Jewish Like Me
To be Jewish in America can be a gefilte fish served with wasabi and a dollop of paranoia. And things get even more complicated when you don't look the part.
personalessays
A collection of 230 issues
Drink Your Meds
The impulse to weigh decisions with coffee spoons can seem charmingly eccentric on TV. But real-life obsessive compulsive disorder is no fun, what with the imminent death and all.
2008
From unearthed media to otherworldly technology to reflection on a personal and economic level, the year was filled with things of every shape, size, and significance. THE WRITERS give us the best of what they noted.
Bangkok Anew
Bangkok’s image as a city for sex, knife fights, and cobras is burnished to a shine. A trip home finds some of that, but mostly it’s ghosts—real ones—and they’re not quiet.
Our 2008 Holiday Letter
No matter how factual the accomplishments gained or the tragedies sustained, holiday letters, like the season itself, are often sugarcoated. But not this time.
Pilgrimage
Many people hope to be authors, even some in the publishing business. Going back to a monastery to see both sides of the story.
Hard Times Dog
From the financial crisis to the election and even the weather, unhappiness abounds.
Plan B
Determining that precise instant when life starts is a big subject in American politics, but it’s rarely discussed with much nuance.
Giant in the House
Parents can seem larger in life to their children, but some truly are giants. Recounting the death of her stepfather, for whom nothing was easier by being freakishly big.
My Life in Jest
When floating through post-collegiate limbo, you can use an anchor. Recalling when a very large book played a very large role in life.