personal essays

On being human in a time of inhumanity

22 hrs ago •

Deborah Copaken

Moving vans and thwarted plans

Since leaving college, I've moved 18 times within 3 different countries. Most were forced. All were stressful. But this move, combining two families…

Apr 14 •

Deborah Copaken

A Webby for Debbie?

Leaning into my long-ago retired childhood nickname to let you know some good news. But, like, make it rhyme.

Apr 3 •

Deborah Copaken

Planning a wedding during the apocalypse

Tablescapes, hellscapes, and why celebrating love in a time of hate in America is not unseemly. It's the only antidote.

Mar 24 •

Deborah Copaken

My best friend was French. Last week, we scattered her ashes on France's northern coast as 80 years of friendship between the U.S. and Europe turned to…

Feb 24 •

Deborah Copaken

First they came for the scientists

Clinical trials canceled; NIH gagged; NSF on pause; an abrupt silence at the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report; HIV drugs denied: what is to be…

Jan 29 •

Deborah Copaken

Dear Neil Gaiman: consensual ≠ consent

Being in a consensual relationship does not mean one consents to everything the other demands. Particularly in an unequal power dynamic. Related: NDAs…

Jan 20 •

Deborah Copaken

It's tusovka time!

Take it from those of us who lived in the former Soviet Union: the best way to survive fascism is to find your тусовка (likeminded pals) and hang out…

Nov 13, 2024 •

Deborah Copaken

We'll Always Have Paris

For Marion and me, Paris was not a backdrop for selfies. It was the home where we wandered its streets getting lost, in order to find ourselves. Now…

Oct 27, 2024 •

Deborah Copaken

The Osteoporosis Interviews

Today, my long essay on osteoporosis appears in The Guardian. Herewith, unedited, are two of its primary source interviews: Drs. Avrum Bluming & Muriel…

Oct 22, 2024 •

Deborah Copaken

The more we women cooperate with one another, instead of cutting each other down and/or competing for rare resources, the better our lives will be.

Oct 1, 2024 •

Deborah Copaken

Everyone has a 9/11 story. This is mine.

An excerpt from my memoir, on the 23rd anniversary of that day.

Sep 11, 2024 •

Deborah Copaken

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