For most of my life, I could not bear my own face. Though I would recognize what I saw in the mirror as familiar, I did not feel it was mine. What I did feel was that it was wrong. I was raised like a prisoner on an island that most consider a paradise. My parents...
We admire stoics. Those who bear the wounds of this life in venerable silence. The grandfather or uncle who never spoke of their wartime experiences, for instance. We might pity stoics, too. Those who never found a voice of their own—the words, the ability, the...
A message from Art Saves Lives editor, Ben Weakley about our open submissions period. We build community one story, one voice, at a time. In February this year, my dear friend and colleague Seema Reza entrusted me to be the editor of an essay series that enacted a...
“Those living at a particular time are never simply the denizens of history or the pawns of time, they are also the only possible recipients of the messages of eternity trying to slip into the world …. we are each already an old soul capable of living meaningfully...
Here is a reminder, dear Ryan: staying grounded and rooted in the present time and current day is the most important part. October 1, 2023 Dear Ryan, You did it! You are doing it, and you will continue to do it, which is that which you are here to...