Well, I’ve officially been in Kentucky for a week and have a few more days to go. I arrived in Bowling Green to research an article on the meth problem for In These Times magazine, but the research slogs on. Today, after my ride along with an undercover drug agent here in Warren County, I intended on bouncing down to Nashville. But last night I received a call from another recovering addict who I’m interviewing Saturday morning. The agent I met with today is on meth-lab call this weekend and said he’d ring me to tag-a-long if he went… Continue Reading Category Archives: The Howl
The Perpetual Pit Stop
Well, I’ve officially been in Kentucky for a week and have a few more days to go. I arrived in Bowling Green to research an article on the meth problem for In These Times magazine, but the research slogs on. Today, after my ride along with an undercover drug agent here in Warren County, I intended on bouncing down to Nashville. But last night I received a call from another recovering addict who I’m interviewing Saturday morning. The agent I met with today is on meth-lab call this weekend and said he’d ring me to tag-a-long if he went… Continue Reading Sunday 7: Odes to Whiskey
Parts of western Kentucky were severely flooded last week after a weekend of torrential rains fell on the region. Newspapers in each of the towns I passed through offered coverage of not just the damage and death, but also of whiskey distillery tours and deliveries. While flooding put a temporary halt on tours, the distilleries assured the public that whiskey deliveries would not be interrupted. So, this week The Feral Scribe pays tribute to Kentucky’s whiskey industry for its unflinching commitment to the good citizens of the Bluegrass State. As these artists know, a little whiskey can go a long… Continue Reading
Killing Time in Kentucky
Bowling Green, KY – This town, home of Western Kentucky University, might just be one of the most photographed cities in the nation. It seems like every one I’ve met here, including the kids in the picture above, is a photojournalism student. I didn’t realize schools even offered photojournalism programs anymore, but I’ve since learned UWK is one of the few that still do.
I chatted for a while with Kohl, third from left. I turned him onto David Lynch’s Interview Project and he introduced me to 50 People, One Question. We discussed new media, long-form journalism, travel and… Continue Reading How Much is that Doggy in the Window?
Hamilton, OH – I never thought I’d be able to ask, literally, “How much is that doggy in the window?”
But it’s exactly what I did while in Hamilton, OH, last week. Here I met Cheri Dalton, owner of Cheri’s Preferred Puppies, who has owned the Main Street shop since 1986. Her inventory was low. Two Boxer, pups. A Chihuaha. A pair of Poodle mixes. Then the dogs in the window, whose pedigrees are unclear.
None of the dogs come from Humane Societies or rescues, but rather local breeders she didn’t want to identify for proprietary reasons. “They’re wonderful… Continue Reading My Buddy Bill
La Grange, KY – Yesterday was chore day. Clean and organize Purple Thunder. Take stock of my food stuffs. Fold my blankets. Re-situate my books which fly in all directions during sharp turns. Do laundry. I pulled off of I-65 South, into La Grange, hoping it would have a laundry mat and bank so I could buy quarters and wash my wears. They had both and it was on.
I tossed my laundry into the machine, spoke with a friend in Houston, then my uncle, who, along with my aunt, is doing some cool stuff over at Each Little… Continue Reading Meet Eric, a Self-Described Jerk
Louisville, KY – Meet Eric, a 41-year-old computer repairman who came home late one too many times. Last Thursday, his girlfriend, Stacy, who he’s dated on-and-off for four-and-a-half years, sent him packing. The Feral Scribe found Eric standing on the median of a main thoroughfare in Louisville, KY, on Tuesday, during rush hour. “I’m really in the dog house,” he told me. “My last chance was a last chance ago, but I’m hoping for one more last chance.”
Just how many times last month did Eric come home late?
“I don’t know,” he said. “Maybe four or five.”
Eric… Continue Reading An Unlikely Savior for my Wi-Fi Conundrum
Everywhere, USA – One concern I had prior to setting out on this journey was having regular wi-fi access. I couldn’t afford an airport card, sadly, so my plan was to simply find a cafe with free wi-fi where I could sip coffee, write and post articles and stay abreast of the news. Easy enough. My GPS has a wi-fi hotspot locater, which works well except on those occasions when it hits on what turns out to be nothing more than empty commercial space.
Unfortunately, in the American hinterlands, cyber cafes are few and far between. In many towns,… Continue Reading Sunday 7: Songs to Make You Jump
I’ve been in Ohio for several days now. It’s a depressing state. All anyone talks about is the jobs that have been lost, people being jailed for defaulting on child support, meth addicts and how there is nothing to do around here. It’s true. There is nothing to do. In Dayton, everyone told me to check out the Oregon District, billing it as the most happening place around. But on a Friday evening, the Oregon District was like a ghost town. The most hoppin’ place I found was a McDonald’s, where a gaggle of kids with pick-up trucks seemed content… Continue Reading
Dawn on the Susquehanna
As I waited for a cafe to open I took a stroll this morning along the lovely Susquehanna River in Harrisburg, the capitol of Pennsylvania. Philly has two rivers, the Delaware and the Schuylkill, but both are badly polluted. This one reminded me of the Mississippi, by my grandparents’ house. Around seven a.m., I ventured over to the cafe, but apparently it’s closed this week for remodeling.
I’ve realized that many small towns in this state, and probably elsewhere, don’t have any cafes, let alone places with free wi-fi access. A cosmopolitan luxury I guess. The local meeting spots tend… Continue Reading 
Futility Wins the Day in Central Tennessee