Erica Youngren
Cognoscenti contributor
Erica Youngren is a New York-based writer and the agency coordinator for County Harvest, a food rescue organization in Westchester County. She has a B.A. in literature from Vassar and an M.F.A. in creative nonfiction writing from Sarah Lawrence.
Recently published
I didn't want my 18-year-old to get a motorcycle. But he wasn't asking for my permission
During the fall of his senior year in high school, Erica Youngren's son declared his intention to get a motorcycle. The boy who used to stand on our feet and...
What I lost when I stopped drinking
Why did I feel like I was breaking bad news to my friends when I announced that I was trying sobriety? asks Erica Youngren.
My son decided against college. To my surprise, he's where he should be
These days, my son is a different person, writes Erica Youngren. It turns out he’s not unfocused — he just wasn’t inspired by the intangible rewards of school work.
The Pandemic Taught Me I Had A Drinking Problem
When a mom friend said she didn’t think drinking was compatible with raising small children. I was genuinely perplexed, writes Erica Youngren. Would parenting be tolerable without it?