Our Favorite Essays of 2023
In the Boxing Ring. At a Parking Lot. Through Prison Glass. These Stories Captured the Sights, Sounds, and Heart of the Year
South Africans got it right when they made “kuning,” the isiZulu word that roughly translates to “it’s a lot,” one of the defining words of 2023.
It was a lot this year.
2023 seemed an epoch of crises: the highest number of global conflicts in three decades, myriad climate disasters that claimed more than 12,000 lives, and the erosion of democracies worldwide.
Amid all of it, Zócalo was here—sifting through the pressing stories and providing context, perspective, and humanity.
Our favorite 15 essays of the year, selected by the Zócalo staff and you, our …
