at Princeton and other elite colleges. paw.princeton.edu/article/defe...

Well, maybe you are referring to Quebecois

Attack of the drones Food delivery bots are changing the delivery game — perhaps

Cute food delivery robots are coming to your city, eventually. Here's how they have disrupted Los Angeles. harrisonblackman.substack.com/p/attack-of-...

The Best Chicken Pot Pie You've Never Heard Of Forget the crust. Pennsylvania Dutch chicken pot pie is a rich, brothy soup loaded with tender homemade noodle squares, and it's been a generational comfort food long before the version you know.

My mom grew up in L.A., where her grandmother, Maurine, often served dishes like pickled pig’s feet, which seemed odd for SoCal. But Maurine was from South Bend, Indiana, and her family passed this pot pie recipe down the generations. www.allrecipes.com/pennsylvania...

He Fled Nazi Germany and Shaped the Course of Art History

Kurt Weitzmann fled Germany in the 1930s and went on to train the next generation of art museum curators in the U.S. paw.princeton.edu/article/he-f...

These Five Princeton Friends Found Community in Creative Writing By the end of 2025, all five writers became published novelists

Writing can be a solitary endeavor. These five college friends worked together to improve their craft and share market insight—and now, they're all published novelists. paw.princeton.edu/article/thes...

Notes from 'Grendel' "The Art of Fiction" may not be the best writing manual for the 21st century

John Gardner’s seminal craft fiction book may not have aged so well. www.theusonian.com/p/the-grende...

The ‘First’ Winter Olympics How Chamonix 1924 iced out a rival Nordic competition

Perhaps the original "heated rivalry" was the early competition between the Winter Olympics and the Nordic Games for the premier spot atop winter sports.
www.theusonian.com/p/the-first-...

4D chess

Dead clankers tell no tales A look inside the Tesla Diner, Hollywood's latest flop

As part of my project to see how automation and robotics are being implemented in Los Angeles, I visited the Tesla Diner on a mission to see its popcorn-serving robots. I was disappointed. #ClankerCity #TheUsonian harrisonblackman.substack.com/p/dead-clank...

How To Find a Cross-Country Ski Wonderland in Tahoe The alpine lake in California and Nevada may be known for its downhill ski resorts, but its Nordic ski offerings truly sparkle, writes Harrison Blackman ’17

In my pandemic-restricted last winter of my MFA program in Reno, Nevada, the only — and best thing — I could do was learn how to cross-country ski. paw.princeton.edu/article/how-...

Nicholas Biddle 1801 Opposed Abolition and Facilitated the Slave Trade Nicholas Biddle 1801 (1786-1844)

Nicholas Biddle was the second American to visit Greece. He was also, through his directorship of the 2nd National Bank, a facilitator of the Southern slave-based economy. Read more in my profile of one of history’s forgotten, troubling figures. paw.princeton.edu/article/nich...

L.A. Prosecutor Robert Schirn ’63 Met Historic Moments in Criminal Justice May 29, 1941 — April 12, 2025

L.A. prosecutor Robert Schirn had three loves: family, sports, and the District Attorney's office. Schirn co-wrote the wiretapping and search warrant manuals for L.A. County, and notably wrote the search warrant for Spahn ranch, headquarters of the Manson family. paw.princeton.edu/article/la-p...

The last battle in the bone war How an Ivy League museum met its end

Twenty-six years ago, Princeton University dismantled its historic natural science museum. A look back at what happened and why. An Usonian+ paid subscriber exclusive. www.theusonian.com/p/the-last-b...

The Voyage of the Narwhal Or, the voyage of the soap opera

Is Andrea Barrett's National Book Award-winning "Voyage of the Narwhal" a literary adventure or a soap opera? This week in The Usonian, we find out! www.theusonian.com/p/the-voyage...

An AI story in the style of... myself "A blend of atmospheric detail, psychological tension, and speculative unease"

I asked ChatGPT to write a short story in "my style." What it produced was "a blend of atmospheric detail, psychological tension, and speculative unease." www.theusonian.com/p/an-ai-stor...

Remembrance of things past The Usonian looks back at 2025

The Usonian looks back at 2025: A year of great reverberations, but a retracing of my steps proved motivational amidst the chaos. www.theusonian.com/p/remembranc...

The more you Waymo On the robotaxi's arrival—and what it's like to take one

This week in The Usonian, I take a look at Silicon Valley's race for the robotaxi and what it's like to ride in one. www.theusonian.com/p/the-more-y...

The Greatest Films You’ll Never See, Vol. IV | The Brooklyn Rail Our greatest hits this year include food monsters, three-and-a-half-hours on the dance floor, special effects lost to time, legendary films never made, and more.

It's not every day you get to write about "The Attack of the Giant Moussaka," but today is a good day! brooklynrail.org/2025/12/film...

booo

Telescope Jack A tour-guide ordeal at the summit of Mount Wilson

When I went up to Mount Wilson, California, on a reporting mission, I had no idea what I was in for. (Paid subscribers only). Happy Thanksgiving!
www.theusonian.com/p/telescope-...