One part, but not the only part, of creativity is something airy and fragile. The muses are picky, and they visit only in very particular circumstances. In the book, The Birth of Tragedy, Friedrich Nietzsche classified this more emotional, passionate, fickle side of the creative process as “Dionysian,” named for and represented by Dionysus, the …
Part I I grew up in a pretty small town, and as a kid, I always wanted to get out. I was curious, energetic, imaginative. I wanted adventures like the kids in The Magic Treehouse and Gregor the Overlander. But as soon as I had the chance to get away from home, I …
When I was around eleven or twelve, I was old enough to understand the inevitability of death but young enough that I still prayed. I remember telling God that I knew he would someday have to take my grandparents to heaven, but I asked that he please not do so until I was old enough …
Trigger warning: this essay contains mentions of sexual assault, rape, and violence. Two asterisks (**) indicate that the name has been changed to protect the privacy of those mentioned. Author’s Note: Choosing to publish this was not a decision I took lightly. I wrote it as a form of catharsis, but I was very …
My mother-in-law is a physically beautiful, and sometimes emotionally complex woman. I should also mention, she’s not technically my mother-in-law. She’s my boyfriend’s mom. I’m not married. But, in many Spanish speaking countries, the word for mother-in-law, suegra, is used to describe the mother of your partner whether you are married or just in a relationship. …