Featured Articles — MELISSA PETRO

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TIME - 3 November 2022

My Neurodivergent Child is Just as Lovable as My Neurotypical One

One-on-one and when he is relaxed, Oscar is clever, funny, creative, curious, and kind, but a typical classroom with 20-something kids overwhelms him.

The Guardian - 6 June 2022

Mothers Lived Through Hell During Lockdown. For Some of Us, It’s Not Over

My son’s behavior when he began preschool was concerning. As I desperately searched for answers, I realized I was on my own.

The Nation - 26 February 2020

Bloomberg Forced Me from My Teaching Job After He Learned I’d Been a Sex Worker

Elizabeth Warren’s devastating confrontation with the former mayor over allegations of sexual harassment made “billionaire” the dirty word—and made me feel respected.

Rolling Stone - 26 February 2020

Michael Bloomberg Wants to Silence Those Who Discuss Their Past — Including Me

As one former sex worker writes, Bloomberg feels entitled to keep his past in the past — but wants to penalize others from speaking openly about their own.

Elemental - 24 September 2019

Emotional Granularity Saved My Marriage

Learning to articulate a wider range of emotions can lead to better control and relationships.

Tenderly - 6 August 2019

The Rescue Rooster Next Door

A vacation at an animal sanctuary was to be a peaceful retreat for me, my husband, and our young son… but the rooster had other ideas.

Narratively - 11 December 2017

My Boyfriend Tried a “Miracle Cure” for Heroin Addiction

We were both in recovery when he started talking about getting clean with ibogaine. But we both should have known there is no such thing as a quick fix.

Allure - 23 August 2017

What It's Really Like to Date When You've Done Sex Work

Like many potential partners you’ll meet — whether online, in a bookstore, or at a bar — I’ve got some baggage.

Marie Clare - 23 April 2017

Why I Support the Choice to Be Pregnant and a Prostitute

A currently-pregnant former sex worker stands up for a currently-pregnant current sex worker.

Vice - 6 January 2017

After Surviving Torture, Noura Al-Jizawi is Fighting for Other Syrian Prisoners

After working as a prominent activist against the Assad regime, Noura Al-Jizawi was "kidnapped" on a bus and sent to prison without charges.

Pacific Standard - 7 July 2016

A Literary Festival in the Shadow of a Genocide

Can a polite little arts event help re-unify Sri Lankan culture?

The Establishment - 15 March 2016

Accidental Death Among the Mentally Ill and the Tragic Case of Elisa Lam

When I look back at my journals from around the time I was diagnosed as bipolar, it’s hard to tell whether I was being real or putting on an act.

Jezebel - 16 September 2015

No One Thinks to Call it Rape When You're a Sex Worker

I’m in disagreement with an editorial published in this weekend’s Chicago Sun-Times, in which writer Mary Mitchell essentially argued that sex workers cannot be raped.

The Cut - 23 July 2013

We Pardon Spitzer, But Still Judge Former Sex Workers (Like Me)

Five years ago, Eliot Spitzer got caught paying women like me.

Esquire - 17 January 2017

Will the Backpage Shutdown Make Sex Workers Less Safe?

Women in the industry say now they'll have no choice but to work the streets.

The Rumpus - 19 July 2012

The Other One Percent

I’m at NYU Dental waiting to get a cavity filled. I’m at NYU Dental because I’m poor, although if I were really poor — I am thinking — I wouldn’t be at a dentist at all.