reader-essay

By Jac Cochran A recent study found that 57% of college students report feeling lonely. Almost everyone is aware of the mental health crisis among teenagers. Thousands of articles and TV segments have proposed causes ranging from smart phones to vaccines. But among all those theories, few have focused on

By Alden S. Blodget When I turned 60, I received a great birthday card. On the front was a referee blowing a whistle and shouting, “You’re old!” Inside was the same ref, thumb pointed over his shoulder, yelling, “You’re out!” And that’s pretty much the fate of

By Meagan Fischer I was honored to be invited to write a reader essay for Tangle a number of months ago, but I’ve been stuck on it for months. It normally wouldn’t be ‘good writing’ to start by sharing that, but in this case my trouble finding my

By Anonymous A game of chess played in the open might appear to be a simple, quiet game, but most of the winning is actually done away from the board. Everything from training to recovery, sleeping, and travelling can affect a player’s performance. This holds regardless of whether the

By James Breen This year marks the 20th anniversary of my graduation from high school.  That still seems weird to me, but what I think is weirder is the growing apathy about attending high school reunions. I graduated from one of the big high schools in the Northwest suburbs of

By Rebecca Durfee I remember being so scared — terrified, really. The indoor pool was noisy. Inside the pool, wooden tables lined the sides. At one end of each table was a semicircular piece of wood designed to keep a person’s head above water. Kids lying on the tables were

By Beth Malow Reader, what might you suggest as an alternative term to bridge-building? Do you ever feel conflicted about doing the hard work of opening yourself up to hear different political viewpoints? Is it easier to be an activist than a bridge-     builder? Are you pulled to news