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Writing

Longform Journalism and Personal Essays

Feature

Tree of Life Trauma Victims May Find Allies in Neighborhoods Experiencing Chronic Gun Violence

Trauma aid practitioners and Pittsburghers who’ve lost loved ones care for survivors of Tree of Life shooting.

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Profile

When The Arena Came to Town

Sala Udin is one of the thousands of Lower Hill residents displaced by “urban renewal.” The trauma endures to this day.

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Essay, Sublimescapes

Walking, And Thoughts Along The Way

A cinematic walk along the Camino de Santiago de Compostela inspires pilgrimage.

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Feature

Black Lives Matter Protests in Small-Town Southwestern Pennsylvania: We Mapped Dozens of Locations

In 2020, we mapped dozens of small towns in the Pittsburgh region that held Black Lives Matters protests.

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Essay

A Good Harvest

A bone marrow donor weighs the risks and consequences of going under the knife.

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Featured Works

Empathy

Himpathy Redux: Are We Misapplying Empathy?

Can too much empathy (or sympathy) just enable bad behavior?

relationships, empathy

Empathy

Apparently, Columbine Matters More Than Kosovo

When watching the nightly news inspires the now-simmering question: Why do we feel compassion for some people, but not others?

empathy

Empathy

Reflections on a Reflection: An Exercise In Empathy

A window reflection inspires self-reflection - and maybe even self-compassion.

empathy

Empathy

A Loyal Patriot

When alma mater loyalties create connection.

relationships, empathy

Empathy

This Amazing Bod of Mine is Out of Control

I have no control over what my body does... What does this mean for empathy?

empathy

Feature

The Urban Deerhunter

You’ll probably never see them, but Pittsburgh’s woods are full of camouflaged bowmen.

deer, Pittsburgh

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Mark's Book

For the first time in history, more people live in cities than in the countryside. And one in every three of these urban residents now lives in what the United Nations terms a slum — an informal settlement where land ownership is insecure.

Mark traveled around the world to gather stories from these places, to hear residents talk about their fears and struggles, their hopes and joys ... Read more.

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