Barbara Comyns’s novel Our Spoons Came from Woolworths (1950) follows the doomed marriage of two young, bohemian artists during England’s Great Depression. The excerpt below is a simple, gentle seduction; I love the way in which the protagonist, Sophia, swiftly and casually dismisses her husband and her own sense of identity. The scene strikes me […]
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Posted inNonfiction, Story
Red, White, and Bruised
When Donald Trump and the GOP Convention arrive in Cleveland, they will find a city with a long history of violent outbursts, racial tension—and brushes with fascism. In short, the perfect stage for the 2016 presidential campaign. Kyle Swenson explores the history of his hometown.
Posted inEditor's Pick
Split Image
A young student athlete’s depression, hidden from social media. Madison Holleran was a student at University of Pennsylvania when she committed suicide at age 19.
Posted inNonfiction, Reading List
Session In Progress: Five Stories About Therapy
We’re going all over the world: from improv classes, hospitals and living rooms in Belgium, New York City and Minnesota.
Posted inReading List
#NoShame in Mental Illness: A Reading List
Here, I’ve collected several stories about mental illness, many written by writers of color.
Posted inFeature
The Life and Murder of Stella Walsh, Intersex Olympic Champion
Eighty years ago, in Berlin, Stella Walsh won her second Olympic medal. Decades later, Walsh’s murder and subsequent autopsy threw the legacy of track’s first female superstar into turmoil.
Posted inNonfiction, Story
Narcissiana: On Collecting
An entomologist reflects on fly-hunting, an outhouse of distinguished provenance, and the narcissism of collectors.
Posted inReading List
Women and Their Relationship with Alcohol: A Reading List
My alcohol story seems like a non-story: I grew up in a home of teetotalers.
Posted inBooks, Nonfiction
A Brief History of Solitary Confinement
Dickens, Tocqueville, and the U.N. all agree about this American invention: It’s torture.
