Narratively

Aaron Skirboll

Aaron Skirboll is a journalist and author of The Last Night of the Guitar Virtuoso, The Thief-Taker Hangings and The Pittsburgh Cocaine Seven. Recently, his work has appeared in Smithsonian Magazine, Sierra Magazine and The Daily Beast.

Stories By Aaron Skirboll

The Astonishing Rise of “Blair the Flair”

He’s been a Beverly Hills rich kid, a teen on the run with his drug-kingpin dad, and a homeless father scraping to get by. Next stop for Blair Cobbs: world champion boxer.

When a Magician’s Curse Swung Boxing’s Biggest Bout

In 1939, Tiger Jack Fox got his first and only shot at the title, and lost it thanks to black magic, a woman with a razor blade, and a manager with a knack for hypnosis.

The Cocaine Kings of the Pittsburgh Pirates

In the ’80s, an A/C repairman, an unemployed photographer and a Major League mascot became dealers for the city’s sports stars – and changed baseball history along the way.