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Neither Here Nor There
Is America an empire? From Puerto Rico to Guam, Danny Zimny-Schmitt reflects on the five U.S. territories, exploring what their in-between identity says about American influence, citizenship, and global reach.
Articles
Essays and fiction from our contributors
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Travels with Bearheart in Search of America
A 10,000-mile journey through America's divided landscapes reveals a country split not just by politics but by presence. In an era of incompleteness of logical contact, can physical contact bridge the gap between urban and rural?
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Binding Beauty of Chores
Are modern comforts making us lonelier? Grady Ward explores how automation and efficiency weaken human connection...and how creative acts of service can bring us back together.
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Should I Bring Wine to a Playdate?
One of the most difficult questions faced by new mothers.
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Corazones
Her mother committed suicide when she was 6. She spent a lifetime trying to understand why.
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3,143 Pieces of America
Danny Zimny-Schmit is potentially the youngest person to visit all 3,143 counties in the United States. He writes about his motivations, the challenges of the trip, and what he learned about America along the way.
fiction
Poli-Sci 331
Social collapse, political upheaval, and failed states - A Short Story
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The Big Parade
What makes a purposeful life after the uniform comes off? A Marine officer looks to Hemingway — and his grandfather — for answers.
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It's Your America
Why political polarization isn't permanent, and what you and I can do to help fix it.
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The King's Shadow
What can ancient history teach us in the age of computers?
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Steeple Chase
The American church has historically been a bedrock institution for fostering social capital. What do we replace it with when it declines?
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A Fool's Errand
The case for curing modern loneliness may be as simple as acting more like our 17-year-old selves.
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Montlake Mojo
America's game is changing. Can it retain all of its old magic?
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The Pace Must Go On
The pace of modern life is outstripping our ability to cope, writes Ted Harrison. What can we do about it?
fiction
The Reincarnation Bureau!
The streets of Heaven aren't paved with gold...just a hell of a lot of red tape.
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World Changers!
Fifteen 4th graders stared at me trying to grasp what was going on. Another ten were eagerly watching Tyrone to see how he would respond to Jerome calling him "fart boy" again.
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In Airports
A view from the top...on airports, travel, and the people we meet along the way.
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The Adjacent People
What I discovered about myself, other people, relationships, and conversation in my attempt to meet someone new every single day for an entire year.
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On Hyperion
Why do stories matter? Ask Dan Simmons.
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Mansions
Matt Hartley on ambition, gratitude, and the Portland mansions he'll never own.
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Misanthropy as a Matter of Abstraction
Jean-Luc Currie on Dickens, abstraction, and the difference between loving humanity and loving people.
fiction
The Goat Song
Enter at your own risk — this might be the worst thing Jean-Luc has ever written. A fairy tale of two star-crossed lovers, a mysterious sorceress, and a lack of good prose.
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Green Mountain
Green Mountain wasn't some exclusive private club. It was a goat track — and the best first job a kid could ask for.
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Vietnam
A travel essay — memories from fourteen days in Vietnam.
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AESOP
A prescient look from 2022 where AI is taking us.
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Know Thyself
What does it mean to be educated in the modern age?
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The Barber
"In Okinawa, I needed a Barber. I tried American shops, but they all cut raging high-and-tights, and—on an island where every white male was military—I tried my best to avoid this stereotype."