Next Steps: How to Cope with Being Diagnosed with a Chronic Illness

Next Steps: How to Cope with Being Diagnosed with a Chronic Illness

by: Julie Mosher Everyone has dreams they’d like to achieve in life, but being diagnosed with a chronic illness is surely not one of them. Never in our wildest dreams do we expect to be diagnosed with a long-term health condition — and to hear this news from your doctor can make you feel very vulnerable. This is especially true for those who are quite young, as you’re still on the cusp of bringing your greatest goals into fruition. However,…

Read More Read More

Stay Home, Stay Happy: Visiting Art Museums Virtually

Stay Home, Stay Happy: Visiting Art Museums Virtually

by: Lauren Jonik and Andrea Crowley-Hughes “Art washes away from the soul the dust of every day life.” – Pablo Picasso There is something edifying about being surrounded by art of all kinds. In the first post of our new series, “Stay Home, Stay Happy,” we’re highlighting several art museums that have made their collections accessible online. While one could argue that viewing art in person is preferable, appreciating works from a distance is no less meaningful. So, sit back,…

Read More Read More

Author to Author: Chelsea Biondolillo and Heidi Czerwiec

Author to Author: Chelsea Biondolillo and Heidi Czerwiec

In our latest Author to Author interview, Chelsea Biondolillo and Heidi Czerwiec get deep about the structural elements of their work: how poetry informs prose, braiding essays, visual essays and more. It’s an English major’s dream of a conversation! Chelsea Biondolillo: Heidi, I was so struck by the decisions you made regarding form in Fluid States, and specifically the way you have applied different poetic forms to your essays. I will admit that before I read your book, I read…

Read More Read More

Scraps of Memories: Losing the Life That Was

Scraps of Memories: Losing the Life That Was

by: Carisa Peterson My mother made all of my clothes while I was growing up. But it didn’t embarrass me in the way that some homemade clothes are known to turn out. That is, badly enough that they make the kid wearing the clothes want to look down and dig their toes in the dirt once someone notices a lopsided cut, or one sleeve longer than the other and asks them if someone made whatever it is. She easily could…

Read More Read More

Sparkling Water: Take a Sip and Enjoy

Sparkling Water: Take a Sip and Enjoy

by: Ashleigh Papp I can’t recall the first time I had bubbly water — neither of my parents drank it, and as kids we were limited to water, milk and Kool Aid year-round. So I’ll never forget the first time I visited Europe in my early teens and was asked, “Sparkling or still?” I didn’t have the gusto to try something so new all those years ago, and stuck with what I knew — “Still please.” It took me many…

Read More Read More