The Brazilian Healer and the Patron Saint of Impossible Causes
A personal essay in which Leigh Hopkins faces the hidden truth about the world’s most famous spiritual surgeon, and the irresistible desire to find “the cure.”
The Burdens We Carry
In this personal essay, Amy Scheiner reflects on her mother’s sudden death and what it means to be a woman in a world that is set up to bury them.
The Sorrowful Mysteries, or, Reasons I’m No Longer Catholic
A personal essay in which Kathleen McKitty Harris recalls the series of events which led to her departure from the Church.
How I Became ‘Rich’
During a rare opportunity to vacation in Hawai’i, Stacy Torres is forced to confront her status as better off than where she came from.
School for Girls
In this personal essay, years after recovering from anorexia, Jasmin Sandelson writes a letter to the high school friend she idolized, and explores how hunger, love, and envy shaped — and ended — their relationship.
Bearing the Weight of My Grandfathers’ Old Clothes
In adopting outerwear worn by the men who came before him, Aram Mrjoian considers his childhood misperceptions of traditional masculinity.
Father’s Little Helper
A personal essay in which, while under the influence of Valium, Scott Korb reflects on all the fathers he could have been and the father he has become.
Vacation Memories Marred by the Indelible Stain of Racism
A personal essay in which Shanna B. Tiayon recalls an interaction with a National Parks Service bus driver that cast a pall on a family trip to the Grand Canyon.
The 19th Century Lesbian Made for 21st Century Consumption
Jeanna Kadlec considers Anne Lister, the historical figure at the center of HBO’s Gentleman Jack, and the influence of other queer women who preceded her.
Talk Like an Egyptian
I this personal essay, Cary Barbor traverses language, culture, and class to connect with her new family.