Columns
When Sleeping in the Room with a Dead Body Is Your Best Option
I do not want to be tire. My life is tire.
How Helen Keller’s Vaudeville Stint Inspired Me as an Artist
The idea of exploitation seemed to me fraught with assumptions about what a blind person is supposed to do and be—assumptions that insist blind people be poets and prophets, saints or beggars, not lowbrow entertainers.
How a Puzzling Medieval Text Taught Me More About God Than Going to Church Ever Did
I tried to put the institution of religion aside to better understand God, but the two were so inextricably linked where I grew up, it felt impossible.
What These Immigrant Parakeets of Brooklyn Can Teach Us About City Life
Among the delights of time spent with urban wildlife is the reminder to be quiet and patient—not an easy task for a New Yorker.
Sex, Lies, and “Closer”: Lying to Survive as a Queer Kid, as Taught by Natalie Portman
Coming into one’s sexuality, Natalie Portman had taught me, goes hand in hand with learning how to deceive as a means of survival.
After Divorce and Postpartum Depression, Work (and Bees) Brought Me Back to Life
It is no wonder that I am so in love with my bees. They fight for their lives.
Tteokguk for a New Year and a New Start
When I was younger, I didn’t understand the restorative, purifying effect of tteokguk. Maybe I didn’t even feel like I deserved it. This year, I welcome it.
For Parents and Children with Psychiatric Disabilities, the Stigma Creates an Extra Fight We Don’t Need
So many people have suggested I stop taking medication for my bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, and panic attacks. The stigma is strong.
The Case Against Making a City “Beautiful”
On finding beauty in Houston amidst the ugliness, and what the city stands to lose from increasing gentrification.
My Year with Julian of Norwich
In the midst of terrible isolation, reading Julian’s feverish words about her visions helped me feel sane. Here was another woman, enclosed.