Sandra Rhee

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I'm trying to write things worth reading.

Personal essays and short fiction on shame, grief, and the human experience.

I'm trying to write things worth reading.

Personal essays and short fiction on shame, grief, and the human experience.

I'm trying to write things worth reading.

Personal essays and short fiction on shame, grief, and the human experience.

Up There I'm Still Human

I point my arm straight to the sky. You follow the line from my armpit, elbow, wrist, middle finger, and then you join me, perfectly up, as I shoot off, through the air, birds, clouds, sky, a clearing, a frightening height, up up up and up. There’s a pause. Silence. I’m ten million feet in the air. The circumference of the earth fits in the palm of my hands. I look down at the earth. “Okay.” I don’t feel much. I take a little closer look. I want to get more out of this. You’re next to me, so ...

I Grew Up on a Lavender Farm

My parents got married on a lavender farm. From ten to eighteen years old, I spent most weekends there, because that's where church was.

I've Been Scrolling

Here are my thoughts on wasting time.

What Kind of Citizen Am I?

I ignored politics. I wanted to focus on the high leverage thing I controled — My work. If I got money and power through my work, I could change things.

On Living With Your Mom

I've been living with my mom for the last six months.

What Makes a Great Book?

Why Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami stood out to me.

My Favorite Reads Under 200 Pages

I know that reading can be a slog sometimes. These books are insanely impactful, and yet under 200 pages.

My List of Overrated Books

These books made me wonder how in the world ya'll loved it. Maybe I thought they were good, but not great. Let's rile someone up!

My Best 10 Books: The Most Beautifully Written

This list is a follow-up to my most impactful reads. Here are ten novels that made me stop and think: Damn, that was good.

My Favorite 10 Books: The Ones That Changed My Life

The books that changed how I live — not the best-written, but the most impactful. From The Glass Castle to Tolstoy, and the one that made me quit engineering.

What I Started Noticing After Hundreds of Novels

Part One: Why I Became Interested.

His Last Good Fight

It was time for the next three steps. His right hand extended towards the old mirror, pulled the corner towards him, and then hung in the air for just a second..

Optimist

How did this woman become an optimist?

Sick Once More

I was diagnosed with cancer yesterday. This is how it happened.

Why She Pressed Record

The peanut-butter stain on Alyssa’s blouse could wait. It might even be useful.

Beware of Despair

Suzy hadn't lost her job. That morning, her alarm had triggered a series of actions, ones she took some days and skipped on others...

Panic—But From What?

She pressed the button on the garage door before her neighbor could see her face, not because she was embarrassed, but because she didn't feel safe. From what, she didn't know.

A Friend I Abandoned

She said he was dead, but I needed to call him to make sure.

The Woman in My Ear

Sometimes my Mind has a bad bite, and the fear of the big bites makes me want to keep Her numb.

The Weight of Her Confessions

Content warning: This post contains descriptions of domestic violence and difficult subject matter. Her voice reached me, but my expression stayed vacant, my mind hollowed, and my hands still.

My Friend, Amelia

I brought her out to the grey stone tables sitting empty behind the dry cleaners. Amelia is the kind of person you want to show off, you know, like a Brooks Brothers label left out for a loose eye to notice.

What I Learn From Running

I think I hate running. It is only enjoyable when I consider it as a finished act, with no plan to do it. Then, I finally relish the feat of having ran a rather far distance.

Where did the Last $100 Go?

The last $100 — Where did it go? My brother needs it more. He might have a place to live. I heard he found work at an optometrist's office in Koreatown. Six years since his last job. At last?

The Moment I Saw Age

Her eyes darted past the back of his head through to his mouth. She twisted her old mouth into a shape more ugly. I shouldn't tell you about how old she looked. I'll follow her lead for the rest of my life.

If Only I Hadn't Found Church

“I might have fifteen years left of a good body. I’m working on something. I’m only telling you. It’s about the Bible."

The Past Appeared Above Me

I turned the corner and looked up. A slurry of umbrellas, worn down tables, and dirty jewel tones came into my line of sight at a particular height on the second story.

The Writing I Aspire to

What's worth saying?

I Opened a Beauty Shop in California

It hit $125k in sales in its first year. But everything is falling apart. What's next?