“Bob Rutan is legendary among the tight-knit fraternity of Macy’s Santa Clauses. Like many of these men, playing Santa changed Bob. Profoundly. His story is one of struggle and failure, heartbreak and grace and—yes—the magic of Christmas.”
Christmas
Posted inEditor's Pick
Jesus Christ is Born in Texas
“70,000 believers arrive at the Prestonwood Baptist Church in Dallas to witness America’s greatest Christmas pageant.”
Posted inFeature
’Tis the Season to Kill the Dead-Mom Holiday Movie Trope
How many more women will festive filmmakers dispatch?
Posted inFeature
Christmas on the Moon
Baby, it’s cold outside! Especially when you spend the holidays in a tent full of explosives.
Posted inNonfiction
The Christmas Tape
Wendy McClure recounts how an old audio tape of holiday music becomes a record of family history, unspoken rituals, and grief.
Posted inNonfiction
An Addict, a Nurse, and a Christmas Resurrection
Working the night shift on an intensive care unit, Suzanne Ohlmann brushes up against death, Jesus, and her biological father.
Posted inArts & Culture, Essays & Criticism, Feature, Nonfiction, Story
Take Script, Add Snow
The psychology behind America’s obsession with Hallmark Christmas movies.
Posted inEditor's Pick
How to Thrive as a Sober Queer Through the Holigays
In a piece that’s part personal essay and part service journalism, Molly Priddy shares how challenging it initially was going home for the holidays just after she got sober — and how it’s gotten better over the years. She also offers tips suggesting how others avoiding alcohol might get through the end-of-year forced family fun […]
Posted inEssays & Criticism, Nonfiction, Story, Writing
The Stuff That Came Between Mom and Me: A Story About Hoarding
Mom would make excuses about not having cleaned the house. I knew they were lies. I knew her house was full.
Posted inEditor's Pick, Essays & Criticism, Nonfiction, Writing
The Stuff That Came Between Mom and Me: A Story About Hoarding
Mom would make excuses about not having cleaned the house. I knew they were lies. I knew her house was full.