A list of substantial essays published here:

On academia:

• “How to get your Professors’ Attention, Along With Coaching and Mentoring.” [Or get the .pdf.]
• “How to think about science and becoming a scientist.” [Or get the .pdf.]
• “The validity of grades.”
• “How Universities Work, or: What I Wish I’d Known Freshman Year: A Guide to American University Life for the Uninitiated.” [Or get the .pdf.]
• “Why you should become a nurse or physicians assistant instead of a doctor: the underrated perils of medical school.”

On writing:

• “Sexting and society: How do writers respond?“

In general:

• “David Shields’ Reality Hunger and James Wood’s philosophy of fiction“
• “Science Fiction, literature, and the haters“
• “The Weekly Standard on the New-Old Dating Game, Hooking Up, Daughter-Guarding, and much, much more“
• “Are we becoming more distracted over time?“
• “Working out the plot with the Rejector, Carlos Ruiz Zafón, and other friends“

Cancer

• “How do we evaluate our lives, at the end? What counts, what matters?“
• “Are you taking care of yourself?“
• “How much suffering is too much?“
• “Trying to be human, and other mistakes“