Feb 11, 2021Member-onlyDear Republican Senators of America,Vote to convict. Former President Trump lied about winning the presidential election, deliberately worked armed white nationalists into a froth over this Big Lie, and gleefully incited them to attack the Capitol building with the intent to disrupt the democratic process and do harm to members of Congress. Whatever your…Politics4 min readPolitics4 min read
Published in Human Parts·Jun 20, 2020Member-onlyThe White That BindsWhiteness is a fraud and a trap. Liberation is our work. — I don’t want to talk about being white. I frankly don’t even want to think about it. I’d like to consider solutions to complex, global problems, such as can we light our cities with the gas generated by our garbage? Should we even have cities at all? …Race18 min readRace18 min read
Jun 20, 2020Member-onlyA Brief History of WhitenessWe invented Whiteness for power and profit, and then forgot we did that. (Click here to read the companion essay, The White That Binds) Whiteness is an idea that some people made up in order to protect their money and power. Each time the idea began to crumble along its obvious flaws, each time the profits based on the idea were threatened, it was shored up and…White Privilege11 min readWhite Privilege11 min read
May 21, 2020Member-onlyA sensible way to estimate the risk of everyday activities.States are reopening, but the choices are yours. **I’m writing this article because I have some experience interpreting medical literature and applying it to my own life. I’m here to (hopefully) help you do the same.** People are feeling confused, and deeply frustrated. I get it. I feel pretty exasperated…Coronavirus6 min readCoronavirus6 min read
Apr 20, 2020Member-onlySo you think we should reopen the country?The personal concern of “will I (or someone I love) become infected?” is not the scariest problem we have. *(Updated April 23, 2020.)* This past week, people protested stay-at-home orders in several states, often bolstered by bizarre tweets of encouragement from the President to violate recommendations he himself has made. …Coronavirus7 min readCoronavirus7 min read
Apr 19, 2020Member-onlyI’ll protect you. Will you protect me?Everyone should wear a mask inside public spaces. I wrote an article a few weeks ago (has it only been a few weeks? my internal clock feels like it was last year), in which I laid out three basic rules to follow to avoid viral illness. …Coronavirus4 min readCoronavirus4 min read
Mar 22, 2020Member-onlyI had no immune system for months after my bone marrow transplant. Here’s how I avoided viral illness, and how you can, too. It’s easier than you think.Everyone is scared of COVID-19 (the disease caused by novel coronavirus). I get it. I’ve been in the hospital a lot in my life, and I definitely don’t want to go back. But a lot of the advice that I’ve seen lately about how to stay safe is pretty ridiculous…Coronavirus12 min readCoronavirus12 min read
Sep 11, 2018Member-onlyCancer is sh*t, and sh*t grows flowers.When all this is over, I’m going to be grateful for every day that I wake up without pain. The things no one wants to do, I will be ecstatic for — like getting up early to go for a run in the morning the way I used to. I’m going to be grateful for every meal that I get to enjoy without this little mountain of pills in…Cancer4 min readCancer4 min read
Sep 7, 2018Member-onlyThe Republican Party doesn’t care about democracy: On the New York Times’ Anonymous Op-EdIt’s what we do that matters. The opportunity all of these late-breaking anonymous “unsung heroes” had to protect American democracy from an unfit executive was during the 2016 GOP national convention, when, instead, they allowed Trump to receive the Republican presidential nomination. They didn’t want to protect American democratic ideals…Politics6 min readPolitics6 min read
Jul 15, 2016Member-onlyDear Police: Join #BlackLivesMatterIf #BlueLivesMatter, then do what it takes to make police safer — (Published Jul 14, 2016, updated Sept 14, 2018) (See the author’s comment on this story — June 10, 2020.) “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” …Black Lives Matter11 min readBlack Lives Matter11 min read