I worry about things now that never used to cross my mind.
In Rocky IV, Ivan Drago only has nine lines. But one of them stuck: "If he dies, he dies," which he delivers after beating Apollo Creed. (Spoi…
Before Highways or Dieways and Let ‘em work, Let ‘em live and hundreds of other ad campaigns my firm has been fortunate enough to do for great…
Earlier this summer I had an abruptly terminated social media conversation with an attorney “friend.” She somehow thought she could guide me t…
There’s not a lot in the world you can confidently hang your hat on these days without fear of being taken for a fool.
Jemele Hill’s tweet said it perfectly: “The NBA season is going to be cancelled because of racism, not COVID. Think about that.”
As the year began, I wrote a column on the antics and escapades of Richland County Council. From CityWatch, Jan. 15:
Poverty strikes everyone from the uber-educated to the folks that went straight into the workforce after high school. COVID has become the equalizer. Regardless of background, we are going through similar things.
In her podcast last week, former First Lady Michelle Obama shared that she is suffering from what she termed “low-grade depression,” to which …
Apartment buildings are the new weeds of Columbia — popping up constantly, growing like crazy, hard to kill.
John Lewis is gone.
When the walls to our house started closing in on us and the hellish heat began to prohibit the kind of outdoor activities that beg for IV fluids to survive, we gassed up the Subaru and headed west.
“Lawrence Nathaniel, one of the most visible leaders of recent protests in Columbia against systemic racism and police brutality, has apologiz…
“Dominion, a national energy giant headquartered in Virginia, filed notice Monday with the S.C. Public Service Commission of a planned rate ad…
Understanding Columbia’s anonymous Me Too Movement
Power is an odd and endlessly definable construct.
The ‘rona makes you do crazy things. Unable to leave the house and with much time on my hands and bottles of Jack that needed sipping, I decid…
Born in enslavement, Celia Dial Saxon (1857-1935) graduated from the University of South Carolina’s Normal School for teachers during the Reconstruction Era.
Protests around the country responding to the death of George Floyd have produced swift changes.
“Pitchfork Ben was a domestic terrorist before that term existed … he should not be memorialized on the State House grounds.” — CityWatch, Feb…
The growth of a person, and of a culture, are both marked by watershed moments.
Imagine being a new mom. If you’ve had this experience, you know the pain of childbirth quickly dissipates when your beautiful bundle of joy a…
On May 31, during demonstrations in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, one of the offices operated by the local alternative newspaper INDY Week…
Jordan Lawrence
Managing Editor for Free Times
The recent killing of George Floyd is a constant reminder of the business-as-usual tactics of law enforcement and another reminder of the acts…
There has been a lot of wringing of hands and awkward statements of support from white people lately as we watch young people of all colors ta…
“Things fall apart, the centre cannot hold; mere anarchy is loosed upon the world.” — William Butler Yeats
I got more than two dozen check-ins via phone, text and Facebook on Friday. I hadn’t had this many people asking if I was OK since my beloved …
I hate chitlins (proper spelling: chitterlings).
Over the last few weeks, South Carolina has begun to open back up. For many South Carolinians, this is exciting news. Local economies are bein…
High school graduation is great — even when it isn’t.
Jordan Lawrence
Managing Editor for Free Times
Lexington-Richland District 5 School Board and Kim Murphy end legal dispute — May 15, Free Times
Liberty. Freedom. Choice.
There’s more at play here than the first pandemic to hit our country in a century.
Michael Jordan is the GOAT. He’s also the ratings GOAT during COVID-19, with the ESPN documentary The Last Dance about his final championship …
My approach to the advertising business, and especially to creative presentations, has always been to give clients a show.
Debate rages on about whether it’s too early or about damn time, but South Carolina is beginning to reopen. On Monday, Gov. Henry McMaster rel…
Jordan Lawrence
Managing Editor for Free Times
The other day, I posted an article on rapper and friend J-Live’s Facebook feed. The article, “Killer Mike Won't Reopen His Barbershops Despite…
Government Should Embrace Privatized Unemployment Insurance
“Dawn Staley should be receiving just as much to coach basketball at USC as Frank Martin is getting to do so at the university.” — Roger Brown…
We keep hearing predictions every afternoon as Donald Trump spins the magic wheel in his head that will tell him when we are going to “reopen”…
He was a man who became a folk hero to some, a troublemaker to others and a high-profile public presence in South Carolina for half a century.
If you don’t get out of these socially distanced days with a six-pack or speaking Spanish, it’s OK.
Just because we are resilient doesn’t mean we are doing well. We deserve to be well. That means promoting policies and social distancing practices that benefit us all and fairly distribute the burdens of this unprecedented time.
As someone who doesn’t cook (no culinary skills), eats out daily (no other choice) and appreciates good food and service (no matter the type o…
A few Wednesdays ago, I wrote in this space that it was a “Weird week for a new Free Times,” observing that it was awkward for us to reshape o…
Jordan Lawrence
Managing Editor for Free Times
We will all have stories of what we were supposed to be doing and what we actually did during the days of COVID-19.
In February, undefeated boxers Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury had their highly anticipated rematch after their first bout ended in a draw. Wild…
You can still expect a new edition each Wednesday — barring any further restrictions that make that impossible or impractical. But our content will look a little different for however long this COVID-19 slowdown lasts. And our print editions will likely be a little thinner than usual.
Jordan Lawrence
Managing Editor for Free Times
Those familiar with the Nobel prize-winning author Gabriel Garcia Marquez no doubt recognize the title of this column as a play on the writer’…
Free Times didn’t plan on redesigning our print edition and reorganizing some of our main features at a time when there’s so much fear and confusion in the air.
Jordan Lawrence
Managing Editor for Free Times