personal essay

A eulogy is an expression of love through grief. I wrote my eulogies in direct address — they are love letters for a love story that isn’t over yet.

What happens when we publish something that hurts another group of people?

A man faces his estranged father and the Ultra-Orthodox Jewish community he had left behind years ago.

The fact of the matter is that content mills are dangerous and personal essays are a different beast. And there’s a vast level of discrepancy between a phone-it-in XYZ — and a Here’s What It Feels Like piece and other essays, where the language sings and the story is backed up by reportage. I’m aware of this. But there is also a middle ground.

“You’re an only child?”

I'll let you in on a little secret - being thin didn't make me happy, but being "Fat" does! Be fat and happy. Be unapologetically fat.

I sat obediently in her chair atop four ancient copies of the Yellow Pages. Crossing my fingers, I prayed Catholic schoolgirl prayers.

It's possible to mourn and celebrate, to be with someone you can't see or feel, and to find some kind of joy even when you're mired in loss.