Elsewhere

The Friendship Center Blog

The Violence of Frontier Fantasies

Some of our prevailing ideas about regional identity in the American West can lead to the fatal outcomes that agencies like The Friendship Center are determined to prevent. I dive into personal and regional history here, plus some familiar (to me) names in state reports on closed domestic violence homicide cases to make the case that the ahistorical narratives at the root of community violence aren’t monolithic. Some, however, are worth very serious attention because they have a body count.

The Friendship Center Blog

Criminalize or Re-legitimize: Lessons from Our Red-Light History

My employer gave me the green light to lean into an often misunderstood and unfairly maligned industry—the consensual sex trade—and invite readers to question how effective the criminalization of sex for sale has been in rooting out violence. This piece delves into the history of red-light districts in towns like Helena, the Progressive Era origins of criminalization-based reform approaches, and the dangers of myopic solutions to issues grounded in long-standing class, racial, and gender inequities.

National Register of Historic Places

Nomination for Colonel Henry Landes House at 1034 Franklin Street in Port Townsend, Washington

Washington Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation unanimously approved property for individual listing on the National Register on May 13, 2021.

Press: Colonel Landes House approved for individual listing on historic register

Caravanserai Project Jet Fuel Series

Series focused on helping mission-driven enterprises reimagine their work and increase their impact.

The Hunt, Part 11: Pittsburgh vs. Boston

A September 2019 conversation about Pittsburgh and Boston sports.

The Hunt, Part 2: Pittsburgh vs. St. Louis

A March 2019 conversation about Pittsburgh and St. Louis sports.

A Driver Runs Through It? A review of Melissa Stephenson’s DRIVEN

A review of Melissa Stephenson’s excellent 2018 memoir, Driven

The Top 5 Dogs of Callan Wink’s Stories

A review of Callan wink’s 2016 short story collection, Dog Run Moon

Follow the Money: Insights from Kimberly Reed’s ‘Dark Money’

In which I found an excuse in my old job to connect our public policy work to a documentary that falls under two favorite talking points of Montanans: 1.) “End Citizens United FFS” and 2.) “I told you Butte was a big damn deal”

Building Street Cred…One Tax Return at a Time.

A look at one of the most effective anti-poverty programs on the books and two Boston-based doctors who made it more accessible to families by bringing free tax filing assistance to their waiting room.

Animating the Antarctic in the Motor City

From a 2016 conversation with Detroit Zoo’s ED about protecting biodiversity in polar regions following the addition of 20 gentoo penguins to the zoo’s acclaimed Polk Penguin Conservation Center.