I met Ariel in 2006, a time when the whole world felt like a simmering pot that was bound to boil over. We meet through friends at a squat in Chattanooga's North Shore neighborhood. The North Shore is where lost children from local rural ghettos go to find freaks like themselves. I was an impostor

Having a house to live in is great; living in an apartment can be really lovely. But once you have more than just your own bed in a room you share with your little sister, you open yourself up to the possibility of houseguests.I, personally, have done this with great optimism. I'll be calm and

I've wanted to write this for a long time, but I've been afraid to. I don't want this to be all about ME and my feelings, but by the nature of writing about my experiences, there's no way for this not to be about me. Also, I don't know if I'm an effective enough writer to not make it ...Continue

I am the type of person that people feel really comfortable talking to. Not just talking to, but at times, confessing to. People who I've known for only a short amount of time will let it all hang out with me — their failed relationships, the pain of their childhood, how they ...Continue

When I met Maya* seven years ago, I knew that I loved her within about five minutes. She had an armload of party supplies and was wearing a tie-dye hoodie. She had worked at children's birthday parties painting faces and making balloon animals, and she brought all of her supplies with her when she