personal essays
My Cat's Brush With Life-Saving Gender Reassignment Surgery
The doctors said that in order to save my cat's life, they would have to give him a vagina.
My Anxiety Is Making Me Nervous
I told myself at an early age that it was OK for me to carry around the constant worry and never-ending feelings of fear. I was wrong.
I Opened a Hostel In Palestine and Ended Up Getting Thrown in Jail
When I went from working with NGOs to the private sector, a crazy business partner and some shady cops nearly derailed my business.
Why You Shouldn’t Marry Someone You Met on the Internet
I married someone to fill a void in my life, and he just made that void larger until I was finally strong enough to leave.
I Was a Feminist Victim of Domestic Violence
I always fancied myself a strong, independent woman, but after I wound up in an unhealthy, violent relationship that lasted for multiple years, I realized abuse can happen to anyone.
My Neverending Struggle to Accept My Weight
After more than a decade of struggling to come to terms with my body, I finally feel OK.
Christmas Is the Most Wonderful Time of the Year to Be a Stripper
Strip clubs are an ideal place to spend the Christmas holidays, if you like the holidays enough to be around other people but not enough for a typical celebration.
I Regret Reporting My Female Boss for Sexual Harassment
Instead of empowering me, filing a complaint against my troubled boss made me feel powerless, like I had betrayed a kindred spirit.
What Do You Do When You Think You Have a Murderer in the Family?
I've come to believe that my grandmother literally poisoned those around her.
Why Is Talking About Miscarriage Still Taboo?
I started to miscarry nine weeks into my pregnancy. After two weeks of bleeding, the baby was gone. Voicing my feelings helped me pull through.
I Ghostwrite Chinese Students' Ivy League Admissions Essays
When you think about your future multi-million dollar shipping moguls and up-and-coming diplomats, please remember a small handful of them probably received their Ivy League degrees thanks to me.
Stoned Zombie in a Haunted House
I've gotten stoned at work before, but smoking weed and working as a zombie at a haunted house didn't go well together.