Rabbi Elliot Kukla writes about the importance of taking time to rest in his essay which was first published in the New York Times. With an ear to the pulse of a nation exhausted from natural disasters, mass shootings and the pandemic, Kukla prescribes a remedy of laziness and relaxation to heal our deepest wounds. […]
In his incredibly chilling and honest essay, “The Dark Month”, Christopher Collins explores his faith and belief after witnessing a boy’s senseless death during the war in Afghanistan. Brian O’Neil reads this essay that was first published in Creative Nonfiction. The essay is a bit longer than most of the pieces we choose, but we […]
Based on the Beck song, “Que Onda Guero”, Kelly Shire’s musical essay (first published in Memoir Mixtapes) explores a young girl’s search for identity while working in a warehouse. Surrounded by men who have hired her because they thought she was white (not half-Mexican) and thought she would “class up the place”, she handles herself […]
First published in Hippocampus Magazine, Brooke Knisley’s essay helps put in perspective what failure means, what success means. After her fall from a redwood tree, she must learn to write and speak again. Brooke brings listeners into an intimate moment of starting over. In this episode we discuss how Brooke is able to keep a […]
This episode on The Personal Element, we take a little different tack. We’re talking about two essays this time by writer Ellen Birkett Morris, author of the gorgeous story collection Lost Girls. The Nine, published in The Fem, addresses trauma over childhood medical issues, expertly weaving in the nursery rhyme Monday’s Child. And the deeply […]
Mikhal Weiner writes beautifully–musically–about falling in love for the first time. Join us as we discuss her essay “Barefoot Angels”, which first appeared in An Injustice!. Mikhal transports us from Tel Aviv, where she bravely falls into a same-sex relationship, to Boston, where the two will attend the Berklee College of Music. The women fight […]
School shootings are far too common in the US. With grace and aplomb, Megan Doney writes about living through a school shooting at New River Community College in Christiansburg, VA on April 12, 2013. Join Christine and Tavi as they discuss this moving piece.
In this episode, we discuss Cindy DiTiberio’s essay which first appeared in Scary Mommy. We can all relate to how the pandemic has affected our home lives. Cindy is able to put voice to our fears, concerns, and our general anxiety about how our lives have changed. She also gives some pretty great advice. Listen […]
In this episode, Josh Kozelj writes about how hard it has been for him to open up to his male friends about his feelings. Josh brings in research from acclaimed researchers to ponder why men have a hard time making themselves vulnerable. Originally published in the New York Times.
In this episode, Personal Element co-host Christine Junge reads her essay about taking control of her body image, which was first published in Chicken Soup for the Soul. It touches on themes of body hatred, body acceptance, weight, and eating disorders.