The Man Who Pierced the Iron Curtain in a Flying Go-Kart – and Left Civilization Forever
Escaping Communism in a DIY aircraft wasn’t enough for Ivo Zdarsky. So he invented his own way of life — in a Utah desert ghost town.
Hello and Happy 4th of July! With so many intense and horrifying things going on across the country and around the world right now, we hope all of you can take this weekend to relax and unwind, even if just a little bit.
If you’re looking for a fascinating read (or listen!) on your travels or by the beach, may we suggest this absolute banger of a story about an American immigrant who has spent his life chasing a very distinctive brand of freedom.
The Man Who Pierced the Iron Curtain in a Flying Go-Kart – and Left Civilization Forever
For Narratively’s inaugural Profile Prize writing contest, we put out the call for articles about people with surprising, inspiring or groundbreaking life stories. No “or” needed here — Ivo Zdarsky's bio has enough surprise, inspiration, and ground-breaking-ness to last a lifetime. Congrats to journalist Andy Rieber for writing this incredible tale, one of two stories selected as a finalist for the Prize. Andy's writing is so gorgeous and evocative — when reading this piece, you'll feel like you're right alongside Ivo, flying over the Utah desert. Enjoy!
Even though the landing page clearly said "subscribed," I was asked for my user name and password and could not read the rest of this fascinating story. It is beyond annoying to deal with this over and over. I wish you could fix it so subscribers are both identified and logged in without this needless rigamarole. Like many, I gave up in frustration. Frustration because I can not read what I pay Narratively for annually. I was so irritated, in the moment I was ready to cancel and never come back. I know paywalls are a necessity, but shouldn't there be a way not to annoy people you know and identify as subscribers? You are not the only one--The NYT, the Atlantic, and The New Yorker are also guilty. Texas Monthly? I cancelled for this exact reason.
You exist to have paid subscribers. I feel Narratively is worth it and am happy to pay. But can't you have a tech wizard design a way to identify subscribers instead of making them jump through needless hoops? Us users have a myriad of user names and passwords, purposely set up to be difficult to remember. PLEASE! IMO, no website is worth constant aggravation, especially if the user is already identified as a subscriber. I can't be the only one who feels this way. Looks like it ought to be an easy fix. Most won't take the time to tell you why they are leaving. Look at the costs of getting new subscribers. Why would you lose the ones you have, who prove their loyalty by paying to read?