Member contributions help us to amplify diverse voices and give chances to new writers.
Personal Essay
Posted inEditor's Pick
The Strongest Woman in the Room
A personal essay in which a daughter recounts her family’s worst day, through her mother’s eyes.
Posted inEditor's Pick
Marriage Proposal Follies
A personal essay in which, after she proposes to her girlfriend, Amy Deneson rethinks what it means to wed.
Posted inEditor's Pick
Your Real Biological Clock Is You’re Going to Die
At 47, Tom Scocca realizes most of us are living under the illusion that we have unlimited time, and are free plot out the different phases of our lives to our liking. He crunches some numbers and comes to the conclusion that sooner or later — and who knows which it will be — every […]
Posted inCurrent Events, Nonfiction, Story
Querida Angelita
The Mexican teenager who became one Mexican-American family’s maid taught a young woman that el oltro lado, the other side, is as much about class and good fortune as it is an international border.
Posted inEditor's Pick
A Place to Stay, Untouched by Death
In this personal essay, after her mother’s passing, Jane Ratcliffe considers the role everyday objects play in a good death.
Posted inEditor's Pick
The Power of Shutting Up and Sitting in Silence
A personal essay in which Kathryn Smith recalls going to an Ashram and taking a vow of silence — which (temporarily) made her feel better about everything.
Posted inEditor's Pick
A Woman, Tree or Not
In this essay from our Fine Lines series about age, Terese Marie Mailhot questions the value of Native coming of age ceremonies she missed out on.
Posted inEditor's Pick
Are You Sitting Down?
In this excerpt from her forthcoming memoir, She Wants It: Desire, Power and Toppling the Patriarchy, “Transparent” creator Jill Soloway recalls the incident that led to the Amazon Prime series: her father coming out to her as transgender.
Posted inEditor's Pick
Charting the Love — and Betrayal — in Our Stars
A personal essay in which Cherise Morris turns to astrology and Beyonce lyrics to move through of a difficult moment in her relationship.