The glare of the computer screen reflects in the bleary eyes of Tony Stirpe. He absentmindedly reaches for a lukewarm cup of coffee on his cluttered desk as he continues writing an analysis of Hamlet through an Aristotelian lens. He has three, double-spaced pages to get the B- he seeks. An hour later, Stirpe is done. But instead of putting his name at the top and turning it in to a professor, he emails his paper to a faceless customer and waits to collect $51.98. Order 15964375 is complete. Read here.
William Rubley’s opponent, Clark Davis, flips a quarter to see who goes first. Rubley wins. A shining steel ball jumps out of a tattered wooden pocket. Rubley pulls the plunger back and quickly releases it, propelling the ball up a winding ramp. A spirited pinball duel has begun. “When you’re playing, there is this great combination between skill and luck,” says Rubley, taking a break from the game at Blairally Vintage Arcade in Eugene. “It’s not enough to be lucky, and it’s not enough to be good. You have to play often enough to capitalize on that beautiful combination.” Read here.
Sweating, Swearing and Whiskey: A Q&A with Astronautalis
Andy Bothwell, better known by his stage name Astronautalis, blends the battle rapping style of old school, ghetto hip-hop with Shakespearean iambic pentameter and poetic technique. As an artist, he consistently takes two seemingly dissimilar topics and manages to meld them into lyrically driven, passionate music.His understated skill and bookish, knowledgeable swagger make him a joy to listen to and a challenge to deconstruct. Jumping from upbeat jazz-torch songs to slowly building ballads opining the eternal struggle of Sisyphus, Bothwell will leave you sweating, smiling, and philosophizing. Read here.
Casey Minter 