In the 1939 Frank Capra film, “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,” letters from citizens to Congress play a pivotal role in the story — they symbolize the voices of young people crying out for honest representation and government for the greater good. The letters arrive in stark contrast to a media campaign manufactured by a … Continue reading Writing letters to Congress: If you want to get their attention, go old school.
At long last, an Emmy for Trump
Kolaja Emmy shipped to White House Back when he was just a con man with a TV show, Trump frequently complained that the Emmy Awards were crooked and rigged against him. Why else would the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and the International Academy of Television … Continue reading At long last, an Emmy for Trump
Women’s hockey: A full house in DC; please bring these touring teams to Baltimore
You would not know it from reading today's Washington Post, but a record-breaking crowd of 17,228 watched a women's professional hockey game at Capitol One Arena in DC on Sunday afternoon, an impressive development in the growth of the Professional Women's Hockey League. Behind stellar defense and the goal-tending of Kayle Osborne, the New York … Continue reading Women’s hockey: A full house in DC; please bring these touring teams to Baltimore
Free student matinee for ‘No Mean City: Baltimore 1966’ is booked
The run of my next play, "No Mean City: Baltimore 1966," will include a free student matinee on Wednesday, March 11 at noon. I am happy and excited to report that 350 middle and high school students from Baltimore City and Baltimore County will attend the performance at the Baltimore Museum of Art. Several sponsors … Continue reading Free student matinee for ‘No Mean City: Baltimore 1966’ is booked
Get 10 cents for every empty bottle or can. It’s one of many ways to resist Trump’s attack on the environment
It's cool that Baltimore's Mr. Trash Wheel, the trash interceptor based in the city's Inner Harbor, is a worldwide celebrity. He's had some viral moments and enjoyed lots of attention for several years now. But so has all the trash that floats with every rain into the Inner Harbor, a chronic and depressing phenomenon. It … Continue reading Get 10 cents for every empty bottle or can. It’s one of many ways to resist Trump’s attack on the environment
Two essays: Dreading the juveniles in Trump’s government, saluting an actual adult who stood up for decency
Essays in contrast: One dreads the juvenility of the Trump regime, the other salutes a true adult who took a stand for decency.
A crime statistic worthy of its own headline
The fact that Baltimore's chronic problem with violent crime is finally being abated by smart law enforcement strategies and social science gets the big year-end headline: Homicides at historic lows. Here's my take on that very positive development, published on Substack, and, for more background, here's my recent interview and data dive with Ivan Bates, … Continue reading A crime statistic worthy of its own headline
A wicked busy year ahead in theater
Allow me to take a moment, at the start of the new year, to report not one but three theatrical undertakings in 2026. In addition to the upcoming historic drama, "No Mean City: Baltimore 1966," in March, my troupe of players will be staging our original play, "Baltimore, You Have No Idea," in December. Tickets … Continue reading A wicked busy year ahead in theater
Thrift shopping surge: A sign of economic stress or the recycling ethic?
A short take before wishing you a Happy New Year. . . . A press release from Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake says thrift shopping has surged across the region, with shopper traffic up more than 30% for the year, and some locations exceeding 40% growth. Goodwill notes increased demand for used goods -- women's … Continue reading Thrift shopping surge: A sign of economic stress or the recycling ethic?
From the Archive: A war correspondent’s holiday letter to his children
Lee McCardell was the most famous war correspondent of the Baltimore Sun. The first Sunpapers writer to get into the action after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941, he reported on the fighting in Italy and covered D-Day. He was believed to be the first American correspondent to reach liberated Paris and was among … Continue reading From the Archive: A war correspondent’s holiday letter to his children
Dan Rodricks 