This is a lighthearted odds n ends edition.
When I lived in New York and read the Times every day I was continually amazed at how detailed and in depth the Obituaries were. They often read like narrative biographies. Never gave a thought to who might be writing them, but turns out, Obituary Writing is a lifelong profession, and very much a distinct and learned talent. It makes sense: the delicate ability to maintain a dignified, if not an honorable tone, all the while trumpeting the virtues of your subject. The stylistic element is critical too; after all, each article is part of the grieving process of friends and relatives.
People have careers in Obituary Writing, much akin to sports writers, movie critics, and restaurant reviewers. Here's a fascinating interview with Damien Arnold, the longtime Obituary Writer for the London Times. Obituary Writing as an Art.
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Hodgepodge:
Dan Amira decided to find the restaurant with the highest number of Brothers. Two Brothers Pizza, Three Brothers…, etc. How many Brothers did he find??? Very funny.
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Since we’re always writing about food…
I totally admit to clicking on this one: The Cheapest place to eat in every state. (According to Yelp.)
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The World’s Oldest Restaurant? It’s in Salzburg, Austria. It opened within a monastery in 803 CE and ever since has been the architectural and culinary jewel known as St. Peter Stiftskulinarium. St. Peter’s vaults have hosted everyone from Mozart to Bianca Jagger. It’s grown through the centuries to become a vast establishment with gardens, cellars, and several dining rooms which feature different fare. Everything is semi-Medieval and atmospheric, but quite elegant. Experience Culinary History here; and see everything at St. Peter's here.
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Lastly, a more modest but equally important link, The Best Pizza Shops of 2023.
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Ain’t no one there: Put the North Rim on your bucket list.
My wife hails from a cowboy family so we try to keep that spirit alive. For the last week of September we went back to the North Rim, which IMHO is the best national park experience you could have. It’s truly one of the most remote places to get to in America, and that’s part of the beauty. A vast expannse, with very very few people. The rustic and huge North Rim Lodge sits right on the lip of the Rim, and it’s in the same family as El Tovar and the biggies on the South Rim: stone, timbers, fireplaces, soaring ceilings, 100 years old. There’s 3 sizes of log cabins (reservations must be made well ahead of time but aren’t hard to get.) and the hiking, star-gazing and scenery are, of course, jaw-dropping. We rode mules out along the Rim, then 4 miles down the steep and zig-zagging North Kaibab trail, and despite wind, rain and hail, the trip is hard to beat. North Rim (about 8,500 ft elevation and heavily forested) is only open/accessible from May 1 til Oct 15. Cannot recommend enough.
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Next time, a book about being shipwreck between New Zealand and Antarctica.
Thanks for reading and sharing,
Michael Daswick
Flagstaff, AZ