Places
A Black Physicist Is Borne Back Ceaselessly Into the Past
I want to live in a world where I can be a physicist without also being asked to speak on or compensate for the persistent racism of institutions.
I Will Always Be Able to Find My Father in the West
Out on the road and in the great outdoors my dad and I discovered we were more like each other than we believed.
As If You and I Agree
It’s relieving when you find someone who feels the same way you do about Covid-19 risk and public safety. But what about those who disagree?
My Own Personal Contagion
My German cockroach infestation, almost too good a pandemic allegory, forced me to confront the question of how much I could bear from New York City.
Bodh Gaya Sells “Enlightenment” to Tourists—It Sold Me a Philly Cheesesteak
My heart is set on the Philly cheesesteak—the only one, I’m certain, to be found in India.
When Your Country Calls You an Alien
Sometimes, the word “belonging” feels more apt when snapped into two: be longing.
Three Generations of Elizabeths, Breast Cancer, and Self-Preservation
When your maternal grandmother dies from breast cancer, there’s this strange intersection between her health and your mother’s health and yours.
An Ode to Poorly Lit Dressing Rooms
Dressing rooms were only special because of how we used them to quietly become human.
What Public Bathrooms Taught Me
The problem, of course, is that the public toilet involves doing the private in public.
I Loved My Job as a Bookseller—Then Covid-19 Transformed It
Every time I tell a customer that we’re not open for browsing, I know I am reminding them of how Covid-19 has disrupted our rhythms and routines, robbed us of numerous small pleasures.
