These photos ethnographically explores British pub signs as cultural markers—capturing history, community, and character, while reflecting how these façades invite us to imagine the life within, whether entered or simply observed.
St. Louis’s riverfront is more than a place . It’s a narrative captured in steel, stone, and water. For anyone traveling through the Midwest or seeking to understand the symbolism of America’s great rivers, the Mississippi in St. Louis is the perfect subject for historical reflection and photography alike.
I'm always grateful when people outside of academia reach out for sociological insights on today’s pressing social issues. Recently, I was asked to weigh in on a question that continues to gain urgency: Why do so many rural young people in the United States feel profoundly disconnected from society? Too often, public conversations default to... Continue Reading →
Discover the beauty of water in and around Oxford and London through a collection of stunning photographs capturing reflections, architecture, and the natural flow of England’s iconic urban and rural waterways.
Southern England is a landscape that holds its own time. During my recent trip to Oxford I used my iPhone11 to serve as my notebook. From train and bus I tried recording the small and large ways the countryside reveals itself. In England, the light is never static. A single hillside can shift from sunlit... Continue Reading →
You may not see it right away, especially if your pint is full, but it’s there. A group of workers ribbing each other in a dialect as thick as the stout they’re drinking. A group of female students talk loudly about boys whose faces you will never see, all while sipping on a variety of... Continue Reading →
Discover how legendary baseball broadcaster Harry Caray got his start in St. Louis. Explore his early career with the Cardinals and how he shaped the future of sports broadcasting.
Explore the vivid legacy of Leo Durocher and the Gas House Gang through newly colorized images of early St. Louis baseball. Discover the grit, glory, and sociocultural impact of a team that defined an era
Baby Boomers and fellow Gen Xers are you feeling pangs of social déjà vu? You’re not imagining things. This week, I had the opportunity to share some sociological insights with Newsweek reporter Melissa Fleur Afshar in her latest piece examining the parallels between our current decade and the turbulence of the 60s and 70s. From... Continue Reading →
I recently shared my sociological insights for this print article of Newsweek magazine (April 18, 2025) which happens to be its cover story exploring shifting trends in birth and fertility rates, as well as how Millennials and Gen Z are redefining marriage and relationships. As a sociologist, it's always encouraging to see national media engage... Continue Reading →
Journey into the world of Dizzy Dean with colorized images that bring early St. Louis baseball to life. Uncover a tale of talent, swagger, and working-class theater at the heart of Depression-era America.
In the annals of American baseball history, the 1930s St. Louis Cardinals’ “Gas House Gang” burned like a fire in a depression era boxcar. They were grimy, relentless, and magnetic of the times. Among their ranks was a player who embodied the era’s blend of working-class grit and athletic brilliance. Joe “Ducky” Medwick. 1932 -... Continue Reading →
I haven’t been painting much lately. Instead, my creativity has shifted toward writing. Over the few years, I’ve published several essays and have been increasingly asked to share my sociological expertise with various media outlets. These requests often require in-depth research and writing. Typically these requests lead me to writing 650-1,000 word responses, that are... Continue Reading →
This week, I had a unique opportunity to blend teaching with #publicsociology. About 30 minutes before my morning Research Methods class, I received a media query from Newsweek asking why Gen Z experiences a greater sense of hopelessness compared to past generations. https://www.newsweek.com/are-young-people-lazy-hopeless-2037840 Rather than answering alone, I decided to turn my class (22 students,... Continue Reading →
When fans think of Cy Young, they usually picture him as the dominant pitcher for the Cleveland Spiders or the Boston Americans (later Red Sox). However, his brief tenure in St. Louis from 1899 to 1900 is a lesser known chapter in his career. April 20, 1900 - St. Louis Post Dispatch To understand why... Continue Reading →
