After the recommendations have been requested, after the testing has been completed, after one has purchased a blue and orange Go Hornets mug at the Kalamazoo bookstore, it’s time to sit down with one ...

Journalists chase, find and cover stories, and sometimes, they become one. From intriguing exposés to provocative thinkpieces and raw memoirs, the personal essay has long been a media staple, enjoying ...

Explain why you're pursuing medicine. Be clear and specific. Be genuine, reflective and revise thoughtfully. For many medical school applicants, the personal statement is the most intimidating part of ...

I'm not gonna lie: the hardest thing to get printed on Bustle as a freelancer is a personal essay. That said, personal essays are also what I'm most in need of as our features editor. The reason ...

A mark of a good writer, whether fiction, essay, or poetry, is the ability to unflinchingly illuminate the emotional issues that people often try to suppress. An exemplar is Phillip Lopate, long ...

I’m not coming out because I feel I owe it to the world to be honest about myself. I started coming out because I decided the world owed it to me to let me live in a way that I could be more honest ...