Why Mandarin Chinese?
I graduated. I could stumble along in Chinese much better than the average Caucasian American. And I still had no plan for what job I was suited for.
Teaching the Brave
This portrait of me, drawn by a former student in Crayola marker, is almost entirely accurate. I wake up pre-sun, don soft clothing, and spend my days sitting on the floor.
Playoffs
The playoff system used in North American professional team sports is about the worst way I can imagine to determine a league championship.
I’m Not Part of Me
Though part of me might wince at how bildungsroman this all is, it doesn’t change the fact that it’s where I am. Besides, aren’t we always “coming of age”?
The Fault in Our Yarns
For some reason it feels like I’m saying, “My favorite food is chicken nuggets,” or “I really like listening to Hanson while playing laser tag.”
Silver and Gold
Friends who I can count on to read my work and respond sincerely to it. Friends for drinking coffee, for studying, for drinking a glass of wine while playing board games.
The M Word
After I managed to swim to the bottom of the pool to retrieve a brick, I lay in a puddle of chlorine and teal tile like a trauma victim.
How to Wait for a Train
But letting go of all those demands emptied me out, and the process of refilling with the right things—that’s what’s taking so much time.
Earth Day and Weapons of Slow Violence
After only a few generations of farming, the soil of one of the world’s most fecund agricultural areas—the Midwest—is practically dead.
I Wanted To Be a Doctor
One day, about two-thirds of the way through the school year, I woke up and realized that I had absolutely no idea what was going on in chemistry class.
