Did Football Kill My Father?

New York Daily News

Brain disease took my dad, David Canary, in 2015. That was 56 years after his last blow to the head as a University of Cincinnati Bearcat — and 62 years since his first concussion as a Massillon Tiger. Had he not turned down a professional bid from the Denver Broncos to head to New York City and become an actor, the years may have been fewer. Consider that blessing counted.

Fifty-six years is a long time, during which Dad led an exceptional life. He earned five Emmy awards (and 16 nominations) for his work on “All My Children,” but he was much more than a soap star; to describe him as such would diminish his decades of musical and theatrical work, poetry, playwriting, philanthropy, carpentry and tireless devotion to my mom, my brother and me.

Prior to any of that, he was an athlete. In his hometown of Massillon, Ohio, Dad found equal acclaim as a lineman and a leading man — but only one of the two could elevate him to a God-like status among his peers. It was the highest form of football worship, a religion that continues to possess not just rural America, but the population at large.

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2021 NYC Holiday Gift Guide: Shop Local Edition

NYC: The Official Guide

In New York City, one-of-a-kind holiday gifts are always at your fingertips. Small and independent merchants of varying specialties can be found in all five boroughs, and they offer a human touch and inviting spaces that bring back the art of browsing. When you shop local for the holidays, everybody wins: your giftees get something thoughtful and unique, local business gets a boost, and you get a memorable NYC experience (and potentially something for your own stocking).

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Come From Away. Photo: Matthew Murphy

Every Show Coming to Broadway in Fall 2021

NYC: The Official Guide

Come From Away - Performances begin September 21  - Amid the September 11 attacks, 38 planes were diverted to the small town of Gander, Newfoundland—nearly doubling its population as locals scrambled to house, feed and comfort displaced passengers from every walk of life. A study in the boundless capacity of human kindness, this is the modern musical done right: a nimble ensemble, an exhilarating pace and a Celtic folk-rock score that tugs at the heartstrings. 

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10 Time-Management Tips from Ernest Hemingway

Birchbox Man Guide

Ernest Hemingway’s mastery of sparse-yet-compelling prose is a treasure of American literature; his technique, deemed the “iceberg theory,” was to surface only the immediate facts and leave symbolism and supporting details out of sight. As we optimize our approach to work and life, we’re looking to Papa for a little inspiration.

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R.I.P. Colbeard: We Hardly Knew Ye

Birchbox Man Guide

It seems only yesterday that Stephen Colbert debuted a robust beard, just two months after his old show went off the air. Needless to say, we were shocked to learn that the soon-to-be Late Night host had already shorn those wondrous whiskers—but not before bidding a fitting internet farewell.

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From Drab to Draper: How to Style Your Desk Like a 1960s Ad Man

Birchbox Man Guide

The modern desktop has a lot going for it: It’s ergonomic, efficient, and equipped with the sleekest technology. But gone is a certain charm—that of the manual typewriter, rotary phone, and leather-bound portfolios that once adorned the desks of Madison Avenue ad agencies. Here's how you can use a few choice items to give your desk a Mad Men-inspired makeover. 

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ADHDS 2014: Spotlight on Ethan Abramson

ethanabramson.com

To a Manhattanite, stepping into the Architectural Digest Home Design Show feels like crossing over into another world (or borough, at least)—one in which limited space is no longer a factor. It’s no wonder urbanites flock here to live out all kinds of furnishing fantasies. Filling the sprawling 200,000+ square footage of Manhattan's Pier 94, the show houses over 300 of the world's top interior designers, whose crafts range from lighting to textiles to carpentry and beyond.It's wonderful. It's overwhelming. Somehow, I navigate my way to the booth of New York-based furniture designer Ethan Abramson.

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