Columns
We Have Always Lived in the Woods: On Fairy Tales and the Monsters You Know
On the thin line between fairy tales and real-life horror stories, and how we survive.
愛してる (Aishiteru): How to Say “I Love You” When the Language Doesn’t Exist
When he asked me how to say “I love you” in Japanese, I translated linguistically, but mistranslated culturally.
“Who Else Has a Son Like Mine?” A Mother Searches for Other Parents Who Lack Medical Answers
How many days had we spent asking the same questions of God or doctors? How long had we wrestled with conditions that didn’t yet exist?
The Downside of Radical Honesty
The problem with radical honesty is that we are not transparent to ourselves—we are always biased, and so is the feedback we provide.
The Virtues of Willfulness: How Fairy Tales Teach Us to Look for Truths Beyond the Simple Stories
Too many people are fed one version of a story, a false one, and do not interrogate it. But the world of fairy tales is rife with opportunities to practice critical thinking, if only we look closer.
切ない (Setsunai): When You Need a Word to Hold Both Sorrow and Joy
‘Setsunai’ implies something once bright, now faded. It is the painful twinge at the edge of a memory, the joy in the knowledge that everything is temporary.
In Houston’s Diverse Culinary Landscape, Who Cooks, Who Eats, and Who Gets to Stay?
On a fast-growing city, food as culture, and why you can’t talk about Houston’s cuisine without talking about race.
Is Your Streak About to End? The False Belief That Can Drive Both Gambling and Anxiety
Many of us subconsciously believe there is only so much good allotted to us—so, when something good happens, watch out.
What Keeps Me Up at Night: How Do I Meet My Son’s Needs If I Can’t See Them?
This is where, for me, motherhood divided into ‘Before’ and ‘After.’
We Go to the Park to Go Somewhere Else: On Houston’s Green Havens
You’re in the city, but you aren’t. You don’t have to spend any money. No one’s asking about your documentation. You don’t have to do much at all except for exist, and open your eyes.