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Finding Julian
Andrew Cotto loses his son in a museum—and finds a new approach to being a good dad. Upon hearing that our second child would be a boy, I walked out of the doctor’s office, crossed 8th Avenue, and...
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Scooter, the Big Man, and Me: In Memory of Clarence Clemons
In the summer of 1975, I was seven years old, and I’d just saved up enough money to buy my first record. I had other albums already: the ones my musician-father gave me as gifts (Wings, Chicago, The...
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The Shot-in-the-Ass Economy
The continuing political battle regarding the debt ceiling in particular and the overall economy in general relates nicely to a scene in the masterful short-story “Until Gwen” by Dennis Lehane. The...
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Lamb Chops, Jezebel, and Kate Chopin
Is there such a thing as modern feminism? As a composition instructor, the only short-story I routinely keep in my repertoire is “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin. It’s a nifty little tale of an...
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What 10 Albums Would You Want on a Deserted Island?
Andrew Cotto has his ten albums. What are yours? I recently wrote about the Bruce Springsteen album Born to Run. It was the death of Clarence Clemons that inspired me to reflect on all the specific...
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Going Out to Eat Has Nothing to Do With the Food
Andrew Cotto’s grand dreams of a fancy birthday dinner with his best friend, Mike, end in disappointment. I grew up with great food and really got into what I considered to be “fine dining” in my...
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A Conversation With Dennis Lehane
Andrew Cotto talks with the bestselling author about writing, books as movies, and the role of art in society. Dennis Lehane is the author of nine novels-including the New York Times bestsellers Gone,...
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500 Thursdays
For Andrew Cotto’s daughter, every Thursday is a special day. My daughter was born on a Thursday. We’d gone to the hospital with still plenty of Wednesday left, but, on that day, complications arrived...
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Obama’s Speech Won’t Matter Because He’s ‘Black’
Andrew Cotto argues that there are some people for whom it does not matter what the president does or does not say; they only care about the color of his skin. President Obama will be addressing a...
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This Is not My Story
Andrew Cotto has his story about middle-class debt, but that’s not what this is about. I was born middle class. My father was a music teacher who drove a Greyhound bus in the summer. As a housewife,...
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A Social Person’s Social Media Problem
Andrew Cotto is a success at being social, which makes his apparent failure at social media all the more puzzling. I’m a social person. I do this well. I learned at the hip of my mother, who looked...
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Elephant on a Hot Tin Roof
Andrew Cotto notes the similarities between Tennessee William’s play and his view of the Republican Party. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is a legendary play about a wealthy Southern family in the 1950s...
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A Bloop Single Cost Me My Perfect Game, But I Redeemed Myself In My Book
Andrew Cotto, in a post on Deadspin’s “Glory Days.” Our friends at Deadspin run a series called “Glory Days”, that features readers’ tales of momentary sports glory. This one comes to us from author...
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Jamal Simmons on Being a Good Man in Politics
Andrew Cotto talks man-to-man with political analyst Jamal Simmons about the greatest social problems facing America, President Obama’s legacy, and what it takes to be a good man in politics. Editor’s...
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20 Dads Share Their Favorite Children’s Books
Looking for a book to read to your children? These 20 dads share their favorites. Since before Moses and the stone tablets fathers have been telling stories and reading to their children. It’s...
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Finding Julian
It took the terror of losing his young son at a museum to make Andrew Cotto realize what it meant to be mentor and a father. — Upon hearing our second child would be a boy, I walked out of the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Finding Julian
Andrew Cotto loses his son in a museum—and finds a new approach to being a good dad.Upon hearing that our second child would be a boy, I walked out of the doctor’s office, crossed 8th Avenue, and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Scooter, the Big Man, and Me: In Memory of Clarence Clemons
In the summer of 1975, I was seven years old, and I’d just saved up enough money to buy my first record. I had other albums already: the ones my musician-father gave me as gifts (Wings, Chicago, The...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Shot-in-the-Ass Economy
The continuing political battle regarding the debt ceiling in particular and the overall economy in general relates nicely to a scene in the masterful short-story “Until Gwen” by Dennis Lehane. The...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Lamb Chops, Jezebel, and Kate Chopin
Is there such a thing as modern feminism?As a composition instructor, the only short-story I routinely keep in my repertoire is “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin. It’s a nifty little tale of an...
View Article