The Burden of Demanding Black Excellence
Black people don't get to reap the glory of simply just being—too many of us have been punished, even murdered, for just living our lives.
First Person
Lessons From a Fast, Furious Friendship With My Idol
The award-winning memoirist reflects on her intense, instantaneous social-media friendship with a favorite singer—only to be left to try to make sense of her just-as-sudden disappearing act.
We May Have Won, But History Always Repeats Itself
Reveling in our hard-won victories in the White House and Senate is complicated for those who truly “never forget” and can recognize the fungibility of American democracy.
The Importance of Kamala Harris
The writer recognized how important it is for young girls to see our first woman vice-president. But she was reminded by her young son how crucial it is that boys behold the sight of a woman in power, too.
Lessons from Iran’s Long Lost Freedom
The Iranian-born writer, who now lives in the U.S., watched her home country devolve into a brutal theocracy, hoping it would return to some semblance of normal. That was 40 years ago. Could it happen here too?
COVID-19 Has Turned Teachers Into Frontline Workers
Our government is eager to get people back to work. And for a lot of families, that means putting economically disadvantaged kids living in pandemic hot zones in unsafe classrooms. Here’s one New Orleans teacher’s account of fighting to keep her students safe.
What Coronavirus Can Teach Us About Consent
As we navigate interactions with strangers and loved ones amidst a public health crisis, it's more important than ever to define and assert our boundaries.
I Wanted Joan Didion’s Heart to Be Messy
Many of us expect our women writers to lay their emotions bare. But as this excerpt from 'Slouching Toward Los Angeles' reveals, emotion does not define meaning for California's native daughter—and that can be a hard lesson.
I Used to Live in Paradise
Growing up in a Christian utopia of her parents' making, Lyz Lenz eventually realized the hubris of paradise is the idea that we can create it—and destroy it.
The Dignity of the Thrift Store
During the season of abundance, one writer reflects on the days when bargain-hunting was a necessity for survival—and finds solace in the simplicity.