Where the Story Began: How Monarch of the Heart Came to Life

Monarch of the Heart grew out of more than twenty years of learning what grief can look like: the sudden death of my father when I was twenty-six, the loss of my best friend to addiction, a divorce...

Coyoacán and Casa Azul: Frida Kahlo's Blue House in Mexico City

Coyoacán is one of Mexico City's most atmospheric neighborhoods, a leafy, village-like pocket of plazas, churches, markets, and cafés in the south of the city, and home to Casa Azul, the cobalt-blu...

How to Build an Ofrenda: A Beginner's Guide to the Día de Muertos Altar

An ofrenda is a home altar built during Día de Muertos, or Day of the Dead, to welcome the spirits of loved ones back for a visit. It holds their photos, their favorite foods and belongings, marigo...

What Are Alebrijes? The Story Behind Mexico's Spirit Animals

Alebrijes are brightly painted Mexican folk-art sculptures of fantastical creatures, each one blending the features of several animals into a single dreamlike being. They were born in Mexico City i...

Ambiguous Grief: On Grieving Someone Who Is Still Alive

Ambiguous grief is the sorrow of losing someone who has not died. It is grieving a person who is still alive but no longer present in your life the way they once were, whether through estrangement,...

Second Chapters: Reinventing Yourself at Midlife

Reinventing yourself at midlife is not about starting over from nothing. It is about becoming who you were underneath all along, once the noise of who you were supposed to be finally quiets down. I...