News & Opinion

Some thoughts on our city as we observe the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s death.

“Every old man worth his salt should have a cardigan sweater he wears year-round. It should have soup stains on it and holes in the elbows. If a moth has chewed on it, all the better.”

It’s kind of like our Oscars—without the red carpet. Or the designer fashions. Or the statues.

“You’re not just renting an office from us. You’re becoming part of a tight-knit community.”

Almost anyone who came of age in the ’70s and ’80s spent some leisure time strolling the spacious halls of an enclosed shopping mall.

“Facebook allows us to hang on the words of someone half a world away, known only to us by binary code, while ignoring the spouse across the table.”

“There are few bigger champions of diversity than white, college-educated city-dwellers. Except when it comes to schools. In that regard, we’re far more like suburbanites than we’d care to admit.”

So you’re telling us there’s a chance.

“Every rider thinks his bike is the best, but would never say so. Except perhaps the owners of Triumph Bonnevilles, but only because it’s true.”

But there are a few bugs in the program that gets the city there.

“As always, I turned first to the back page to read Deborah Paul’s column. After seeing the title, I knew.”

“I hope I don’t wind up wandering the streets. Or writing long-winded emails to my friends.”

“I’ve tried both working and not, and prefer employment, so long as I can pick the job. Sometimes my wife picks my tasks for me, and I don’t care for that nearly as much.”

Indianapolis Monthly owes its existence to Deborah Paul.

“Before the program even began, the crowd delivered each a standing ovation, awed by two statesmen who eschewed speaking in soundbites in favor of fully formed U.N. draft resolutions.”