personal history
Being Raised by Two Narcissists Taught Me How to Deal with Trump
Two years in, some people are still expecting one of his scandals to bring him down. I know better.
I Got Bussed into a Rich School and Saw the Unfairness of America
It was like entering another world—and it taught me all I needed to know about inequality and class privilege.
Despite Everything, I Still Love New York
The city isn't the same. That doesn't mean we should give up on it.
I Went Through All of My Old Tweets and Was Horrified by What I Found
Deleting my tweets one at a time was an education in self-loathing and shame—and 100-percent worth it.
I've Helped Separate Kids from Parents in Court, So I Know How Awful It Is
The job was among the hardest things I’ve ever had to do.
My Awful, Profitable 18 Months as a Trump-Obsessed Journalist
Has Donald Trump becoming president been bad for the world but good for my career?
I Bought a Condo and It Ruined My Life
Nearly a decade after the collapse of the housing bubble, I'm still feeling the consequences.
I Can't Visit My Sons in Prison Because of My Unpaid Traffic Tickets
A mother facing terminal cancer and debts she'll never be able to pay wonders if she'll ever see her incarcerated children again.
What My Father the Pathological Liar Taught Me About Trump
Life under the new president has been unsettling, but also strangely familiar.
A Portrait of Coal Town on the Brink of Death
A failing coal industry has left many residents of West Virginia with few options: move away, die, or try to scrape out a future in an unforgiving economic climate.