First Person

A photo of a Black woman with her hair in a bun, looking to the right of the frame. The image is slightly blurred.

Society

The Pressure to Describe My “Background”

March 24, 2020June 10, 2021 - by Eternity Martis

As a Black child in a brown family, I had to learn how to define my identity in a new way

Illustration of an elderly woman sitting in a chair with her back to the viewer. She is surrounded by animals––an owl, a leopard, a turtle, a goose, and a dog, which she pets while it sits at her feet.

April 2020

What I’ve Learned from What My Mother Has Forgotten

March 19, 2020March 27, 2020 - by Damian Rogers

My mother’s dementia made me think about my own future in a new way

A stick-figure illustration of three figures beneath raining clouds. To their right are large pink flowers being consumed by flame. The background is midnight blue and the figures are outlined in green.

Environment

Parenting through an Apocalypse

March 17, 2020July 29, 2020 - by Liz Harmer

What stories can we tell our children to help them face the world they will inherit?

Illustration of a goldfish in a bowl, a pair of brown shoes, and a pair of headphones in an airport security tray on a conveyor belt.

March 2020

How to Travel with a Goldfish

March 5, 2020May 27, 2022 - by Michael Winter

The weirdest things I’ve packed in my carry-on luggage

A brown kitchen chair seated at a round table, covered in a yellow checked tablecloth. On the table are two glasses of wine, a slice of cake, and several face-down playing cards with the ace of spades facing up.

January/February 2020

How Euchre Healed My Family

December 12, 2019March 27, 2020 - by Jessica Myshrall

We have played through illness, arguments, divorces, and death

Arts & Culture / December 2019

How to Make the Perfect Popcorn

November 22, 2019November 21, 2024 - by Kevin Sylvester

If you microwave your popcorn, never speak to me again

A gold award ribbon that says "The Smart One," floating against a pale pink background.

Society

Beauty Standards Are a Rigged Game

November 21, 2019November 26, 2019 - by Sarah Trick

If I couldn’t be seen as both disabled and beautiful, I decided I’d win by becoming “the smart one”

Memoir

Me, My Dad, and His Old Clothes

September 30, 2019July 4, 2023 - by Michael Lista

After my parents divorced, I began to wear my dad’s cast-off suits and loafers everywhere

Arts & Culture / July/August 2019

What I Learned From a Summer of Not Catching a Single Fish

June 24, 2019March 27, 2020 - by Marni Jackson

Don’t use deli meat as bait, for starters

July/August 2019 / Society

Why Every Donkey Deserves a Home

June 14, 2019March 27, 2020 - by Frank Griggs

My donkey doesn’t like me. But I’m glad we have him anyway

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The Pressure to Describe My “Background”

What I’ve Learned from What My Mother Has Forgotten

Parenting through an Apocalypse

How to Travel with a Goldfish

How Euchre Healed My Family

How to Make the Perfect Popcorn

Beauty Standards Are a Rigged Game

Me, My Dad, and His Old Clothes

What I Learned From a Summer of Not Catching a Single Fish

Why Every Donkey Deserves a Home

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Fund the journalism that helps you make informed decisions. Fund The Walrus.

Fund the journalism that helps you make informed decisions. Fund The Walrus.

Fund the journalism that helps you make informed decisions. Fund The Walrus.