We are nothing more than the stories we have to share. We laugh, we cry, we get vulnerable — we use stories to form some of our deepest connections with others. Yet, no matter who the storyteller is, you never fully know everything, at least this is what singer-songwriter Madison Beer thinks. In her memoir […]
What could be a more worthy pursuit than to earn the approval of one's own self? Written in 1934, the sentiments in Peter Dale Wimbrow Sr.’s poem “The Man in the Glass” strike all the right chords that still resonate with us nearly a century later in 2026. The poem opens by reflecting on “the […]
Sylvia Plath’s poem “Tulips” was published in 1965 and in her book “Ariel”, her second collection of published poetry. This collection of poetry was published two years after Plath’s death. Described by critics as “intensely personal”, Plath addresses themes of motherhood, marriage, depression, and sexuality. To understand and analyze “Tulips”, we must further understand the […]
“The Yellow Wallpaper”, a short story written in 1892 by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, is an early literary example of how women’s mental health has been ignored or improperly treated throughout the centuries. The story depicts a young woman’s descent into madness as her pleas for help are ignored and her symptoms diminished because of her […]
In the poem TODAY MY ALARM WENT OFF AT 12:30PM, Mira Gonzalez details the routine of someone struggling with depression and substance use issues. Though short in length, the poem is commanding, doing an impressive job of highlighting the distress that can arise from addiction and mental health issues. At the start of the poem, […]
Three years ago, I came across Nikita Gill’s People Aren’t Homes, and the poem’s closing lines have stuck with me ever since. Of all the metaphors in the poem, I kept finding myself returning to this very line: “People are rivers, ever changing, ever flowing.” Even now, these words continue to shape the way I […]
“Never Enough: The Neuroscience and Experience of Addiction” written by Judith Grisel (2019), a behavioural neuroscientist and psychology professor at Bucknell University, was my first introduction to the science behind addiction. Beyond being scientific, “Never Enough” draws on Grisel’s personal experiences with alcoholism. Her addiction and recovery journey led her to a lifelong career in […]
David Ritter’s poem Gone tells the story of someone trapped in the painful cycle of addiction and the long journey to recovery. Through repetition and emotional honesty, Ritter reflects on the physical suffering, broken promises, and emotional emptiness caused by alcoholism, while also showing what it means to slowly reclaim one's life. Here is an […]
Addiction is often described as something physical, but Maria Mastay’s poem Addiction reveals how deeply emotional and psychological the experience can become. Rather than focusing only on substances themselves, the poem explores the constant battle between relapse and recovery, memory, destruction and healing. In only a few short lines, Mastay captures the exhausting push and […]
Killing the Black Body by Dorothy Roberts is a book about reproduction, law, myths, and the historical mistreatment of Black bodies across institutions, systems, and cultural narratives. Originally published in 1998, the book has been widely recognized for its examination of the neglect, coercion, and systemic control that Black individuals have experienced, both covertly and […]