Tag: essay

a photo of the front range mountains in snow with a photograph of Barrel cactus in bloom from Hovenweep National Monument, 05/1972 overlayed. Cactus flower is U.S. National Archives’ Local Identifier: 412-DA-2398C
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Circling Back: Return and Recursivity in Nature-Based Memoir

"All memory is a circling back to moments of earlier experience," writes Kayann Short as she evaluates the importance of return in ecobiography.
A bright yellow sunset over a black horizon with colorful dots overlaid.T
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The Endurance of A Classic

"While this fear is nothing compared to experiencing war, I worry that the circumstances will change me completely, as they changed him." - a 17-year old Kazakh student reflects on All Quiet on the Western Front
An image of a wave crashing on a beach with an anchor in the foreground that is almost totally obscured by another photo that has been overlaid of an eel hiding in bright green seaweed.2
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2024 Proximity Prize Issue | Theme: TRANSPLANT

The 2025 Proximity Prize Issue is here! Submit something! We’re pleased to announce: The 2025 Proximity Literary Journalism Prize and Personal Essay Prize with the..
the london skyline at night with a drawing overlaid: a triangle, a circle, a triangle with a square and star inside with the language that says "how it is" and a circle with a square and a star inside with the words "how it should be," and a key to the side that indicates the square means people and the star means objects.O
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Objects of Affection

"I can’t stop thinking about how objects hold me. How they alter the way I carry myself in a new room. Or hug me when surrounded by strangers."
The photo is two red cherries hanging from a small branch, with the green leaves out of focus. Overlayed are a series of repeating Xes made of handwritten text.H
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How Many Rejections Does It Take To Get Published?

They said, “Ten percent of submissions get published.” I heard, “Nine out of every ten submissions gets rejected.” So, I decided I’d get one hundred..
A maroon rectangle with three overlapping images inset photograph of a brick wall and a green gate.N
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No Le Digas A Nadie. Don’t Tell Anyone.

“No le digas a nadie” is a threat that happens in almost every conversation I have with my mom. It’s synonymous with, “Don’t tell another..
orange-hued flowers that look like they've been cut out of images on a yellow background. the flowers include black-eyed susans, daisys, marigolds, and tropical flowersH
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How (Not) To Define A Lyric Essay

Heidi Czerwiec and Erica Trabold explore the function of lyric essays, and how lyric essay collections are illuminating this style of nonfiction writing.
A somewhat blurry image of a lit-up carnival ride called The Shaker in motion. Overlayed are semi-transparent purple spirals in an indistinguishable pattern.W
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When the Arc is Too Small

When a narrative arc doesn't work, how do we find a structure for a work of narrative nonfiction?
A photo of an open book where you only see the bottom of the book and the back cover overlayed on a photo of wood grain.T
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That One Time A Writer Signed All My Books

How Andi Stout found a literary community and how it makes her a better writer: An Essay on Literary Citizenship.
A sunset that fades from a dark purple-pink at the top, to a pink orange, before becoming yellow at the black horizon of trees. Overlayed are handwritten words that are small and illegible.T
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The Writing Life: How Teaching Helped Me Reclaim My Voice

Olga Katsovskiy explores getting over the writer's block she faced after her dad's death through teaching others to "find the question that needs to be answered."