Julie Wittes Schlack
Cognoscenti contributor
Julie Wittes Schlack writes essays, short stories and book reviews for various publications, including WBUR's Cognoscenti and The ARTery, and is the author of “This All-at-Onceness” and “Burning and Dodging.”
Recently published
What I’ve learned by volunteering with recent immigrants to the US — beyond facts and figures
Julie Wittes Schlack volunteers with new immigrants to the U.S., helping them get settled. The Trump administration's cuts to food benefits have forced one of the immigrants Julie supports, Adje,...
Earworms: Annoying or revolutionary?
While researching the phenomenon of earworms, Julie Wittes Schlack came across E.B. White's satire, "The Supremacy of Uruguay." In White's story, written in the 1930s — amidst growing threats of...
Not all jobs require literacy skills. But nearly all job applications do
While literacy might not be required to do a job laying bricks or hammering nails, it is required to get it, writes Julie Wittes Schlack. From online applications to QR...
Our 'obligations' to the dead
Connecting with the dead doesn’t require Ouija boards or mediums, writes Julie Wittes Schlack. It can be a form of companionship, an act of gratitude, a private tribute that enriches...
Trump and Republicans' assault on language
President Trump and Republicans are using words to mean their opposite, the first step in stripping them of their meaning altogether, writes Julie Wittes Schlack, in the latest installment of...
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Guinness World Records has always been about more than trivia
I may be in contention for the World’s Most Dismissive Boomer, but I get that record-setting is serious business, writes Julie Wittes Schlack. So is play. And even in a...
Now that I’m the ancestor, it’s time for a new dream
As my dreams have expanded in scope beyond those I had as a teenager, my understanding of my personal power has correspondingly diminished, writes Julie Wittes Schlack. I struggle to...
What happens when a woman takes power?
This woman who wears pant suits and pearls, sneakers and stilettos, is demonstrating that even traditional 'femininity' is a powerful credential for leadership, writes Julie Wittes Schlack. Harris’ victory would...
Trump pits immigrants and working-class Americans against each other. But they both need the same things
Our immigration system is broken, writes Julie Wittes Schlack. But perhaps an even bigger problem lies in this country’s lack of affordable housing.
We asked, you answered: The first presidential debate of 2024
Cog asked our writers and readers to tell us what they’ll be looking for and hoping to hear from President Biden and former President Donald Trump during tonight's debate. Here’s...