Picture this: Harlem, New York City, 2013. An unemployed New York University graduate, with a decent résumé of internships and jobs, is unable to find full-time work, struggles to pay for rent and her MetroCard and therapy and meds, lives off $40 worth of groceries every fortnight, and in desperation…

It’s my first visit in 16 years. Q: You moved to America when you were 9, and haven’t visited India since you were 14 (summer 2004), nor since 3 out of your 4 grandparents died, including the one pictured above who raised you. …

Before you reach the body of my interview with the legendary Alfre Woodard, I have a disclaimer to add. I had the privilege of speaking with Ms. Woodard, about the new BET series The Porter (which she both executive produces and stars in), sometime during the third week of May…

Introducing an interview series with folks, from all over the world, trying to make a difference. First up: a two-part interview with Ayesha Malik! Known as @Spishaa on Twitter, @spisha on Instagram, @ayeshaspisha on TikTok, I have long admired Ayesha for her progressive politics, championing of diversity and representation, and…

[Updated 9/29/2022] Greetings, lovely readers! Firstly, thank you so much to everyone who has read my Medium post on working as a modern-day Cyrano de Bergerac; the essay was featured by Zora and I am so grateful for y’all’s kind words and solidarity. You can read that piece using the…

And there’s nothing you can do to make me feel bad about it. I’m glad the queen died because I, my brother, my aunts, my uncles, my cousins, my childhood classmates and teachers, my parents, my grandparents, my great-grandparents, my great-great-grandparents, and my great-great-great-great grandparents were all born in a…

Fast-forward again to late 2019. This subject is still painful for me, so I will be brief. I’d been living in my parents’ house for two years, having moved back to Texas in the aftermath of the implosion of an abusive relationship. Without a therapist I fell into some pretty…

Wavy, coil-y, curly, kinky, and combinations of all the above: there are just as many types of curl patterns as there are stars in the sky. A gift, some say, a unique trait. Lovely circles bouncing off your scalp! What could be better! Countless people—strangers and loved ones alike, in…

Note: This essay neither includes nor encourages recommendations of treatments for any illness. Always consult with your physician(s) before making any changes to your treatment. In the following journal entries, my friend Jane—who is currently weaning herself off her cocktail of psychotropic meds so she can being microdosing psychedelic mushrooms—continues…