Bitten in the Virtual Zoo
BITTEN IN THE VIRTUAL ZOO
Modern Love, The New York Times
Art by Brian Rea
OVERVIEW
“A FEW days before I was dumped, I sat in the campus library. It was the eve of my first chemistry exam that semester. Under the dusty lights of the reading room, I was supposed to be studying. Instead, I stared at the cracked screen of my cellphone, waiting for a call.
Scattered across the table were my textbooks, laptop, pencils and two stacks of index cards. One stack had the names and definitions of the seemingly endless number of organic compounds I had to memorize. The other tackled more complicated material: my love life…”
There are defining moments in everyone’s early writing career. My 2011 publication in Modern Love came, frankly, when I wasn’t sure if I had what it took to be a writer. Then suddenly, I was connected to millions of readers—an amazing feeling. The experience reminded me of what writer’s do: examine the connective tissues of the world, speak with an honest voice and show others they are not alone. Truly, it was an incredible gift.