Nomen Est Omen
Co-published with Believer Magazine. In low-income communities, a nickname becomes a means to combat hardship — and an avenue for reinvention.
I’m Black and Jewish. I Can’t Let a Social Struggle Define Me.
Co-published with The Forward. I no longer let my physical attributes define me. But recent anti-Semitic comments by a handful of Black celebrities have me again exploring …
A Book Critic on What’s Wrong and Right With “Black Lists”
Co-published with The Intercept. We are in the era of Black Lives Matter but anti-racism books should not hold value only in relation to troubled times.
Not Just “Cops”: Culture Industry Must End Anti-Black Content
Co-published with The Intercept. It’s time to end the entertainment industry’s anti-Black, pro-police programming.
The Necessity — and the Tragedy — of Medical Volunteerism in the Pandemic
Co-published with The Chronicle of Philanthropy. Health professionals are donating their time, revealing what’s best about our country’s generous spirit and what’s worst about our ill-prepared …
The Provocations of Elon Musk
Co-published with GQ. The mercurial billionaire CEO of Tesla and SpaceX regularly flouts the law with little fear of punishment. Elizabeth Spiers on why the rules …
An American Tradition: Shaming the Poor
Co-published with the Washington Post. Four new books examine the premise that impoverishment is a moral failing.
We Need More Poetry in Politics
Co-published with The New York Times. Political rhetoric has gotten dull and empathy fatigue has set in. A more creative communication approach can combat that.
Why We Need a Working-Class Media
Co-published with Dissent Magazine. What could the political effects be of a media that actually served working-class Americans?
California’s Forage Wars
Co-published with High Country News and Roads & Kingdoms. In Mendocino County, California, these “guerilla gatherers” risk fines and jail time to …
David Berman of Silver Jews Remembered
Co-published with The New York Review of Books. “Openly troubled, openly poetic, openly marginal, openly sloppy, and openly democratic.” Our executive director Alissa Quart reflects on …
Sesame Street Changed My Life. We Must Protect It So It Can Mold More Kids’ Lives.
Co-published with HuffPost. We need to support Sesame Street to ensure the show is available to all children, especially for kids from backgrounds like mine, or …