Essays

1093 results
Page 16
When the world shrinks, we can explore: a view from ‘The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.’ (Image courtesy of Nintendo.)

In the pandemic, these video games keep us connected to life—and each other

Gaming in quarantine

While the COVID-19 pandemic has many of us mired at home, video-gaming has seen a massive surge. Even folks who have never tried it have plenty of reasons to give it a shot. Matthew John Phillips has tips.
Matthew John Phillips

Matthew John Phillips

Essays 5 minute read
When things get foggy and lonely in Philly, you need info you can trust. (Photo by Alaina Johns.)

A comprehensive list of what not to do as COVID-19 hits Philly

Keep Ben Franklin out of this

After more than two years of isolation (or is it two weeks?) due to the novel coronavirus, it starts to feel tough to separate fact from fiction. Nick Kupsey is here for you.
Nick Kupsey

Nick Kupsey

Essays 3 minute read
Illustration by Hannah Kaplan for Broad Street Review.

Writers can do justice to characters outside their own identities. Here’s how.

Under other skins

Writing in the voice of a character who doesn’t share your identity takes a lot of learning and soul-searching, finds author Constance Garcia-Barrio, but it can be done well.
Constance Garcia-Barrio Illustration by Hannah Kaplan

Constance Garcia-Barrioand Illustration by Hannah Kaplan

Essays 5 minute read
Illustration by Hannah Kaplan for Broad Street Review.

Are authors bound to write only within their own identities?

Rendering lives that aren’t yours

Writer Anndee Hochman—a queer Jewish white woman, the descendant of immigrants—grapples with which stories are really hers to tell.
Anndee Hochman Illustration by Hannah Kaplan

Anndee Hochmanand Illustration by Hannah Kaplan

Essays 5 minute read
Loving the shiny costume: Melissa Strong (second from the right) at her first dance recital, in 1981. (Image courtesy of the author.)

One dance critic answers the eternal question: Are you a dancer?

So you think you can write about dance?

Does a dance critic need to be a dancer? Dance writer Melissa Strong has spent years answering that question for herself.
Melissa Strong

Melissa Strong

Essays 4 minute read
How about not? (Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash.)

Thank you for not hugging me— now or ever

No contact before it was cool

Everybody loves a hug! It's good for you! No so fast. Some folks, like Roz Warren, have been dodging hugs since long before it was the health directive du jour.
Roz Warren

Roz Warren

Essays 3 minute read
What are you afraid of? Has it changed in recent days? (Photo by Sasha Hochman.)

Here’s what happened in my 2nd-grade classroom as COVID-19 became a pandemic

Poetry in the time of coronavirus

“We’re not closing,” a local K-5 principal told teaching writer-in-residence Anndee Hochman. But things changed more quickly than anyone could believe.
Anndee Hochman

Anndee Hochman

Essays 5 minute read
Home is a normal, cozy place for us to be: writer Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer and her son George. (Image courtesy of the author.)

Here’s what family life with disabilities taught me about social distancing

Life at a distance

Montgomery County parents calling shutdowns because of COVID-19 "hype" may not realize that fellow parent Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer is at special risk because she's living with Type 1 diabetes. She's also protecting a family member on the autism spectrum.
Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer

Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer

Essays 5 minute read
Who are we erasing when we focus only on famous women? (Illustration by Hannah Kaplan, for Broad Street Review.)

What happens when we appreciate women without valuing them?

Well-behaved women in the real world

We often spend Women’s History Month focusing on famous figures—but what could a more collective way of thinking bring to our sense of the value of women who aren’t making history, but who are making our society? Michelle Nugent considers.
Michelle Nugent Illustration by Hannah Kaplan

Michelle Nugentand Illustration by Hannah Kaplan

Essays 5 minute read
Dreams of riding the train—for free. (Illustration by Hannah Kaplan for Broad Street Review.)

The life-changing magic of enjoying a free ride

Yippee! I'm old

Roz Warren just turned 65, and she’s thrilled. Here’s one reason why.
Roz Warren Illustration by Hannah Kaplan

Roz Warrenand Illustration by Hannah Kaplan

Essays 2 minute read