Voices
A Dem Bones Fairytale
She dared to peek over the edge of the vat and tumble in. A few gulps and she was coated from head to toe. But beneath the chocolate crust, her heart beat on...
Dec 26th, 2010 by Stella Cretek
Auf Wiedersehen
Brigitte departs Europe with no regrets; she lived her year there to the fullest and returns with a clearer eye and a fuller heart.
Aug 24th, 2010 by Brigitte Kiepert
Handwritten letter is the best tour guide
A letter from my Great Uncle Fritz sent me on a journey along the Rhine River, deepening my appreciation for family and my German heritage.
Jul 13th, 2010 by Brigitte Kiepert
One-hour trips across Europe
What’s the benefit of dealing with another family's dirty laundry (literally) five days a week? Easy: travel. I want to see the world.
Jun 29th, 2010 by Brigitte Kiepert
Shine On
A dirty kitchen space at work inspires Molly to purge the mess.
Sep 21st, 2009 by Molly Swenson
It’s all in the details
Honors graduate Molly's call-center training continues. This week: nothing is so certain as constant contradiction.
Aug 26th, 2009 by Molly Swenson
Tomato, Tomahto
Molly gazes longingly into the office building across the alley.
Aug 19th, 2009 by Molly Swenson
Time after time
Stop me if you've heard this one before: every time I start a new job, I promise myself that I am done showing up late.
Aug 11th, 2009 by Molly Swenson
Who will watch the children?
Can Molly afford day camp? A real life math story problem.
Aug 4th, 2009 by Molly Swenson
Accentuate the positive
"Maybe it's going to be okay," I said to myself as I was stepping off the elevator. But it wasn't long before my sense of control dissipated.
Jul 22nd, 2009 by Molly Swenson
A poetic interlude
A passive-aggressive ode to cube farm life, in acrostic poem form.
Jul 13th, 2009 by Molly Swenson
Is this really happening?
My second night of training was not entirely successful. I couldn't keep up. I kept dropping important words and phrases. The technology overwhelmed me. I forgot to use the appropriate, soothing voice. I was tired and frustrated. Somehow, learning all this new stuff was incredibly stressful AND somehow boring at the same time. I spent a little time wondering how it was possible to be in a total state of fight-or-flight while simultaneously having a bad case of ennui - and then I realized that my pondering had set me back. The rest of class was about two simulated calls ahead of me.
Jul 6th, 2009 by Molly Swenson
