"I wish I could fold up Patrick Smith and put him in my suitcase."
- Stephen Dubner,
Co-author of Freakonomics
Author's Featured Photo
Essays & Stories
NOW AND ZEN: A HÜSKER DÜ RETROSPECTIVE
A Hüsker Dü retrospective.
Two new books, and remembering indie rock's greatest album on its 20th anniversary. Read More
REVERE BEACH REVERIE: A Hometown Memoir
The Pilot goes home again. Remembering the honky-tonk bars, Michelob bottles, and smoky old 707s of America's first public beach. Read More
LETTER FROM MUMBAI: An Afternoon in “Maximum City”
"It's monsoon season, and we set out under a nervous, curdled sky. The air has a smell of rotten expectation -- like a sink full of dirty.. Read More
THE EXPLODING TOILET and Other Memories
Not all mistakes are fatal. Some are worse. Read More
SOUTH LATITUDE: Searching For Soul and Sky, In Florida and Beyond
The flotsam and jetsam of the world's most colorful airport.
Plus, a journey to Hispaniola: land of baseballl, denuded hillsides... and sausage casings. Read More
INTO THE SEA: Love, Death, and Other Near Misses
The true story of a near-death experience over Nantucket. Read More
THE YIN & YANG OF AIRLINE IDENTITY
Part one: logos and liveries, from the elegant tsurumaru of Japan Airlines to the Bosch-like turtle of Cayman Airways. Plus, a paint-jobs report card! Read More
THE YIN & YANG OF AIRLINE IDENTITY
Part two: A humorous look at the best and worst of names, slogans, and advertisements. Ah, the existential musings of the Scandinavian salt-poet. Read More
HIGH ART: History, Hype, and The World’s Biggest Planes
Can a re-born jetliner again change the world -- or look good trying? Read More
AIR TRAVEL IN ART, MUSIC & FILM
Movies, songs, album covers and poems. From Gershwin to the Clash, which forms of art best evoke the spirit of air travel? Read More
WE GAAN: The Horror and Absurdity of History’s Worst Plane Crash
The horror and absurdity of history's worst plane crash. Read More
SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT
Onward to Canada with a planeload of obsessed Japanese tourists. A true story of danger and hilarity. Read More
THE RIGHT SEAT: Polyester, Propellers, and Other Memories
The awe and odd of the author's first flying job. Read More
EN ROUTE ANGST
It's fear and loathing on the high Atlantic. Do pilots think about crashing? Of course they do! Read More
TERMINAL MADNESS: What Is Airport Security?
A decade after September 11th, and still airport security can't get it right. Here's why. Read More
WHAT’S THE MATTER WITH AIRPORTS?
From litter to noise to aesthetic nothingness, US airports just don't compare. Here are fifteen ways to make them better. Read More
POVERTY, HEDGEHOGS, AND THE WORLD’S WORST AIRPORT
Welcome to Dakar, home of the world's worst airport. And a visit to a nearby slum yields an unexpected find. Read More
OFFICE PAPER and Other Misfortunes
From paper clips to scrap metal. A workplace memoir from Patrick Smith. Read More
GIVE AND TAKE ON THE ROAD TO TIMBUKTU
Letter from Mali. Our confidence is sinking fast as we head upriver with a Dutch metermaid. Read More
