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It’s not what she expected, but Roz is raising a mug to retirement. (Image courtesy of the author.)

I lost my library job because I refused to work with the public in the pandemic

Grab your books and go

After decades behind the circulation desk, Roz Warren didn’t feel safe going back to work in the pandemic.

Roz Warren

Sep 08, 2020 Essays 4 minute read

At the arcade, a young “DAN” imagined being a superhero, but adulthood brought surprising changes. (Photo by Arcade Perfect, via Wikimedia Commons.)

Here’s what my blindness made me realize about superheroes

Reinventing the hero

Danie Jackson grew up loving superheroes, but a changing career and coping with vision loss brought a new perspective on helping and accepting help.

Danie Jackson

Sep 08, 2020 Essays 5 minute read

The author, her partner, and their housemate bless challah—made from a family recipe—on a recent Friday. (Image courtesy of the author.)

Here’s how my Jewish great-grandparents’ Philly bakery lives in me today

The food chain

While braiding and baking the Friday challah, Anndee Hochman imagines her great-grandmother’s journey from Russia. What did she carry with her? Are those things alive today?

Anndee Hochman

Sep 01, 2020 Essays 4 minute read

Offering effective care and compassion means being ready to do it again and again. (Photo by Alaina Johns.)

What being a caregiver in the pandemic taught me about real revolution

When anger isn’t enough

Before the pandemic hit, Michelle Nugent defined herself by her work as a teacher and writer. But a necessary shift to caregiving taught her more about our moment than she expected.

Michelle Nugent

Aug 18, 2020 Essays 5 minute read

A signal of better days to come? Philly leaves the lights on for us all. (Photo by Camille Bacon-Smith.)

Who’s behind the lights of Philly’s most iconic nighttime landmarks?

Light at heart

Just like any major city, Philly wouldn't be the same without the lights dotting its skyline. Camille Bacon-Smith talks to the people who keep them on.

Camille Bacon-Smith

Jul 28, 2020 Essays 5 minute read

Time for everyone to look inward: a huddle from PlayPenn’s 2016 conference. (Photo by John Flak.)

Philly’s pandemic-era arts reckoning gives leaders a choice

Will we survive? It’s up to us

The current controversies on our arts scene didn’t begin with the pandemic—but life in lockdown forced the community to reckon with its true priorities. Tenara Calem explores the choice arts leaders must make.

Tenara Calem

Jul 28, 2020 Essays 7 minute read

Danie Jackson plays the guitar, giving and receiving smiles. (Image courtesy of the artist.)

How do protests and a pandemic invite us to rediscover play?

The power of play

Danie Jackson knows that taking a walk is safer for some bodies than for others—but there are still ways to stay open to the good in the world.

Danie Jackson

Jul 27, 2020 Essays 4 minute read

Nowadays, the ways we show kindness have shifted. (Photo by Anndee Hochman.)

Deep in the pandemic, can a neighborhood’s character survive?

Still the one who walks

Before a virus turned the world upside down, Anndee Hochman was a familiar figure to her neighbors as she walked Germantown Avenue. What has changed? What is perennial, even in a pandemic?

Anndee Hochman

Jul 27, 2020 Essays 5 minute read