How Stories Depict Mental Illness

by juliehartig | Aug, 2026 | Reading Companions | Books, Authors, and Ideas in Conversation

Most of us have, whether we noticed or not, been reading about mental illness our whole lives. It’s in the books we were assigned in school, the horror novels we read under the covers, the book club picks passed around with wine. What I couldn’t stop...

I Know This Much Is True, Mine Is Too

by juliehartig | Jul, 2026 | Reading Companions | Books, Authors, and Ideas in Conversation

Deep in the edit of my first draft of Hope and Madness, a critique partner suggested I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb as a possible comp title. I’ve read his works She’s Come Undone and The Hour I First Believed, but was unfamiliar with this book published in...

Introducing The Boundary Reset: Choosing Limits in an Unrelenting Moment

by juliehartig | Jan, 2026 | Reflections | Personal Essays on Meaning, Identity, and Care

It has been difficult to breathe lately. Each day brings more news of corruption and destruction of social norms. Even when we are not directly affected, we feel it in our bodies. A low-grade anxiety that feeds outrage … and our exhaustion. Concentration erodes....

The Best Gift: A Family Holiday Tale About Giving

by juliehartig | Dec, 2024 | Books | Fiction and Creative Works by Julie Hartig

After enduring eight months of rehabilitation following a ski accident and with all of the depressing world news, I found solace in crafting a tale that celebrates the magic of this festive time. As the holiday season draws near, I’m overjoyed to introduce you...

Breaking Free: When it’s Time to Try Something New

by juliehartig | Nov, 2024 | Reflections | Personal Essays on Meaning, Identity, and Care

A Thanksgiving Story About Rethinking Family Traditions I have always cherished traditions—birthday cakes, coloring eggs, the vibrant tapestry of autumn leaves, and Christmas lights that bring hope to the darkness. These yearly milestones spice up the year with...