personal essay
I Had an Illegal Abortion. Four Years Later, I'm Still Paying For It.
A true story how a back alley abortion—the only kind that's available to many in Indonesia—lead to a woman's near death experience.
Being Black and Living in Indonesia Looks Different to Different People
Ryan Haughton, a Black Canadian man living in Jakarta, reflects on race and privilege.
Smoking Is Bad, But So Is Everything Else
In a better world, we'd reject the moralizing instinct to deem some people worthy of dignity—and others, not—based on how they choose to cope with the circumstances of their lives.
My Friend Was a Rising Comic. Then He Was Charged with Child Pornography
On betrayal, rage, and searching for answers.
The Unapologetically Arab Restaurant That Reminded Me America is My Country, Too
At Dyafa, seeing people enjoying my heritage through food felt like a lifelong cloud of hatred was being lifted.
Molly Ringwald on How DIY Nail Art Helps Her Empty Out Her Brain
"Nail art takes dexterity and focus, and when I'm doing it, I don't think about anything else. It's my form of weird meditation."
Chicken Wings Are My Culture
With every saucy, saturated, ranch-dipped bite, I embrace an act that in the past was used to stereotype and demean Black people such as myself.
I Got Bussed into a Rich School and Saw the Unfairness of America
It was like entering another world—and it taught me all I needed to know about inequality and class privilege.
Running Away From Drinking Myself to Death
On grief, morning runs, and not getting drunk to late-night news broadcasts alone anymore.
I Made Peace With My Body on a Sweaty Dance Floor
On a dance floor, I realized that I can use my mind not to punish myself, but to invite a special brand of silence to make room for celebration.
I Thought I Was Gaining Weight, Then Doctors Found a 20 Pound Cyst on My Ovaries
No matter how much I worked out, my stomach refused to shrink. Turns out I wasn't gaining weight, I was just carrying around a fluid-filled nightmare in my belly.