Amanda Leigh Lichtenstein
@travelfarnow.bsky.social
Senior Managing Editor with SAPIENS, a digital magazine about everything human, told through the stories of anthropologists.
Pinned
My bold, dead mother was back. Or was grief playing tricks? | Psyche Stories of Change
It was just like her – my bold, dead mother – to show up in my life again. Or was grief playing tricks on me?
psyche.co
A personal essay on my encounter with a psychic medium, how it healed me in what felt like an instant. It's still hard to comprehend what actually occurred, so I wrote about it: #healing #grief #motherlove psyche.co/stories-of-c...
I've been a letter writer since I was little. But more recently, my love for letter writing has revived as a form of survival against the tyranny of digital disconnect. I wrote a little essay about why it matters now. #letterwriting #letterwritingrevival open.substack.com/pub/travelfa...
Dear You: Writing Letters from the Heart
On letters as lifelines in a world of disconnect and chaos.
open.substack.com
November 14, 2025 at 6:02 PM
I've been a letter writer since I was little. But more recently, my love for letter writing has revived as a form of survival against the tyranny of digital disconnect. I wrote a little essay about why it matters now. #letterwriting #letterwritingrevival open.substack.com/pub/travelfa...
Have you ever been to a miniatures showcase? Read all about my first time! "Greetings from a miniature menagerie" over on Substack. If you like this, subscribe & follow me there! Thanks. #menagerie #miniatures #collecting #obsessing #poetics open.substack.com/pub/travelfa...
Greetings from a miniature menagerie
On the dizzying details of tiny objects and why we love them.
open.substack.com
November 12, 2025 at 9:17 PM
Have you ever been to a miniatures showcase? Read all about my first time! "Greetings from a miniature menagerie" over on Substack. If you like this, subscribe & follow me there! Thanks. #menagerie #miniatures #collecting #obsessing #poetics open.substack.com/pub/travelfa...
Following the Life of an Abandoned Bull in Nepal—what happens when the sacred bull becomes scavenger? www.sapiens.org/culture/sacr...
Following the Life of an Abandoned Bull in Nepal
A visual anthropologist explores how divine cattle collide with contemporary urban realities in Kathmandu, Nepal.
www.sapiens.org
November 12, 2025 at 2:05 PM
Following the Life of an Abandoned Bull in Nepal—what happens when the sacred bull becomes scavenger? www.sapiens.org/culture/sacr...
I'm on Substack! Travel Far Now is the creative studio & digital home for all my creative writing, projects, & workshops. substack.com/@amandaleigh...
Amanda Leigh Lichtenstein | Substack
Writer. Editor. Vintage Collector. Poet. Intuit.
substack.com
November 11, 2025 at 5:55 PM
I'm on Substack! Travel Far Now is the creative studio & digital home for all my creative writing, projects, & workshops. substack.com/@amandaleigh...
Interesting to see The Guardian @theguardian.com shift away from pageviews & clicks as the main measures of success! There are better ways & more compelling reasons to publish powerful narratives in digital spaces! pressgazette.co.uk/paywalls/why...
Why The Guardian is no longer dependent on page views to drive revenue
The Guardian’s best revenue days aren’t always high-traffic, the publisher's chief supporter revenue officer Liz Wynn shared.
pressgazette.co.uk
October 26, 2025 at 5:17 PM
Interesting to see The Guardian @theguardian.com shift away from pageviews & clicks as the main measures of success! There are better ways & more compelling reasons to publish powerful narratives in digital spaces! pressgazette.co.uk/paywalls/why...
As we wait for the parade to start, we adjust the feathers in our copillis (feather headdresses), tighten the laces of our ayoyotes (ankle rattles made from seedpods), and smile for photographs with passersby. Despite the fear and oppression, we are here. #resistance
www.sapiens.org/culture/danz...
www.sapiens.org/culture/danz...
The Sacred Heartbeat at Houston Pride
An anthropologist offers dance and prayer with others to counter intensifying oppression against queer and Latine communities in Houston.
www.sapiens.org
October 23, 2025 at 7:46 PM
As we wait for the parade to start, we adjust the feathers in our copillis (feather headdresses), tighten the laces of our ayoyotes (ankle rattles made from seedpods), and smile for photographs with passersby. Despite the fear and oppression, we are here. #resistance
www.sapiens.org/culture/danz...
www.sapiens.org/culture/danz...
If you're in Skokie, drop by the library in November and write handwritten letters with me! I'll be leading a letter-writing workshop with stamps & envelopes ready for you to mail your note ASAP! Coffee & pastries, too! Free event, please register. #letters www.skokielibrary.info/event/letter...
Dear You: Writing Letters from the Heart
In this creative writing workshop, we'll explore the power of hand-written letters. You'll use guided prompts and writing exercises that encourage heartfelt communication, whether to someone real, ima...
www.skokielibrary.info
October 21, 2025 at 6:28 PM
If you're in Skokie, drop by the library in November and write handwritten letters with me! I'll be leading a letter-writing workshop with stamps & envelopes ready for you to mail your note ASAP! Coffee & pastries, too! Free event, please register. #letters www.skokielibrary.info/event/letter...
Next week marks the 3rd anniversary of the horrifying Itaewon crowd crush disaster. A group of anthropologists reflects on the politics of mourning in South Korea: www.sapiens.org/culture/mour... #Itaewon #mourning #disaster
The Politics of Mourning After Itaewon
A group of anthropologists explore why South Korea faced a failure of prevention—and mourning—after the deadly 2022 Itaewon disaster.
www.sapiens.org
October 21, 2025 at 4:32 PM
Next week marks the 3rd anniversary of the horrifying Itaewon crowd crush disaster. A group of anthropologists reflects on the politics of mourning in South Korea: www.sapiens.org/culture/mour... #Itaewon #mourning #disaster
They came for the Swap-O-Rama flea market on the SW side. This is a nightmare.
October 17, 2025 at 2:56 PM
They came for the Swap-O-Rama flea market on the SW side. This is a nightmare.
The next time you visit a national park, consider all the work that's happening behind the scenes to sustain our shared cultural heritage & history in and surrounding these parks. An excellent essay by a former NPS anthropologist about what's at stake: www.sapiens.org/culture/nati... #NPS #anthro
The Cost of Cutting Anthropology Out of U.S. National Parks
A former National Park Service anthropologist reflects on the vital role of cultural anthropology to the agency’s mission.
www.sapiens.org
October 15, 2025 at 2:55 PM
The next time you visit a national park, consider all the work that's happening behind the scenes to sustain our shared cultural heritage & history in and surrounding these parks. An excellent essay by a former NPS anthropologist about what's at stake: www.sapiens.org/culture/nati... #NPS #anthro
Chicago: Know your rights. www.icirr.org/fsn?fbclid=I...
October 7, 2025 at 11:55 PM
Chicago: Know your rights. www.icirr.org/fsn?fbclid=I...
As Breast Cancer Awareness Month begins, anthropologist Arianna Huhn describes her experience fighting breast cancer and her decision to “go flat," in an essay for @sapiens.org. #breastcancerawareness #goingflat
www.sapiens.org/culture/wome...
www.sapiens.org/culture/wome...
When Women Say “Ta-Ta” to Ta-Tas
An anthropologist fighting cancer navigates the social pressure in the U.S. to get breast reconstruction after a mastectomy.
www.sapiens.org
October 1, 2025 at 2:39 PM
As Breast Cancer Awareness Month begins, anthropologist Arianna Huhn describes her experience fighting breast cancer and her decision to “go flat," in an essay for @sapiens.org. #breastcancerawareness #goingflat
www.sapiens.org/culture/wome...
www.sapiens.org/culture/wome...
Anthropologist Sophie Chao writes a beautiful reflection on the power & responsibility of narrative in this guest post for SAR (@sarsf.bsky.social) based on time spent together in an immersive creative nonfiction seminar w/@sapiens.org. #anthropology #narrative sarweb.org/blog-words-a...
Sophie Chao Guest Post: Words and Worlds - School for Advanced Research
Anthropologist Sophie Chao shares a guest post. An environmental anthropologist, she reflects on ecological crisis, Indigenous knowledge in West Papua, and the ethics of storytelling. Exploring defore...
sarweb.org
September 26, 2025 at 8:13 PM
Anthropologist Sophie Chao writes a beautiful reflection on the power & responsibility of narrative in this guest post for SAR (@sarsf.bsky.social) based on time spent together in an immersive creative nonfiction seminar w/@sapiens.org. #anthropology #narrative sarweb.org/blog-words-a...
Just wrapped up my course "Working with Authors" through the University of Chicago. Key takeaways: editors do SO MUCH MORE than simply "fix errors." Freelance editing is all about the power of relationships. Managing our time & talents benefits everyone! I strive for mutuality & momentum. #editing
September 24, 2025 at 5:09 PM
Just wrapped up my course "Working with Authors" through the University of Chicago. Key takeaways: editors do SO MUCH MORE than simply "fix errors." Freelance editing is all about the power of relationships. Managing our time & talents benefits everyone! I strive for mutuality & momentum. #editing
As temperatures drop, most of us head indoors! But some people find joy & pleasure in a cold-water plunge! A researcher in Cambridge interviews regulars at the Jesus Lido community pool to find out why. A new piece I edited for @sapiens.org. #successfulaging
www.sapiens.org/culture/cold...
www.sapiens.org/culture/cold...
Cold-Water Swimming Brings New Life to Aging Bodies
A researcher at a community pool in Cambridge finds out why so many people over 60 are finding joy and pleasure in a cold-water swim.
www.sapiens.org
September 23, 2025 at 3:02 PM
As temperatures drop, most of us head indoors! But some people find joy & pleasure in a cold-water plunge! A researcher in Cambridge interviews regulars at the Jesus Lido community pool to find out why. A new piece I edited for @sapiens.org. #successfulaging
www.sapiens.org/culture/cold...
www.sapiens.org/culture/cold...
Amid deadly protests in Indonesia, take a deep dive into why there's been so much mistrust among delivery drivers, on-demand mobile app companies & the government, told through the lens of anthropologists Sheri Lynn Gibbings, Elan Lazuardi & Robbie Peters. #Indonesia
www.sapiens.org/culture/indo...
www.sapiens.org/culture/indo...
The Power of Mistrust
Anthropologists working in Indonesia explore how mistrust among on-demand drivers—toward companies and one another—is a form of power.
www.sapiens.org
September 16, 2025 at 4:28 PM
Amid deadly protests in Indonesia, take a deep dive into why there's been so much mistrust among delivery drivers, on-demand mobile app companies & the government, told through the lens of anthropologists Sheri Lynn Gibbings, Elan Lazuardi & Robbie Peters. #Indonesia
www.sapiens.org/culture/indo...
www.sapiens.org/culture/indo...
Professor Katie Ranhorn writes beautifully on working with an "archaeologies of the heart" as an approach to studying deep history in communities within #Tanzania. #archaeology #paleontology #representation #localhistories #communityarchaeology #eastafrica www.sapiens.org/archaeology/...
Reclaiming Tanzania’s Deep Past—Together
A U.S. archaeologist reflects on the power of community-driven research in Tanzania to reshape how the story of human origins is told.
www.sapiens.org
September 3, 2025 at 4:27 PM
Professor Katie Ranhorn writes beautifully on working with an "archaeologies of the heart" as an approach to studying deep history in communities within #Tanzania. #archaeology #paleontology #representation #localhistories #communityarchaeology #eastafrica www.sapiens.org/archaeology/...
What happens when environmental conservation efforts overlook the rights and needs of humans? Anthropologist Amir Sohel explains how tiger protection in the Sundarbans often ignores forest-dwelling people who live alongside tigers. #anthropology #humantigerconflict
www.sapiens.org/culture/tige...
www.sapiens.org/culture/tige...
When Tiger Conservation Overlooks Human Lives
An anthropologist looks at how tiger conservation efforts in the Sundarban region of West Bengal often ignore forest-dwelling communities.
www.sapiens.org
September 3, 2025 at 4:25 PM
What happens when environmental conservation efforts overlook the rights and needs of humans? Anthropologist Amir Sohel explains how tiger protection in the Sundarbans often ignores forest-dwelling people who live alongside tigers. #anthropology #humantigerconflict
www.sapiens.org/culture/tige...
www.sapiens.org/culture/tige...
Just finished reading "The Philippines is Not a Small Country," Gideon Lasco's excellent book of personal essays on a wide-range of topics, from tattoos to food, selfies to drug addiction, it's all there, nearly every subject of interest to humanity! Great read! www.goodreads.com/book/show/55...
The Philippines Is Not a Small Country
This book is an exploration of the Philippines as a bea…
www.goodreads.com
August 27, 2025 at 4:46 PM
Just finished reading "The Philippines is Not a Small Country," Gideon Lasco's excellent book of personal essays on a wide-range of topics, from tattoos to food, selfies to drug addiction, it's all there, nearly every subject of interest to humanity! Great read! www.goodreads.com/book/show/55...
Have you ever read "The Clan of the Cave Bear"? If so, you're one step closer to thinking like a scientist. Anthropologist @emilylenajones.bsky.social explains why for @sapiens.org in this beautiful personal essay on the overlap between #fiction & #science. www.sapiens.org/archaeology/...
Archaeological Fiction and a Scientist's Dilemma
An archaeologist reflects on the role of fiction to imagine the deep past—and inspire future generations of archaeologists.
www.sapiens.org
August 27, 2025 at 3:13 PM
Have you ever read "The Clan of the Cave Bear"? If so, you're one step closer to thinking like a scientist. Anthropologist @emilylenajones.bsky.social explains why for @sapiens.org in this beautiful personal essay on the overlap between #fiction & #science. www.sapiens.org/archaeology/...
How did the COVID-era surgical facemask become a fashion statement in Pakistan? Read all about it in this fascinating essay by anthropologist Zainab Najeeb! It was a pleasure editing this piece and learning more about modesty #fashion for @sapiens.org. #anthropology
www.sapiens.org/culture/face...
www.sapiens.org/culture/face...
The Many Lives of a Face Mask
An anthropologist explores how the surgical face mask went from a health precaution to a fashion choice among women in Peshawar, Pakistan.
www.sapiens.org
August 26, 2025 at 3:56 PM
How did the COVID-era surgical facemask become a fashion statement in Pakistan? Read all about it in this fascinating essay by anthropologist Zainab Najeeb! It was a pleasure editing this piece and learning more about modesty #fashion for @sapiens.org. #anthropology
www.sapiens.org/culture/face...
www.sapiens.org/culture/face...
Tonight, I watched a young man lay down a prayer mat in a parking lot next to the Goodwill in Skokie and perform the evening prayer as the sun set. #prayer
August 26, 2025 at 2:58 AM
Tonight, I watched a young man lay down a prayer mat in a parking lot next to the Goodwill in Skokie and perform the evening prayer as the sun set. #prayer
When I was a digital newsroom editor, I witnessed the impact of vicarious trauma on mostly young, intrepid freelancers who took on stories way beyond their capacity to cope with what they'd encounter in the field: www.theguardian.com/science/2023...
What’s it like when your job involves wading through others’ suffering? I was left weeping and hopeless
Psychologists call it ‘vicarious trauma’ – the result of witnessing too much misery, even if you’re not experiencing it first hand. And it can affect anyone, from war correspondents to legal professio...
www.theguardian.com
August 25, 2025 at 3:26 PM
When I was a digital newsroom editor, I witnessed the impact of vicarious trauma on mostly young, intrepid freelancers who took on stories way beyond their capacity to cope with what they'd encounter in the field: www.theguardian.com/science/2023...
A personal essay on my encounter with a psychic medium, how it healed me in what felt like an instant. It's still hard to comprehend what actually occurred, so I wrote about it: #healing #grief #motherlove psyche.co/stories-of-c...
My bold, dead mother was back. Or was grief playing tricks? | Psyche Stories of Change
It was just like her – my bold, dead mother – to show up in my life again. Or was grief playing tricks on me?
psyche.co
August 20, 2025 at 4:50 PM
A personal essay on my encounter with a psychic medium, how it healed me in what felt like an instant. It's still hard to comprehend what actually occurred, so I wrote about it: #healing #grief #motherlove psyche.co/stories-of-c...