In the fall of 2009, Mariner magazine asked if I’d go to Mazatlan to write about the cliff divers there. I’d watched cliff divers in Acapulco during the ’70s on ABC’s Wide World of Sports but didn’t know they were still plunging into the sea. I spent three days with the divers, who – if [...]
Cowboy Junkies keep it fresh
May 10, 2013 Leave a Comment
In the early 1990s, Cowboy Junkies lead singer Margo Timmins performed just for me.
Abolish the one-game playoff in baseball
November 1, 2012 Leave a Comment
Here’s the larger issue with adding a one-game wild card playoff: it cheapens the 162-game season.
Fed ruling may clear path for legal poker
September 6, 2012 Leave a Comment
A bunch of guys in a big room playing poker: a typical scene but one that could have led to jail time for its operator. Until a federal judge said game on – here’s the story I wrote for the SF Chronicle. – By Michael Shapiro, Sept. 6, 2012 Anyone who has played poker even [...]
Wild About Kenya: Safari story for Private Clubs magazine
June 6, 2012 1 Comment
A parade of elephants stomps across the dun-colored plain, giraffes nibble the tops of 20-foot acacia trees, and hundreds of zebras trot across the landscape.
Somewhere Beyond Time: Jan Morris’s Wales in National Geographic Traveler
May 29, 2012 1 Comment
Jan Morris has been my mentor and a muse. When National Geographic Traveler asked me to travel to Wales to interview her and write about her corner of her beloved homeland, I leapt at the chance. I planned to meet Jan on my first day in Wales and have her set my itinerary, but she [...]
Amazon cruising: A Ride in the Wild
May 28, 2012 Leave a Comment
“Oh my God – it’s a black caiman,” he exclaims. “These are endangered – look at this!” Victor places one arm under the neck of the scaly creature, best described as a small alligator with teeth that could do some serious damage. “Want to hold it?” he asks. “Just put your hand under his neck and you’ll be fine.”
Burning the devil in Guatemala – American Way magazine
May 15, 2012 Leave a Comment
The flames rise 30 feet into the air, casting a lurid glow on spectators’ faces. The burning effigy gives off a villainous stench, its acrid smoke engulfing the plaza. Bomberos (firefighters) watch nervously as thousands of Guatemalans howl and rejoice, stamping their feet and jumping into the air to get a better view of the demise of el diablo.
River a Mile Deep: An unguided Grand Canyon rafting adventure, WorldHum
May 8, 2012 Leave a Comment
The feeling of the journey’s first moments, especially on a naturally flowing waterway, is euphoric. Our companions hoot and cheer as we hit our first rapids.
Frank Lloyd Wright’s humble experiment in Scottsdale, Ariz.
May 6, 2012 Leave a Comment
The sloping Cabaret Room, where films were shown and recitals held, is another display of Wright’s wizardly. It stays cool because it’s partly underground. Dinner was served on tables that folded down when the performance started and the acoustics were nearly perfect. The Wrights sat in back so they could overhear what guests up front were saying. “If they weren’t nice,” Burrows said, “they didn’t get invited back.”
