Singing It Over Again
When you’re used to regular doses of applause, giving up the stage for a 9-to-5 gig can produce acute withdrawal. Reclaiming past glories by singing backup.
personalessays
A collection of 230 issues
Finding Positive
When pregnancy showed up unbidden, a writer demands a second test, and a third, and a fourth. But then she saw a result many women spend years searching for.
To Chelsea, and Climate Control, Cheers
From the awkward phase through the sweater phase to the riot grrrl phase and the New York phase, growing up with a First Daughter I’ve never met.
In Tennis, Love Means Nothing
A pro author challenges a pro tennis player to a tournament. A story of dueling, drumming, and one extraordinary victory.
The Rough Cut
When you share your life with a reality TV editor, you learn that reality often winds up on the cutting-room floor.
Nest
Where people build homes, birds sometimes build nests—and there’s no guarantee cohabitation of the species will be idyllic.
Cheater Cheater
Everyone remembers their first, especially English professors. A professor confronts a student he busted for cheating—and who caused him to completely rethink plagiarism.
Justice With a Tagline
When your publisher won't pay you for translating a popular German guide to anal sex, don't take the law into your own hands--take 'em to court. But which one?
A Simple Flying Phobia
The air conditioner puckers as the door closes. The landing gear creaks as the plane departs the jetway. Above your head, the call button dings.
The Dinner Party
Your roommate, your girlfriend, and her (and your) boss: It’s a tough table, and they’ll scrutinize your food—and your dwindling frame.