The horses in ΗΒΟ’s Luck

The horses in HBO's Luck make for a perfect romantic conundrum. Not only everyone wants them; everyone is enthused and inspired by them. The lives of players big and small are ugly with strife and corruption, riddled with addiction and loss, yet at the center of the racetrack the horses run with such primordial grace … Continue reading The horses in ΗΒΟ’s Luck →

Sarajevo

In praise of my favorite of all the cities I've visited, our tattered Balkan freak flag, our cross-marrying hidden heart, our indomitable secret capital of Europe. The medieval against the modern, the bombed-out against the glass-metal sheen, the neighborhoods where they serve no pork or alcohol. Everything juxtaposes, everything marries. Here's to you, Sarajevo.

The Tracker

True Detective is prestige pulp; we all know that. Like the Alan Moore comics that inspired him, Nic Pizzolato pairs the unserious with literary aims and structures. It works. His season arcs end redemptively, with his hard-boiled men (they'd be funny if they weren't so well-acted) finding their soft spot and sticking with it, for … Continue reading The Tracker →