Archives of Inspiration

from the editor: Spring 2024, “open”

In the first draft of this letter to open our issue on the theme of “open,” I wrote an anecdote about the students I taught in Greece who used the phrase “Open the lights” or “Close the lights” when they meant “Turn on the lights” or “Turn off the lights” in English. Their phrasing always […]
2 months ago

Long-Distance Friendships: Maintaining deep connections in adulthood 

By Jasmine Jones  There is a specific sound: a low hum, a soft ding, an echo of a ring that I now associate with my two best friends.  It is not the sound of metal spoons colliding in my dishwasher in my usually-quiet studio apartment; it is the sound of Facebook Messenger. A notification.  When […]
2 months ago

Solo Travel: Get out and explore

I was 22 and in Venice, Italy, for four days by myself, walking through winding streets while the city was waking up, women hanging laundry on lines between windows, setting out pastries they’d already baked by breads on shelves, men pushing wheelbarrows over cobblestones to pick up trash. I napped in the park as teenage […]
5 months ago

from the editor, Winter 2023: present

These past few months, I’ve been working towards a goal I felt incapable of achieving. The end product I wanted to get to felt far away, overwhelming; my progress and my own ability, discouraging. So, I mapped out deadlines and timeframes for myself; if I could mercilessly work toward the goal by adhering to a […]
5 months ago

from the editor: Fall 2023, “lineage”

My mom is really good at raising kids. While I know that could sound like bragging, and maybe it is, I am grateful to her not only for the way she raised me, but also for the ways she has taught me about how to parent in a way that teaches children to trust themselves […]
8 months ago

from the editor: Summer 2023, “nostalgia”

We didn’t get tickets to Taylor Swift’s “Eras” tour. We tried really hard, but we were 11,000 and some people back in the Ticketmaster queue, and it didn’t happen. So, instead, we decided to dress up as our favorite T. Swift era, make our own playlist of our favorite Taylor Swift songs from each album […]
11 months ago

from the editor: Spring 2023, “ask”

Writing teaches me to be bold. It’s a free pass to seek out people who can help me learn about topics I’m interested in, to talk with compelling people and to ask questions I’m wondering about. It helps me to step outside of my comfort zone, to act on my curiosity. And that transfers to […]
1 year ago

Meeting IRL: An afternoon with a stranger from social media

By Jasmine Jones At some point during college, I followed Emma Fritsche on Instagram. I can’t remember exactly when. I click so many profiles in such a short amount of time, I don’t realize I’m following someone until their photo shows up in my feed, and I think, “Who is this person?” I’d like to […]
1 year ago

from the editor, Winter 2022: Interact

For a long time, I was hesitant to claim the title “writer;” I thought I maybe kind of sort of was, but I wasn’t sure. I wrote. And I wanted to be. A writer. When I saw or heard or read others whose published work amazed me, I would feel it. This gnawing inside of […]
1 year ago