Tomorrow I leave Savannah for Miami, the end of the line on Amtrak. A journey from a world constrained by history to a place that is still inventing itself. For tourists, Charleston and Savannah are about colonial times and early independence through the end of the civil war. A white history with selective amnesia. Miami… Continue reading Iron Road to the Capital of Latin America
Month: February 2015
The Other
Woolworth’s lunch counter (Smithsonian) I tried to build a coherent picture of my seatmate as I rode Amtrak from Cleveland to New York. The obvious stuff: 40-ish, black, heavyset, financially on the edge. I got the financial bit as he talked on the phone about his imminent move to a smaller apartment. He clicked away at… Continue reading The Other
Iron Road to Dixie
This week I ride the rails south from New York City towards an America that is, in some ways, a foreign country to me. Each night I’ll sleep in a hotel, pausing in Washington, DC, and Charleston, SC. In Savannah, GA, a friend will join me for a couple days. This will be the first… Continue reading Iron Road to Dixie
Breakfast Rooms
A family sits around a breakfast table in a Cleveland Holiday Inn Express talking about family things. The teenager shrugs as Mom announces she’s going to redecorate his bedroom. The conversation pauses for a basketball segment on the local Fox affiliate. A rack of USA Todays announces the next war. I can’t say Americans are… Continue reading Breakfast Rooms
Iron Road to Gotham
This week I head slowly to New York City by Amtrak. In Life, Phase 3, you don’t have to rush or be perturbed by inevitable delays. Each night I’ll be in a hotel rather than a train, which gives me a chance to go walkabout in Chicago and Cleveland. My partner will join my in… Continue reading Iron Road to Gotham