Personal essay

An illustration of two girls speaking to each other via string-can phone through two windows in a brick house with a green door

May 25 cultureShubhreet Dadrao with Illustrations by Ayla Cilliers

Speak freely

When I mispronounced a word or made the wrong sound because of these similar articulations, I was met with laughter and pushed to repeat what I had said before getting support on correcting myself.

An illustration of multicoloured yarn knitted into a heart-shaped pattern

May 25 cultureArianna Aportadera with Illustrations by Ayla Cilliers

Awit natin ay ‘wag na ‘wag mong kalimutan

To me, Lapu Lapu Day, while beautiful, is another reminder that I don’t really belong here. It's like being in a liminal space. I can smell the food my grandma would cook for me when I was sick, but I also remember how hard I’ve had to search for any sense of community.

A person watches a Seattle Seahawks game in a living room wearing a 'Wagner' jersey and backwards Seahawks hat.

March 26 sportsCaleb Peterson

Proud to be a fan

Being a fan of anything isn’t about being rational. It’s knowing that your passion might not be rational, and caring anyway.

A girl with blonde hair lights a cigarette in the mouth of a girl with dark hair, both of them leaning against a pole

February 27 cultureTiana Khandelwal with Photos by Saumya Kamra

Google, how do I untie the knots in my heart?

In my first year of college, I decided to go to a drag show for the first time.

Two people about to kiss and holding each other's faces. There's a glass brick wall behind them.

February 27 cultureAnonymous with Photos by Saumya Kamra

First steps

For as long as I can remember, the idea of ‘family’ has been an entanglement of comfort and tension — years of feeling torn between what I thought a family should be and what it actually felt like.

Hands holding a book open, with snow in the background.

February 26 cultureJoyce Park with Photos by Saumya Kamra

Me, my parents and the elephant in the bedroom

I was a smart kid. I read above grade level and teachers called me a pleasure to have in class. But as the lady flipped through pages and talked about body parts in a cheery voice, my forehead furrowed deeper and deeper.

A person with light brown hair with bangs holds a strip of red tape reading "DANGER" over their eyes.

February 25 cultureAditi Mankar with Photos by Saumya Kamra

A fragmented account of your local kinkster

Forget about the exact time of day — I don’t even remember the month or year of my initiation into the world of sensuality.

Two people hold books in front of their faces so only their eyes are exposed as they look at each other. The one on the left has red hair, a red top and glasses, and the one on the right wears a black beanie and fingerless gloves.

February 24 cultureAva Dunkel with Photos by Saumya Kamra

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As a child, there was nothing more sacred than my uninterrupted, unsupervised computer time.

Illustration of a rack of clothes, a floor lamp, books and household items with thrift store tags hanging off of them.

February 8 cultureAva Dunkel with Illustrations by Abbie Lee

Do you smell it too?

Every Value Village has the same smell. If you know it, you know it. If you don’t, it can be best described as dust, cigarette smoke, peculiar perfumes and other mysterious odours all mixed together. I also happen to know what it smells like if you take that smell and set it on fire.