At My Jerusalem Kitchen, food blogger and mother Lauren Wilner shares her daughter Nava’s birth story — followed by a nap-friendly soup recipe.

Marika Malaea reflects on being a brown white girl: “My whole life has been me thinking that I’m super incognito, when I’m actually the painted elephant in the room, whispering, ‘So what are we all staring at?’”

Clara Lucille on solitude’s restorative properties: “And yet, for solitude to find its value, it must be broken. Solitude is most effective when it is short.”

Michelle Anneliese, a self-described “Ravenclaw from District 13,” writes on various aspects of geek culture — from gaming and cosplay to Harry Potter — with a fresh, always-curious perspective.

VSB — short for Very Smart Brothas — is a daily digital magazine offering commentary, essay, and humor about news, pop culture, race, and sex.

“Democrats and most of the mainstream media ignored what was happening in rural America until the morning after the election. And they ignored it at their own peril.” Post US-election, Truevine and Factory Man author Beth Macy writes about the forgotten citizens of rural America.

“The fear of deportation never leaves our thoughts. Some of us might be protected under DACA, but our loved ones are still at risk.” Life in the US as a DREAM Act beneficiary — with parents still undocumented.

“What Happened? How did we get here?” John Kelly looks at the first questions we ask when we encounter the irrational in art and in real life — and at how we might answer them and move forward.