NEWS
Announcing 2026 Steinberg Memorial Contest Finalists
Annoucning 2026 Steinberg Memorial Contest FinalistsCongratulations to our 2026 Steinberg Memorial Essay Contest Finalists! "What She Holds" by Mansi Bhatia"When We Fear" by Mary Birnbaum"Țuică—Romania’s Poet" by Derek Jon Dickinson"Kai" by Karen Gordon"He Waits" by...
REVIEWS
The Science of Last Things: Essays on Deep Time and the Boundaries of the Self
The Science of Last Things Essays on Deep Time and the Boundaries of the Self The Science of Last ThingsBy Ellen Wayland-Smith208 pp. Milkweed Editions, $18.00Released October 2024 The essays in Ellen Wayland-Smith’s collection The Science of Last...
MULTIMEDIA
Smell Map of Kyoto in October
Smell Map of Kyoto in October Winner of the 2025 Multimedia Essay ContestHaving trouble viewing this essay? Click here to open in new window.
CRAFT ESSAYS
Microcharacterization in Nonfiction
I’m not sure when microcharacterization becomes fully fledged characterization, and I’ve been debating whether it’s a matter of scale, if it looks different in flash than it does in longform. I don’t have a specific answer, whether it’s a phrase, a line, or a...
INTERVIEWS
Essaying as Empowerment
“Essays that dwell in uncertainty are in many ways closest to the truth of the human experience. They don’t offer tidy solutions because life rarely operates that way. Instead, they offer ruminations, reflection, a powerful vulnerability, and tender insight.”
ARCHIVES
A Bind
If you travel with a fear of flying, mental health experts recommend that you hold fast to the facts. Remind yourself of statistics that show that the most dangerous part of your travel day is the car ride to or from the airport.
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