Essays
Ode to Olcott
Olcott, New York—"The French Riviera of Lake Ontario"—has sunk and rebounded in a way so minor, yet major enough to feel like a triumph.
The Suburbs are Stunned
An excerpt from the Pittsburgh Neighborhood Guidebook.
What It’s Like to Work at a Food Pantry During the Pandemic
In a world of scarcity, food pantries—like the one where I work in Chicago—make room for abundance.
Vaccinating Your Elderly Parents: The Board Game
A comic about navigating the Ohio coronavirus vaccination system.
Coming of Age Between Somalia and Columbus
On moving, 9/11, and reckoning with the names and places that made you who you are.
John Edgar Wideman and Writing to Save Lives
Re-reading Wideman's "Writing to Save a Life" in an era of racist violence.
Except for the Cancer I’m Fine
"Is disease something we’re born with and prone to, or the result of a life lived in a place that can make anyone sick?”
An Ordinary Day in Charlottesville
Excerpted from "Pure America: Eugenics and the Making of Modern Virginia."
Creating Space for Virgil Cantini in Pittsburgh
Cantini, who was a vital part of Pittsburgh's public art scene in the twentieth century, believed art should be free and available to everyone.
Lancaster is Burning
"The landscape of Fairfield County, Ohio sprouted the seeds of my imagination, helped them take root." [Excerpt]
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