Best Of CogCognoscenti's best stories of 2023We published hundreds of essays and commentaries in 2023. These are the pieces that attracted the most readers, and took up the most space in our hearts and brains.Dec 21, 2023Saving Emma: A Daughter's Life, A Father's Powerlessness To Save ItIn the face of real emergency, I was only able to help her by surrendering to those who knew better and trusting in their expertise. Mar 10, 2016Why Paris?France was the epicenter of the Enlightenment that fairly defines Western civilization. And the jihadis, in their reckless, apocalyptic pathology, detest above all such values.Nov 15, 2015Can We Measure The Human Cost Of War?These American wars contain an element of Greek tragedy, beginning with hubris and ending with an unconscious, Oedipal urge to blind ourselves to the horror of what we’ve done.Oct 16, 2015They came in 104th out of 104 teams. And they won bigIn the hills outside of Cooperstown, New York, 11 boys reminded Ted Flanagan that there is still joy to be had in picking up the lance and jousting at windmills....Resume05:38Oct 16, 2015AdvertisementHarper Lee, 'Go Set A Watchman,' And A Defense Of The Two-Hit WonderOverly-prolific authors always make me think more fondly of writers like Harper Lee. Perhaps her ilk do not publish as much, but I always figured that the quality of their...Jul 15, 2015Dear State And Federal Representatives: A Hotel Room Is Not A HomeAs a society, we must fight for people like me and like my daughter. Jun 19, 2015In Charleston Shooting, Reason To Reconsider How We Classify Such CrimesWhat is the difference between a hate crime and an act of terror?Jun 18, 2015Does Caring For The Elderly Require Us To Segregate Them?There’s an undeniable need for institutional support to care for the burgeoning elderly population, but it’s time to develop new models for inter-generational living.Jun 16, 2015One And Done: Yes, We 'Only' Had One Child — And That's OKI know people mean well, but enough already with the only child shaming.May 27, 2015Remembering Franz Wright, Poet Of Anguish And TranscendenceIn his volumes of verse, the Pulitzer Prize-winning poet, who died last Thursday, leaves a legacy of what he always sought for himself: a vision of grace in a difficult...May 20, 2015Message To My Younger Self: It Turned Out Just FineCognoscenti says goodbye to a contributor whose last submission, just weeks before her death, was a taking stock of her life. Mar 12, 2015Cooking Up Tradition, And Keeping A Departed Loved One CloseIn the kitchen with her own girls, a daughter remembers her mother and the season she loved most. Dec 24, 2014Cosby Rape Allegations: It's Time To End The Statute Of Limitations In Sexual Assault CasesWhy should a rape victim's access to the courthouse depend on when the crime was committed? Nov 24, 2014Campus Rape And The Trouble With Affirmative ConsentFeminists who have long demanded that government stay out of the bedroom are now inviting it into the dorm room.Sep 15, 2014Boston Isn't An Olympic City. Let's Keep It That Way.Just because Boston could pull off hosting the 2024 Summer Games doesn't mean it should. Jun 24, 2014Why I Let My Kids SwearI want to give my children the power of words rather than giving words power over them.May 1, 2014Killing Parents Softly With Half DaysPlease, schools, we're begging, make these random half-days stop. Apr 18, 2014The Question Of Time In The Aftermath Of TragedyA year has passed since the bombing at the Boston Marathon, but what exactly does that mean? Apr 14, 2014Why Do We Continue To Stigmatize Stay-At-Home Moms?Maybe if we, as a culture, stopped stereotyping stay-at-home moms, we’d do a better job at providing them the kind of support they need to succeed.Mar 28, 2014Next Page
Cognoscenti's best stories of 2023We published hundreds of essays and commentaries in 2023. These are the pieces that attracted the most readers, and took up the most space in our hearts and brains.Dec 21, 2023
Saving Emma: A Daughter's Life, A Father's Powerlessness To Save ItIn the face of real emergency, I was only able to help her by surrendering to those who knew better and trusting in their expertise. Mar 10, 2016
Why Paris?France was the epicenter of the Enlightenment that fairly defines Western civilization. And the jihadis, in their reckless, apocalyptic pathology, detest above all such values.Nov 15, 2015
Can We Measure The Human Cost Of War?These American wars contain an element of Greek tragedy, beginning with hubris and ending with an unconscious, Oedipal urge to blind ourselves to the horror of what we’ve done.Oct 16, 2015
They came in 104th out of 104 teams. And they won bigIn the hills outside of Cooperstown, New York, 11 boys reminded Ted Flanagan that there is still joy to be had in picking up the lance and jousting at windmills....Resume05:38Oct 16, 2015
Harper Lee, 'Go Set A Watchman,' And A Defense Of The Two-Hit WonderOverly-prolific authors always make me think more fondly of writers like Harper Lee. Perhaps her ilk do not publish as much, but I always figured that the quality of their...Jul 15, 2015
Dear State And Federal Representatives: A Hotel Room Is Not A HomeAs a society, we must fight for people like me and like my daughter. Jun 19, 2015
In Charleston Shooting, Reason To Reconsider How We Classify Such CrimesWhat is the difference between a hate crime and an act of terror?Jun 18, 2015
Does Caring For The Elderly Require Us To Segregate Them?There’s an undeniable need for institutional support to care for the burgeoning elderly population, but it’s time to develop new models for inter-generational living.Jun 16, 2015
One And Done: Yes, We 'Only' Had One Child — And That's OKI know people mean well, but enough already with the only child shaming.May 27, 2015
Remembering Franz Wright, Poet Of Anguish And TranscendenceIn his volumes of verse, the Pulitzer Prize-winning poet, who died last Thursday, leaves a legacy of what he always sought for himself: a vision of grace in a difficult...May 20, 2015
Message To My Younger Self: It Turned Out Just FineCognoscenti says goodbye to a contributor whose last submission, just weeks before her death, was a taking stock of her life. Mar 12, 2015
Cooking Up Tradition, And Keeping A Departed Loved One CloseIn the kitchen with her own girls, a daughter remembers her mother and the season she loved most. Dec 24, 2014
Cosby Rape Allegations: It's Time To End The Statute Of Limitations In Sexual Assault CasesWhy should a rape victim's access to the courthouse depend on when the crime was committed? Nov 24, 2014
Campus Rape And The Trouble With Affirmative ConsentFeminists who have long demanded that government stay out of the bedroom are now inviting it into the dorm room.Sep 15, 2014
Boston Isn't An Olympic City. Let's Keep It That Way.Just because Boston could pull off hosting the 2024 Summer Games doesn't mean it should. Jun 24, 2014
Why I Let My Kids SwearI want to give my children the power of words rather than giving words power over them.May 1, 2014
Killing Parents Softly With Half DaysPlease, schools, we're begging, make these random half-days stop. Apr 18, 2014
The Question Of Time In The Aftermath Of TragedyA year has passed since the bombing at the Boston Marathon, but what exactly does that mean? Apr 14, 2014
Why Do We Continue To Stigmatize Stay-At-Home Moms?Maybe if we, as a culture, stopped stereotyping stay-at-home moms, we’d do a better job at providing them the kind of support they need to succeed.Mar 28, 2014
