Natalie Audelo

“The sacred is the effect of a momentary uniting of individuals into a jointly acting collective.”

Morrison’s novels are all motivated by an idea: some complex knotty inquiry that she could work through in the space of a novel. As Morrison described it, the idea for Beloved began when she read a newspaper article about Margaret Garner—a 19th-century woman who fled slavery with her children. Facing capture, Garner killed one of her children and t... See more

That day, I realized I don’t want my friend—or anyone—to apologize for being away from their phone again. I don’t want someone to feel bad if the social load is overwhelming, or if I am currently one long-distance relationship too many. I have other friends who can love me in the interim.

emotional hygiene is not another thing to do perfectly. it’s not about becoming immune to spirals or forever calm or unshakably centered. it’s about cleaning up often enough that you don’t mistake the mess for your personality. it’s about catching the overwhelm before it becomes a worldview. it’s about building the quiet skill of knowing when your ... See more

One lesson to learn from his death is that if we are to live well to the end, we need to be able to freely discuss when a life is complete, without shame or taboo. Such a discussion may help people to know what they really want. We may regret their decisions, but we should respect their choices and allow them to end their lives with dignity.