Yarin: Fair enough — A return to Topsfield
I went to the Topsfield Fair for the first time when I was 7 years old. I remember a spinning ride in the shape of a strawberry, spitting rain, and the Dropkick... Read more.
Is there still a place for the ‘third place’?
In order to survive in 21st century America, you need a place to sleep and a means of income. That’s two distinct places to be at any given time (or at le... Read more.
Yarin: Cracking the dress code
At a newsroom meeting a few days ago, the young staff of The Item was treated to its yearly reminder about dress code policy. I’d known about it in advanc... Read more.
Yarin: Where there’s smoke…
I used to smoke cigarettes. I don’t anymore, or at least I intend not to from the bottom of my heart. It’s 2021, so I know full well that theyR... Read more.
Yarin: Catcallers are cramping my style
My best friend and I are of two minds about catcalling. She assumes the rare attitude of flattery, even pride, when a stranger compliments her. I, on the other ... Read more.
Yarin: Dressing up in black and white
The other day, as I was walking down the street, I came upon a woman and her male companion on the sidewalk. I don’t remember the man. But the woman — h... Read more.
Yarin: Improperly-dressed Bostonians — Summer Edition
They say that Boston is the worst-dressed major city in the country, and they might be right. It goes beyond the fact that we’re not exactly known by the ... Read more.
Yarin: TATTOO YOU AND YOU AND YOU. AND ME.
So. In my last column, while singing the praises of the humble safety pin, I may have outed myself as a punk. But that doesn’t mean what it used to, as ... Read more.
Yarin: A punk-rock ode to the safety pin
The other day, a coworker showed me a cool new gizmo she’d purchased on Amazon. It was a quarter-sized pin that looked exactly like the button fly on a pair o... Read more.
Yarin: Accepting the unaccepted
Generations before COVID-19 cast its long shadow over American life, graduation had been a big, big deal. The coronavirus may have changed the way we celebrat... Read more.