Knute Berger
Crosscut
Seattle, WA, United States
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Past articles by Knute:
Bad times are nothing new: Lessons from past political upheaval
Fifty years ago, America was at a breaking point. Here's what I learned then that might help us through today's turmoil. → Read More
50 years later, the fight for Pike Place Market resonates
Once cast as an obstacle to a more modern Seattle, the downtown destination has become the kind of multi-layered urban environment we strive for. → Read More
We’re living in the age of the megafire
We have a long history of wildfire in the PNW. But megafires are a new thing entirely. → Read More
Remembering Cascadia’s last great world’s fair, 35 years later
Vancouver’s Expo ’86 was the last time North America hosted a world’s fair. Here’s what made it a golden moment. → Read More
UFOs and Bigfoot — two local enigmas — get another moment in the sun
Unidentified aerial phenomena and ancient hominids are in the news. Both have a rich history in the Pacific Northwest. → Read More
How the Confederacy shaped the American West and cowboy culture
In arguing that the South won the Civil War, historian Heather Cox Richardson points to the paradox of the cowboy and how it presents an enduring dilemma for our democracy. → Read More
Two Northwest explorers helped us understand the Earth's poles
A pair of recent books shed light on the lives of James Cook and Charles Wilkes. Both helped unlock secrets of the world and its climate. → Read More
Mossback's Northwest: The Palouse cowboy who inspired John Wayne
Hollywood’s greatest Western stuntman was a rodeo champion from Washington state. → Read More
Why Washington state’s constitution bans armed militias
Before statehood, mob violence and labor suppression raised serious questions about who had the right to maintain public order. → Read More
Mossback's Northwest: The bootleg sake of Prohibition-era Seattle
Prohibition couldn’t stop every drinking habit. One particular Japanese tradition never went dry. → Read More
Lessons for 2021 from Seattle’s first Black mayor
Norm Rice led the city when the issue of school bussing was boiling over. His latest book offers a path toward solutions during times of tumult. → Read More
Look to the Northwest to understand the far-right mob in D.C.
The insurrection in the other Washington is part of a long tradition of extremist thinking in America. → Read More
‘World War Z’ author takes on Bigfoot. The result is disturbing
Max Brooks’ new novel sets up collision of techno-optimists, pseudo nature worshipers and creatures of Northwest lore. → Read More
How Tugboat Annie pulled Seattle onto the silver screen
The smash hit 1930s film was the first Hollywood movie to feature the Emerald City. → Read More
Mossback’s Northwest: The rise and fall of Seattle’s Kingdome
The Seahawks and Mariners called it home for 24 years, but now much of the city doesn’t even know the stadium existed. → Read More
Mossback's Northwest: The true history of the 'Seattle Freeze'
Locals have been infamous for icing out newcomers since World War I. → Read More
Holiday gatherings devastated Seattle during 1918 flu
After five weeks of lock down restrictions, the city thought it had beaten the virus. It hadn’t. → Read More
A presidency hanging in the balance, a nation unchanged
Election night confirmed that a dreadful status quo remains in tact. → Read More
How important is Washington’s lieutenant governor?
Democratic candidates Marko Liias and Denny Heck are vying for an office that may not even be necessary. → Read More
How tech helped in the fight against the 1918 flu
Radios, telephones and dishwashers influenced our response to the nation's last great epidemic. → Read More