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reader-essay

Image from Picryl

I didn’t get the polio vaccine — instead, I got polio.

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
reader-essay

All reader-essay posts

The author, on a trail in Brentwood, TN | Photo from Beth Malow

The Arc of Outrage.

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
reader-essay
Soldiers helping each other in the foreground and bombs blasting in the background | Wikimedia Commons

Bad War. Again.

By Brian Gilette In March of 2003, as the United States launched its invasion of Iraq, a Gallup poll found that 72% of Americans supported military action. I was not among them. At the time, I wrote an essay called Bad War. I didn’t write it for publication. Instead,
reader-essay
The Shadow Side of Resilience

The Shadow Side of Resilience

A first-gen immigrant’s take on the hidden cost of staying strong
reader-essay
Singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens | Image from The Trail

Who was the indie antichrist?

By Jay Edgar It happened to me — it’ll happen to you. Man, those were the days. I never thought I’d be the kinda guy to write something like that. As a gig drummer in the 2000s, I always thought that the day you first complained about “music these
reader-essay
A ticket referencing Godwin's Law | Wikimedia Commons

Moral Hyperinflation: Why We Must Restore the Taboo of Demonization.

By Erez Levin When did it become socially acceptable to call everyday people Nazis? There was a time, perhaps only 20 years ago, when if someone earnestly called a political opponent "Hitler," they wouldn’t have been scolded — they would have been laughed at. The response was usually
I had my name cards printed with the calligraphy I wrote of my name | Photo from Karen Hill Anton

Our name is Karen.

That’s it, I thought to myself. That’s the last straw. A writer I admire, a woman I respect, read and listen to, a woman who has been identified with the impressive title “public intellectual”  —  spoke on a podcast in which she used the name Karen as a pejorative.
reader-essay
Pennsylvania House districts for the 118th Congress | Wikimedia commons

An Age-Based U.S. House Ends Gerrymandering Once and for All

By Christian Gray, Yinka Onayemi, and Frank Obermeyer At the beginning of law school, my co-author, Yinka, and I both enrolled in Georgetown Law’s alternative first-year curriculum known as Section 3. The purpose of Section 3 is to teach traditionally distinct legal courses together in order to
reader-essay
Photo from Jodi Jones

My County and ICE: A Story of Regret, Relationships, and the Significance of Local Government.

By Jodi Jones A few weeks ago, I cast the first vote I have come to regret. The story of that vote is a portent of risk and opportunity hidden in the humble microcosm that is local government. I wrote this story for those who feel American democracy is eroding,
reader-essay
A portrait of the author at a church youth group

We are all capable of bigotry — and grace.

Having compassion for previous versions of ourselves can help us have compassion for others.
reader-essay
A patched-up jacket | Photo by the author

Scars.

Scars By Stout Cortez We hit the mountain at the same time, skidding face to face. I don’t know exactly how our skis got tangled up to lead to our trajectory; I came out of my break and was late to see her, having just come out of one
reader-essay
Going dumb was the smartest thing I've done.

Going dumb was the smartest thing I've done.

By Cristin Marker In June of 2023, I visited what I still think is one of the most beautiful places in the country: Buttersville, Michigan. My family stayed at a quiet, unassuming campground on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan — perfect weather, sandy beaches and picturesque views of the lake.
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