Mac King
Characters make a story memorable: jokesters, geniuses, gossips, children, octogenarians, your neighbor Maureen, your uncle Jerry, cobblers, clock-winders, professional foosball players, artisan mayonnaise-makers. In this job (and in life), I like to think I seek out characters. I'm a reader (fiction, non-fiction, books, magazines, the entire Internet). I'm a TV/movie-watcher. I'm a former camp counselor. I'm an intramural sports enthusiast. Every story of my little league career is at least mildly exaggerated. I grew up on Bainbridge Island, Wash., with two sisters, Newfoundland dogs and Siamese cats. My parents still live there with all of those pets and all of my favorite sports teams. I went to high school at Andover, where I spent more time playing stickball than studying for chemistry (Mr. Cardozo gave me a C). I then attended Bates College, where I wrote a sports column for the school paper filled with more drinking jokes than game stats (thankfully, the online archives seem to have vanished). I went to graduate school at Northwestern, where I once submitted a story about the most delicious cinnamon brioche in all of Chicago.
The latest from Mac King
What a shout out from Missy Elliot means to subway dance crew
A dance crew called W.A.F.F.L.E. got its start by performing on the subway for tips, then posted videos of their train car performances to social media and started getting noticed.
NYC show venues reopen; some say they can't survive at reduced capacity
Performance venues in New York are allowed to reopen at 33% capacity. But venue owners and operators say they can't make the numbers work at that level.
Suez Canal Debacle: Cargo ship is free but effects on trade will linger
The contents of the Ever Given and millions of more containers on the 350-plus other vessels stuck waiting to enter the canal must find their ways to their final destinations.
New York's legal marijuana marketplace will take years to develop
After reaching a deal Saturday night, New York lawmakers are planning to soon vote on a bill to make recreation pot use legal. The first dispensaries could open in about a year and a half.
'Dads of TikTok' sharing advice, life lessons
Teens are the only ones becoming superstars on TikTok, dads are getting into the influencer game too, gaining thousands of followers for their videos sharing helpful parenting tips and advice.
NBA scouts take interest in star Yeshiva U. combo guard
Ryan Turell has been working hard to be a standout basketball player since he was 5. The rising senior at Yeshiva University could become the NBA's first Orthodox Jewish player.
Why a massive cargo ship blocking the Suez Canal affects global trade
A skyscraper of a ship wedged across the Suez Canal has blocked hundreds of cargo ships from passing through, causing an economic wave around the world.
Hayden Planetarium reopens at limited capacity
Space explorers of all ages can one again visit the edges of the universe right here in New York City at the Hayden Planetarium.
Union sues MTA over crowded subways
In the suit, the union argues that overcrowding on subway trains during the pandemic violates the MTA's legal duty to the safety and convenience of hte public.
Banks turning to cryptocurrency to lure investors
Big banks are beginning to make cryptocurrencies a big part of their pitch to deep-pocketed investors.