After Florida governor Ron DeSantis flew migrants to Martha's Vineyard, I wrote about how non-profits cover the gaps of our broken immigration system for Deseret. This is the pattern; the official system is broken, and charitable organizations and activists keep a broken system from being even worse than it is.It’s organizations and individuals who put… Read More
How Do We Value Care Work?
As the cover story for Mere Orthodoxy's third issue, I wrote on how we value care work, and the thin line between humility and degradation. A care worker knows that they are not easily replaceable, and they can't rely on the kinds of labor power that unions use to shut down a factory. Many workers… Read More
Life Costs More Than Death
In the aftermath of Dobbs, I wrote for Deseret on what comes next for the pro-life movement. The Supreme Court ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization limits the danger to children in the womb, but the justices cannot confer dignity, safety or hope by fiat. That’s the continued work required of the anti-abortion… Read More
Avoiding Pitting Mothers Against Babies
Both pro-life and pro-choice people all support saving the life of a woman who has an ectopic pregnancy. I wrote about my own experience losing my child, Camillian, in an ectopic pregnancy for the New York Times. My goal was to explain not just what a pro-life perspective permits but what it makes possible to… Read More
Asserting Individual Freedom from Individualism
I had the pleasure of reviewing American Shtetl: The Making of Kiryas Joel, a Hasidic Village in Upstate New York for First Things. The book is a legal history of the struggles of this Jewish enclave to run itself independently of the surrounding town. It's a fascinating story, especially in the context of certain disagreements… Read More
The Long Wait for Weddings
As America geared up for a wedding boom in the summer of 2022, I wrote about the obstacles that disrupt weddings and other communal rites of passage in non-covid times. No matter how stripped down the ceremony, people need to be able to plan travel. The people we love are too scattered for spontaneity. We… Read More
A Better Way to Debate Abortion
Shortly after the draft Dobbs decision leaked, I wrote a piece for America, reflecting on the time I invited friends to come to my house and have a better fight about abortion. In 2016, I opened my doors for what I expected would be the worst event I would ever host. In the wake of… Read More
Family Policy Can’t Be Gender Neutral
For Mother's Day, I wrote for Deseret on why gender neutral family policy tends to shortchange mothers. In an uneventful pregnancy, a mother will still have a harder timechan than her partner as she navigates fatigue, nausea and pain. Drawing attention to these difficulties can feel like letting other women down — if women carry… Read More
When Need Comes Knocking
As Ukrainian refugees streamed into Europe, people near and far looked for a way to help. I'm at Deseret, writing about one crowdsourced site for opening your hope to those in needs, and discussing what that practice can look like far from a war zone. When need comes knocking, it changes the way we see… Read More
Rethinking Sex with Christine Emba
I got to interview Christine Emba about her new book Rethinking Sex: A Provocation. The full interview is embedded below, and the Institute for Family Studies ran an excerpt as part of their "Five Questions for..." series. We also had a lively conversation in the comments of Other Feminisms. Here's an excerpt: Sargeant: It feels like… Read More