A man stumbled to his right as my friend dragged me towards hers. Chicago’s bright city lights dissipated to yellow patches that broke up the darkness as we found ourselves on a street that ran below Michigan Avenue.
Miriam Aguilera on Self-Worth + Self-Starting + Domestic Violence
Miriam began to tell me her story, how she immigrated into the United States as a married woman and struggled to find self-worth in her emotionally abusive marriage. The process of leaving was coupled with learning that she was worthy of good treatment, a belief she was not raised to embody.
Personal Updates
Nothing I have been writing feels good enough lately. Call it a writer’s block, maybe a quality block, but the truth is, I have not been feeling great.
A Poem for Kay
For a friend
Un Cuento de Cuba + the Remains of Tourism Apartheid
I had just closed the bedroom door when I saw el dueño de la casa staring down at me with suspicion, “¿Ya pagaste?”. Did you pay already? He knew what sneaking out looked like.
Ryan Stelzer on the Humanities in Practice + Perish + Progress
“We need humanities students in the professional world to counterbalance the people who are there pretending to know.”
Icarus
My wings had melted and, like Icarus, I fell— hard, fast, completely. And I found myself at the bottom of a pit as dark as night and as vivid as ice-cold water.
Kevin Jordan on Career Pivots + Self-Talk
When turning ideas into change, remember: “Professional development is commonly like an S-track and not a straight line.”
Charlotte Long on Leadership + Social Networks + Divinity
“You have centralized something in your life, whether or not you know it. Let’s figure out what that is.”
Cait Ennis on Understanding Her Chinese Heritage
“If I had to answer, ‘What am I?’, however, I would say I am American. I am this melting pot of values and cultures, and I now know that I do not have to choose between these things to know who I am.”