personal essay | The Walrus

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Society

20 Years of The Walrus: Essays

September 15, 2023September 15, 2023 - by Various Contributors

Thoughtful writing on far-reaching topics: from travel to creativity to ghosts

Memoir

20 Years of The Walrus: Memoirs

September 15, 2023September 15, 2023 - by Various Contributors

Personal stories about family, crime, health, and more

A first person point-of-view illustration of a person using tweezers to care for a bonsai plant producing an abundance of fruit and surrounded by butterflies.

July/August 2023 / Memoir

The Limits of Self-Care

September 4, 2023September 5, 2023 - by Victoria Chan

A shocking spree of anti-Asian violence taught me to put community first

A photograph of people riding a boat on the Nile River in Khartoum, Sudan.

World

Grieving a Lost Future in Sudan

June 5, 2023June 5, 2023 - by Nehal El-Hadi

I planned to return to my hometown of Khartoum one day. As it burns, I wonder if the city of my childhood ever really existed

A photo illustration of a man snoring in a bed floating in a starry sky, with a "mute" symbol above him.

Health

How I Tried to Stop Snoring, Fix My Sleep Habits, and Confront My Mortality

March 15, 2023March 16, 2023 - by Jordan Foisy

I wanted a quick fix even if that quick fix was strapping a glorified bike pump to my face

A therapist speaking to a couch with spikes on it.

Memoir

Who Gets to Be Mentally Ill?

December 2, 2022December 2, 2022 - by K. J. Aiello

Today, people talk about seeing a therapist like they’re going to the dentist. But our compassion around mental health still excludes the people who need it most

Memoir

I’m Haunted by the Mansions of My Youth

October 31, 2022October 31, 2022 - by Erika Thorkelson

I grew up having nightmares about big houses that represented the trauma of my childhood. As an adult living through the housing crisis, my relationship with mansions has only grown more complicated