Further reading: 2024 review, 2023 review, 2022 review, 2021 review, 2020 review, 2019 review
Writing is a bit like long-distance running: it’s usually more fun to have done it than to actually do it. Pride (or, better, delight) in one’s words emerges gradually, belatedly, sometimes not at all. When it does appear, it’s a prize for surviving self-doubt. To truly love something you’ve written yourself is a both an achievement and a gift: effort plus luck plus some unknowable grace.
So that’s what we’re celebrating today, in the first part of our annual year-end extravaganza. These are the posts our writers are most proud of or delighted with, the ones that feel like a race well run, presented in the order of publication day.
Di-Leverage-emma | Sam Tuit
While this has the worst title of any piece I wrote this year (and there are a few stinkers), I’m really proud of the analysis here. Thinking too hard about something that wasn’t meant to be is fun, especially when it can tell us something about our world.
Crucially, Non-Cancerous (Part II) | Christina Ribbens
I’m proud of this whole series but I feel like in part II I did the best job of covering a lot of emotional and medical ground; it’s more vulnerable than I usually get in my posts, but it was also helpful for my own processing of an eventful summer.
On Sunsets | Grace Buller
This was my most personal piece.
Eating Humble Pie | Alex Johnson
While 2025 brought a lot of changes to my life, this piece both encapsulates the craziest story I have from the year while also diving into what I hope to take away from this year: seeing more of my own failings.
Be Nude, Not Rude | Emilyn Shortridge
It was hard to pick, but the situation of getting used to public baths is definitely not super common among Westerners, and this story characterized an example of cultural adjustment pretty well.
On Graduating in the Middle of the Year | Kate Wilmot
It feels the most cohesive, between the metaphor and the meaning of the post.
Driving to Page | Josh Parks
Too often I get distracted trying to make a point in my posts. Our “states” theme month gave me reason instead to savor a beloved memory.
A Love Letter to Arkansas | Michelle Ferdinands
I liked the letter format, and it allowed for equal parts sassy, sincere and heartfelt.
The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald | Philip Rienstra
When I discovered that my November piece would fall on the exact anniversary of the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, I knew my fate was sealed, and I had a blast researching and writing this.
Why Christians Should Watch KPop Demon Hunters | Eleanor Lee
I enjoyed verbalizing the Christian themes/connections that I saw in the movie.
Anytime, Always | Olivia Harre
I am proud of this piece because I feel like it really captured this new version of home, and it will be a treasure for me and for my future in-laws to have that recorded.
Echoes and Afterimages | Noah Keene
It was a very close tie between this and “A Letter to the 70,000,” but while “Letter” has the better message, “Echoes” has more meaning to me, capturing that bittersweet sensation of seeing your friends live their lives without your direct involvement while treasuring those times you were friends more shoulder-to-shoulder and face-to-face.
The Smell of Douglas Fir | Nathan Hilbrands
It was my first piece as a regular writer and I think it flowed really well from one thought to another.
Introducing the Brands Sponsoring My Wedding (Unbeknownst to Them) | Carlise Patete
When I wrote this piece I was deep into wedding planning anxiety that I had never anticipated being part of the process, and this listicle helped me lighten the load by poking fun at all the ridiculous things I felt I needed to do or buy.
The Best Thing in Taiwan | Priscilla Chang
I enjoyed exploring how our inner child never really leaves in adulthood.
Contra Time-Space Compression | Rylan Shewmaker
I don’t think this piece is my best-written of the year and it’s overly long, but I’ve been sitting on the ideas within it for a few years now, and I’m proud that I finally put pen to paper and pulled them together for the first time. Re-reading it now, it’s basically my manifesto—and a good reminder that I’m not just wasting my time on long train rides.
To Cope with the Situation, All My Friends Have Started Birdwatching | Emily Joy Stroble
I always enjoy the opportunity to include a little humor in my writing, but I think my favorite part of this piece is that it is mostly about the important relationships we form as adults and how they expand our minds and nourish our souls.
Nine Feet from the Ground | Noah Schumerth
I am normally a very serious writer, and I enjoyed getting to use a silly story to convey a bigger idea.
Nonbinary Dating and Victor/Victoria | Sam Koster
I’ve had some great pieces this year, but I’m particularly proud of this for the way I lay out the movie, my personal experience, and the complicated feelings that intertwine both.
Good and Mad | Annaka Koster
I rarely thought about the homeless before I became a librarian. I hope that this piece inspired more—even if that’s just one or two more—people to think about them.
The Ghost in the Machine | Anna Jeffries
I’m a sucker for serendipity when it comes to different books and ideas arriving at the same time in my brain!
Research Offered Me a Future | Izzy Nunez
i’m proud because clinical trial research means a lot to me, and with research dollars being attacked, among other things, this piece meant a lot to write.
Josh Parks graduated from Calvin in 2018 with majors in English and music, and he is currently a PhD student in religious studies at the University of Virginia. When not writing, he can be found learning the alto recorder, watching obscure Disney movies, and making excruciating puns.
