Essays

Remembering a great aunt, and the lessons learned but not appreciated until after her passing.

As we’ve included more voices in Music by Request, we sometimes get requests that are explicitly political or have a particular point of view about polarizing current events.

You can know things, and you can learn things. To essayist Karen Anderson, the latter feels more valuable.

When I was growing up, my parents attended church every week and I went to Sunday School—which was a welcoming place but I mostly worried that no one would come to pick me up.

When I was a kid, my dog got loose one day and ended up in the yard of the meanest man on the block.

On grief, and how its difficulty is a measure of love.

A walk through the neighborhood on a snowy day evokes a powerful, happy memory.

New programs, new hosts, new live events and a loss of federal funding - 2025 was a roller coaster for Classical IPR.

We are sitting on the couch by the light of the Christmas tree, drinking tea and eating frosted Santa Clauses.

On the value of having a default cause: something to blame, something fairly blameless, neutral, available.