Endpaper
The Threads That Bind
I often marvel at how it must feel to move throughout the world with such lived experience — how a person can bear witness to so much history and still take to the streets every day in a plush faux-mink coat with the fervent zeal of a person eager to inhale the equally familiar and foreign sights, smells, and sounds of New York City.
Kyle's Muse
It sounds strange to say that I look up to someone who’s a foot and a half shorter than me, but Grandma Ruth has always been my muse.
Kyle's Grandma Ruth
Kyle's grandma, Ruth, worked as a sewing instructor at the Henry Street Settlement — a social service organization in Manhattan’s Lower East Side — for over 50 years.
Courtesy Photo Andy 2
The author and his host mother during his exchange year, in Aachen, Germany.
Learning to Forget
It’s hard to resist the constant urge to document. But memory is just as much about forgetting as it is about remembering.
Courtesy Photo Andy 1
The author and his grandmother, roughly January 2002. Shot on film and shipped to America.
Leaving the Church, Keeping Its Ties
I have no idea why I chose to go back to Utah. When my parents called me a few weeks earlier and asked if I wanted a ticket, I said yes on autopilot. Later, I felt dishonest. I was embarrassed to be flying home for a religion I was supposed to have completely disavowed.
Skating Beyond Legacy Lines
You can only circle an area so many times before the joy dulls into monotony.
A Senior’s River Run
Ever since I got to Harvard, I’ve wanted to make my time as “normal” as possible to correct for the abnormality in my path to this institution.
Astrophysics 2
Students line up to peer through the telescope at the Loomis-Michael Observatory atop the Science Center.
Beneath the Stars and Planets
Curiosity and skepticism for what really dwells in space are what initially captured my interest in astrophysics, and I decided then, at nine years old, that I could imagine a life studying astronomy.
Kaitlyn Language Endpaper
Two cartoon-ish figures — a mother and a daughter — in space, with the latter spiraling out of orbit from the former. Set against a background of stars which take the shape of Chinese characters or English letters.
On Display
By letting someone into my space, albeit virtually, I can share with them how I see the world.
Bachelor Sports Fan
The author will be the first to criticize the Bachelor franchise, which she's been watching for seven years. But how different is being a Bachelor fan from being an avid sports fan, really?