But I'm her lover, not a man bent on revenge, hanging out here on the fringe, of my native borderlands. - from “The Ballad of the Snow Leopard and the Tanqueray Cowboy” written by David Rodriguez, performed by Lyle Lovett ### To help answer the questions thrown at them by life, some people write. Some talk. Some take pictures. Some paint or draw or carve or
After reading about my Timex Ironman in A Man & His Watch, Mr. Watchmaster Andrew Canter asked me to share the story of another watch. I talked with him about my newest watch, the one my wife gave me on our wedding day. You can read all about it on Andrew's blog. Thank you, sir, for providing me the opportunity
A few weeks ago, prior to Brooks Brothers’ bankruptcy announcement, while reading about the shuttering of their Garland, North Carolina shirt factory, I turned to my wife and said, “Could we save it?” Garland Shirt Company | Photo c/o Winifred Hill Murphy This post will mainly comprise context, however I do hope it’s injected with some of my lifelong considerations. I do
“I think it is so shocking that the more we are connected electronically, the less we are unified….” - Diana Kennedy Grousing loudly at a young man in a Mexican marketplace for using synthetics to color a sausage, my wife exclaimed, “I love her.” Diana Kennedy is a cookbook author and recipe archaeologist based in Michoacán, Mexico. She is the subject of
There's never been a better time to bring the state fair home. At the hands of COVID-19, a global pandemic that's forced us to socially distance, the summer of 2020 has taken on a completely different tone. Yearning for the fun, convivial atmosphere that only a state fair can bring, I had a thought: what if I could replicate my
Have a glance at this beautiful Wagoneer my wife discovered on one of our daily walks while reading a piece I wrote about what we’re all going through. #wastlerwagon “Maybe you’re struggling with how to talk about all this,” was how I think my wife put it to me on one of our daily walks with our daughters this week. And
A Cap for Trying Times. Look good while promoting truth tellers, giving to those in need, supporting a few small businesses, and hiding your awful quarantine haircut all in one hat. PRE-ORDER YOURS TODAY. THE STORY A CALL THAT TURNED INTO A CAP Speaking into screens from either side of the state of Missouri, Micah Smith and Max Wastler were dead-set on
It was 2008, I was living within walking distance of Prospect Park in Brooklyn. When I saw they'd organized a tribute concert to Bill Withers, I marked it on my calendar, and I made damn sure I was not going to miss it. For as long as I can remember, hell, for as long as I've been alive, Soul music has
My wife and I had the unique opportunity to attend the latest taping in St. Louis, Missouri of Live From Here, Minnesota Public Radio's program hosted by Nickel Creek and Punch Brothers front man and mandolinist Chris Thile. It is the show that ably replaced A Prairie Home Companion. https://youtu.be/IAA5Vop-v0w The highlight for me was the mash-up of the local hockey
Max Wastler's New Christmas, 2017 on Spotify and Apple Music.In some ways, it was no different than it had been in years past. It started the day after I shared last year's mix. I heard this haunting version of "Greensleeves," my favorite Christmas song, performed by Coleman Hawkins.And so I began "Christmas 2017," a playlist I kept private, adding songs