In Bad Times, Every Dog Is a ‘Very Good Dog’

As Dogs Help Us Weather the Emotions of a Global Pandemic, We Should Reconsider What We Owe Them

I have found myself looking at Bella with great envy these past few weeks. As I try to tamp down my panic and get work done, Bella naps in her dog bed next to my desk. At certain intervals, spurred by some inner voice, she gets up and fetches her fuzzy blue Yeti toy and delivers it by my feet, her brown eyes full of hope. How can she be so calm while the world is falling apart, I wonder? But I’m grateful. Her calmness brings me down a notch. …

Depression Isn’t Just a Global Epidemic. It’s a Silent One.

We Know Very Little About Depression—Except That Talking About It Will Help

Depression is still the illness that dares not speak its name. Taboos persist. Social stigmas endure. Many confounding mysteries remain about exactly what causes depression and how best to treat …

How Do You Grieve a Distant Father?

My Dad’s Traditional Chinese Upbringing and His Mental Illness Kept Me From Understanding Who He Was—Until the Very End

Zócalo’s editors are highlighting some of our favorite pieces from the archive. With Father’s Day just around the corner, we’re revisiting journalist Olivia Snaije’s …

The Central Valley’s Still Got Game

The Heart of California Can Come Back If It Doesn’t Obsess on Who’s to Blame

In 2010, one year after the official end of the recession, I noted in an article for the UCLA Anderson Forecast that California’s inland counties had yet to see recovery. …