×

Feature Stories

KIRITSIS-STAY-BACK.jpg
Read More

The Tony Kiritsis Saga

“Tony slipped on the ice, taking Hall with him. If one of the two hadn’t fallen, Hall would have been killed right there.”

meth-oct2005-3.jpg
Read More

IM Crime Files: The Scourge

Editor’s Note: The following originally appeared in the October 2005 “Small Towns” issue and is included among IM’s Best-Ever Crime Stories.

DURHAM-SPREAD.jpg
Read More

IM Crime Files: The Audit

Editor’s Note, Feb. 21, 2013:

DANICA-SPREAD.jpg
Read More

Danica Patrick: Drive to Succeed

Editor’s Note, Feb. 19, 2013: This past Sunday at Daytona International Speedway, driver Danica Patrick became the first woman ever to qualify in the top spot for a NASCAR Cup race. She will start in the pole position of the Daytona 500 on Feb. 24. The following profile, noted in The Best American Sports Writing series, originally appeared in the May 2006 issue of IM, a year after Patrick’s fourth-place finish in the Indianapolis 500.

JamesDean-Memorial.jpg
Read More

In the Shadow of a Giant: Fairmount, Indiana, James Dean's Resting Place

The laws of nature dictate that the fainter the light source, the longer the shadow. Given his brief career and long-ago death, Dean’s light should have been all but extinguished by now. But in Fairmount his shadow looms large, his name and image a currency to be traded. The Rebel Rebel gift shop and the Giant Bar & Grill and the Boulevard of Broken Dreams scene painted on the side of the antiques mall distinguish Fairmount from other Grant County map dots like Jonesboro and Gas City and Swayzee.

Spread-1.jpg
Read More

If James Dean Were Alive Today, He'd Be Dead.

Editor’s Note, Feb. 15, 2013: Hugh Hefner’s personal secretary, Mary O’Connor, was James Dean’s fellow Fairmount, Indiana, native. She died on Jan. 27. Mark Roesler, CEO of CMG Worldwide (headquartered in Indianapolis) manages the intellectual property rights of Dean and other celebrities, and he gave closing remarks at O’Connor’s memorial service on Feb. 8 at the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles, noting also that the service was taking place on Dean’s birthday. Here, our June 2005 feature story about another Hoosier who went to Hollywood, about Dean’s craft and legacy.

0712-BRICKYARD-BLEACHERS.jpg
Read More

Running on Empty: The Brickyard 400's Problems

“They may have a good race over there,” says Lucas Oil Raceway GM Wes Collier. “But I guarantee it won’t be better than it would have been at our racetrack.”

A Brief Plunge Into The World of Indy
Read More

A Brief Plunge into the Hidden World of Indy's Sewers

As I crept farther, panic finally set in. I was lost! The scurrying animals, which I could never quite see amid the ankle-deep muck of the tunnel, seemed to get more numerous.

Mike Pence
Read More

INcoming: Mike Pence

To understand the chasm currently separating Indiana’s political parties, all you need to do is picture their election-night celebrations. On November 6, the Democrats chose a sedate ballroom at the Downtown Marriott. The Republicans, who were marching toward supermajorities in the House and the Senate, chose the end zone at Lucas Oil Stadium.

default featured image
Read More

Time to Love the Pacers—Again

But what about our pro basketball franchise? Don’t you remember? The one born here 45 years ago on little more than a few dollars and a big dream? The one that helped Indianapolis elbow its way into national consideration as a sports town by winning three ABA titles in a span of four years? The one whose success spurred the construction of Market Square Arena, the retro-classic Fieldhouse—regarded by many as the finest basketball venue in the country—and, ultimately, downtown revitalization?

default featured image
Read More

Q: How Does Brad Stevens Compete with Big Schools for Star Recruits? A: He Doesn't.

Stevens never oversold his message, never pressured. Even when facing heavy-hitting competition, he never seemed anxious. He seemed honest.

OPENING-SPREAD.jpg
Read More

Fair Play That Changed the Face of the NCAA

Editor’s Note, Nov. 12, 2012: At tonight’s game, Indiana University and its men’s basketball team honor Bill Garrett, the first African-American man to play Big Ten basketball, marking the 65th anniversary of the first game in the conference in which he played. “Well, what happens now to Bill Garrett, Emerson Johnson and Marshall Murray? After […]

Andrew Luck with a football looking at camera
Read More

The Promise Of Andrew Luck

Are you prepared for the most dramatic transition in Colts history? Andrew Luck is.

WAKEFIELD.jpg
Read More

Kurt Vonnegut: A Man of Letters

In 1969, L.S. Ayres invited native son Kurt Vonnegut to sign copies of his latest novel, Slaughterhouse-Five, in the downtown department store. At earlier stops on the book tour, the literary icon had drawn throngs of fans; here, he was met with indifference—and the irony didn’t escape him. “I sold thirteen books in two hours, every one of them to a relative,” Vonnegut wrote to fellow novelist and Shortridge High grad Dan Wakefield. “Word of honor.”

default featured image
Read More

Luck vs. Peyton

Striking similarities and stark differences between these two Indianapolis Colts QBs.

X
X