In Jo’s Image
Jeanna Kadlec considers the impact of Little Women’s matriarchy — and its heroine — on the formation of her own queer identity.
A Woman’s Work: Becoming a Home of One’s Own
In the final installment of her six-part illustrated series, “A Woman’s Work,” Carolita Johnson considers what it takes to recover from grief, build strength for the future, and become one’s own center of gravity again.
From Kyiv to Kentucky
California native Katya Cengel contemplates whether living in Ukraine prepared her for life in the South.
We Are All We Have
While caring for her mother post-surgery and her grandmother during her final days, Megan Stielstra wonders who’s really taking care of who.
Self-Portrait as a Human Interest Story
Emi Nietfeld considers an assortment of adversities that both hurt and buoyed her in her youth, and interrogates how the narrative of resilience minimizes suffering.
Where Are the Gay Ladies of Cambodia?
Honeymooning in Cambodia, Lindsey Danis and her wife seek refuge in queer spaces, but struggle to find the acceptance granted to male travelers.
What Shattered My Mother’s Mind
Winston Ross recalls the heartbreaking ordeal his family endured after his mother’s routine surgery led to post-operative delirium.
Why I Wanted to Finish My Father’s Life’s Work
In this personal essay, Karen Brown recalls the pain and joy of fulfilling a deathbed promise.
My Backcountry Prescription Experiment
Mathina Calliope goes off her antidepressant and into the woods.
Why Mr. Bauer Didn’t Like Me
As a child, Blaise Allysen Kearsley tried, in vain, to win over a white friend’s father.