“To become more than successful—to become invincible—a brand must occupy a position in the consumer’s soul.” Matt Gonzales explores two of modern America’s most unbreakable brands.
Time for another exciting Punch Card, in which we talk about things other people have written and add some text and links to jazz things up. Today, we’re taking on plagiarism and coming back with a shocking recommendation: Don’t do it.
In November of 1877, the sultry southern city of New Orleans became home to an accomplished journalist who was to become the most exotic of writers in an era of exotic writers. Born to an undisciplined Greek woman and a rakish Irishman serving in the British occupation army in Greece in 1850, Lafcadio Hearn spent…
Time to get another punch on your Punchnel’s Punchcard. This one’s about stuff we get for free and what that costs everyone involved.
“One of our favorite activities is to compare genealogical lineage. Kinships are discovered and celebrated. Discussions of what might have happened in the gaps of our family records abound….Speculation is plentiful, but much remains unknown in many family trees.” Edward G. Gauthier on commemorating a 400-year-old cultural migration.
Invoke your personal basketball gods with David Anderson‘s annual prayer for your brackets.
“Whether you want to impress your in-laws, boost your SAT scores, or deliver more effective presentations at work, it’s worth familiarizing yourself with words that instantly reflect your intelligence.” Jamie Leigh with a plethora of great reasons for reading great literature.
“My younger brother, Gus, doesn’t go to class reunions. He doesn’t meet up with friends at the local bar or exchange pictures on social networks. In fact, he rarely sees his friends. But when he does, there’s always a casket.” A personal essay on the drug crisis in Scott County, Indiana, by Meryl Diaz.
“Marco did not swim in the lakes, not even the large ones. He was not afraid of teeth nibbling at his feet, or a tentacle from some prehistoric beast wrapping itself around his thigh. He was not a true believer like his sister.” New fiction from Andrew F. Sullivan .