My Version of Hell Is a Park in Long Beach

My Family Loves El Dorado Park, But I Hate Everything About It

I detest El Dorado Park.

Yes, I understand the appeal of the park, an oasis of greenery nestled between an aqueduct and the 605 freeway on the outskirts of Long Beach. Youth soccer teams practice in the park, the nearby high schools use it as a space for activities, the city holds frequent events there, and rather recently a dog park has been fitted into it. It’s been a staple of the community for as long as I remember, so you’re guaranteed to see an old friend upon each visit.

Still, …

by Alexandria Conrad | April 5, 2015

Caught Between the Saguaros and the Deep Blue Sea

Gila Bend, Arizona, Is Where I Feel the Pull of Two Different Homes

by Lauren Loftus | April 4, 2015

By the time I reach Gila Bend, the radio waves from Phoenix have almost completely faded into fuzzy static. I feel giddy anticipation as the speed limit drops abruptly from …

Finding Community at a Kathmandu Temple

Nepal Is Full of Places of Worship, But I Keep Going Back to Pashupati Nath

by Lila Devi Ojha Dhakal | March 30, 2015

After I left my village in eastern Nepal in 1999 to study in the capital city of Kathmandu, I found myself missing home. Especially my childhood temple.

Growing up, I would …

A Mom’s Descent into March Madness

My Son’s Trip to the Final Four Threw Me—and My Fellow UCLA Parents—Into a Crazy Cross-Country Basketball Odyssey

by Catherine Keefe | March 26, 2015

There’s nothing cool about me.

I’m a 6-foot tall gangly writer who likes to visit museums on vacation. I don’t snowboard, or run extreme triathlons, and I rarely know when …

My Mother Couldn’t Choose Whether to Vaccinate Me for Polio

Dr. Salk’s Great Breakthrough Came 224 Days After I Fell Ill. So All We Could Do Was Head for the Isolation Ward.

by Mark Paul | February 23, 2015

It had been a good year for Lois Mace.

She and her husband, only three years beyond college, had bought their first house. A solid redbrick and clapboard Cape Cod, it …

Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Persian Food

My Iranian Mother Wanted Me to Cook Recipes from the Motherland. I Wanted to Be Independent.

by Orly Minazad | January 6, 2015

My cavalier cooking practices have been a cause for shame and concern for my Iranian mother. To me, eating is just something you do to stay alive; for her and …

family

My Version of Hell Is a Park in Long Beach

My Family Loves El Dorado Park, But I Hate Everything About It

Caught Between the Saguaros and the Deep Blue Sea

Gila Bend, Arizona, Is Where I Feel the Pull of Two Different Homes

Finding Community at a Kathmandu Temple

Nepal Is Full of Places of Worship, But I Keep Going Back to Pashupati Nath

A Mom’s Descent into March Madness

My Son’s Trip to the Final Four Threw Me—and My Fellow UCLA Parents—Into a Crazy Cross-Country Basketball Odyssey

My Mother Couldn’t Choose Whether to Vaccinate Me for Polio

Dr. Salk’s Great Breakthrough Came 224 Days After I Fell Ill. So All We Could Do Was Head for the Isolation Ward.

Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Persian Food

My Iranian Mother Wanted Me to Cook Recipes from the Motherland. I Wanted to Be Independent.

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Could Dutch-Style Soccer Unclog L.A.’s Freeways?

I Think It's a Possibility. But It's Not the Only Reason Why I’m Teaching the Game to Young Angelenos.

Dogs Get Dementia, Too

Our Canine Companions Are Living Longer—and Facing the Same Challenges as Humans

Becoming the Mama of MacArthur Park

It Took Time, Persistence, and Tamales To Revitalize a Neighborhood

My Favorite Park Is the Eccentric Heartbeat of New York

No Matter the Weather, Washington Square Is Always Warm and Full of People

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