It’s difficult to find examples of nuanced disabled characters in literature. Marian Ryan writes about her experience becoming disabled in middle age and her search to find someone like herself in the world of books and movies around her.
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To yearn for home is to wonder how its small, mundane moments can feel so unattainable — relics of another time. Takahata Isao’s work at Studio Ghibli and beyond both created this quiet beauty and provided comfort to those who long for it from afar.
The language and experience of what it means to grow up South Asian in the West is still largely unexplored. "Bend It Like Beckham" was the first movie to embrace these questions — to pave way for those growing up without examples of who they could become.
Courtney Martin delves into America's dysfunctional relationship with sex, money, and power — and calls for a rethinking of sex education, to reflect the actual complexity and broad range of how human sexuality gets expressed and must be honored.
From the dreary lyrics of “Eleanor Rigby” to Lennon’s infamous remarks on Christianity, The Beatles seemed to embody a godless skepticism about the world. But was their outlook really so bleak? Kenneth Womack on the deeper message at the heart of their music: a life-affirming, transcendent sense of communal good.
Models and data show what’s happening to our planet, but are our conversations about climate change really about something deeper? A biologist poses a challenge to the scientific community, and to all of us: to infuse our debates not only with factual rigor, but with empathy and compassion, too.
On questioning the habit of vilifying “gun people” for a fundamental part of their lives and identities — and on the deeper understanding that might bring us closer to the solution to violence that we all seek.
How can we nurture our identity and faith if we don't feel recognized for who we are? A reflection on yearning for a community that truly sees us.
A poem to honor the commonalities that run deeper than our cultural divides — from the San Francisco of the Beat Generation to a modest dive on the Jersey Shore.
To live fully and well, we need diversity — in nature and in our lives together.
College rejection and acceptance letters are in the post this time of year. Our columnist drops truth on how rejection can teach us to find value in ourselves, and not in the affirmation of the decision-making process of an admissions department.
A look at icons in our popular culture reveals the crucial work of healing at the heart of the Muslim faith.
Drawing on the walking undead from "Game of Thrones," Omid Safi comments on the stubborn disease of white supremacy, and on resisting its spread with the resilience of kinship and kindness.
We have charms to ward off harmful glances, but what might they teach us about more gracious and loving communication? Omid Safi studies the significance of the "evil eye," and wonders if it can inspire us to better interaction.
The digital sphere is a frontier where we assert our identities, and, in times of trauma, express our grief. With an appeal to the humanity behind this instinct, Courtney Martin questions how our empathy might become more than performance.
What gets lost when we erect a fortress around our children? A mother glimpses the beauty of trusting strangers around her daughter, and discovers the risk of losing the village to our own fears.
The busyness of modern life is ubiquitous. A Karachiite shares memories of her city and Catholic schooling and counters the archaic view that others take of the beloved city she calls home.
Some of our greatest cultural treasures are seemingly beyond reproach when it comes to honest criticism. Watching The King and I, a composer acknowledges the inherent racism and reflects on how we can appreciate its art and still question in ethical and moral shortcomings alongside its greatness.
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