Read the story here in The New Yorker. Regina Alexander does not remember anyone telling her how her mother died; she has always known when and where it happened, and who did it. For years, though, a lot of the details remained mysterious to her. They weren’t the sort of details that everyone would wantContinue reading “The Long Afterlife of a Terrible Crime”
Author Archives: ryangordonkatz
Mean, Mean
Jerry grew up in East Texas in the 1970s, and noticed his family doing weird stuff. What a life he’s lived since. This is “Mean, Mean.”
Play to Stay
Carlos faces a choice: become an informant for ICE or be deported. In this investigative report for The Intercept, I dive into how Immigration and Customs Enforcement uses undocumented immigrants as snitches to find others. For the first time, the deportation arm of ICE admitted to me they use this tactic. IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS Enforcement, likeContinue reading “Play to Stay”
Punking a Punk Rock Church “Cult”
It eats at you, I know, so hard to let it go Let yourself go, yeah, just let yourself go … The sugarcoated poisoned apple tastes so good, how could you know Its deceitful lies, and where you’re gonna go? —MxPx, “Sugarcoated Poison Apple” In this article for Topic, I dive into the ups andContinue reading “Punking a Punk Rock Church “Cult””
A Culinary Cultural Appropriation
Texas: the land of BBQ, breakfast tacos… and of course Tex-Mex. But what if we told you Tex-Mex wasn’t created by a Texan or Mexican, but a German immigrant? On this episode of Gravy, we tell you the story of William Gebhardt, the inventor of chili powder. Gebhardt loved the chili con carne of the streetfoodContinue reading “A Culinary Cultural Appropriation”
College Behind Bars
To get to the 99A college prep English class at California’s San Quentin State Prison, you pass through two security checks, two gates and a very thick, very old metal door that looks medieval. You walk into a courtyard surrounded by guard towers. Inmates in pale blue scrubs with the word “PRISONER” printed on theContinue reading “College Behind Bars”
Alex Jones Is His Own Worst Enemy
Original story, published in Esquire, here. AUSTIN, TEXAS—Alex Jones sat alone in the courtroom, preparing for the stage. He ran his fingers through his dirty blonde hair, staring at his reflection in the computer screen in front of him. Most people know Jones as the InfoWars host who shouts, takes off his shirt, and peddlesContinue reading “Alex Jones Is His Own Worst Enemy”
A Lack of Hate Crime Prosecutions
Read the investigation for ProPublica here. Lance Reyna was assaulted in a school bathroom in 2010. Reyna — who is transgender and gay — was a student at Houston Community College when an attacker held a knife to his throat, called him a ‘queer’ in a falsetto voice, then kicked and beat him and left himContinue reading “A Lack of Hate Crime Prosecutions”
Ryan Katz 