Emilie Homan·10 hours agoPlaying AlongMy foot always crossed the threshold of the ceramics room right as the bell rang to push students from the halls into their second-period classrooms. I knew Mr. Becker would probably never bother to mark me late, or anyone for that matter. He didn’t care enough, not because he was…Memoir5 min readMemoir5 min read
Debra Groves Harman, MEdinThe Narrative Arc·2 days agoMember-onlyMy Mother Read My Diary and My Father Beat Me for ItI learned I could leave my body during trauma — CW: physical abuse and rape. As a child, I kept a diary. Into this diary went every feeling and event. This included a horrible incident that happened when I had a serious crush on a neighbor boy, two years older. The neighbor boy got me drunk and raped me. It…Memoir7 min readMemoir7 min read
kafa1010_·21 hours agoWhy Crocodiles Don’t Have a LiverWho doesn’t love bedtime stories? When I was five years old, my mom always told me bedtime stories. I hugged my side pillow tightly and was ready to sleep on the big bed. My younger sister slept by mom’s side. Then my mom would settle in the middle of us…Memoir3 min readMemoir3 min read
Andrew TsaoinThe Narrative Arc·16 hours agoThe Ghosts of ShanghaiI am haunted by eighteen generations of my ancestors — Shanghai, 1988. In the lane there are some raucous crows perched on low rooftops and overhead wires. They call out, dark heralds of mourning. Snow falls quietly. In doorways a few people stand and stare. They know why we are here, what we are doing. I am wearing a dark…Memoir6 min readMemoir6 min read
David ConteinThe Narrative Arc·11 hours agoMember-onlyCulture Shocked in the ‘German Jungle’My foray into the intercultural awareness arena — I remember my nephew celebrating his third birthday at the Rainforest Cafe restaurant, and I think I know how he felt at the time. One Friday evening, I took a stroll through the middle of Frankfurt, Germany, and it was every bit as bewildering as the jungle at the Rainforest…Memoir4 min readMemoir4 min read
ArtisKev N.inBouncin’ and Behavin’ Blogs·4 hours agoMember-onlyOur Departure For America Has Been a Wild RideBut… at what cost? — After an evening prayer with my family, I would stand up and head to my bedroom upstairs. “Good night,” my mom would say sleepily with her eyes barely open before closing her bedroom door. I would wish her good night back and quickly go upstairs to my bedroom. I lay…Memoir5 min readMemoir5 min read
Carly NewberginThe Memoirist·8 hours agoMember-onlyThe House Was on Fire and I Cared More about My Things than I Did My SafetyWhat does it all mean? — I was packing, unpacking — scrambling for God knows what. Smoke clouded the back of my throat, but I shut the door and ignored the reality at our fingertips. This is the dream I had at 5:00 am this morning. Our house was on fire, yet flames were traveling slowly…Memoir5 min readMemoir5 min read
Ellen EastwoodinThe Narrative Arc·18 hours agoMember-onlyClub Med Life: Behind-The-Scenes Working at a Tropical ResortHook-ups and feathered headdresses — Back in the 1990s, I was fresh out of school and working a mind-numbing desk job I stayed at way too long because I had a crush on a boy on the 7th floor. I don’t remember what gave me the idea to apply to work at Club Med. It…Memoir6 min readMemoir6 min read
Hollie HarrisinThe Narrative Arc·11 hours agoMember-onlyThe Time I Was a Rude Tourist by Accident in GermanyA major travel faux pas no one should ever make — When I first started traveling internationally as an adult, I was determined to be a good tourist. I’d heard stories about tourists doing awful things in other countries. Mistreating the locals, expecting people to cater to their whims, and disrespecting the culture. That wasn’t going to be me. So when…Memoir5 min readMemoir5 min read
L.L. KirchnerinThe Memoirist·14 hours agoMember-onlyGwyneth Paltrow Is Being Sued Over A Ski Accident And I Have FeelingsThere are rules when it comes to skiing. A lot of them are stupid. — My life changed on a Vancouver ski slope on the last day of 2019 after a snowboarder’s careless pass necessitated driving two palm-sized screws into my knee. I went from being a yoga teacher who rode her bike everywhere to finding child’s pose out of reach. In 2016, on a…Memoir6 min readMemoir6 min read
