Are you estranged from family? Do you have a story to tell about it?

For the anthology Broken Free (Catapult, April 2026), I am seeking personal essays and flash nonfiction about a few specific topics.

Please visit bit.ly/estrangedanthology for submission guidelines and more info. Deadline 3/9.

Deal announcement! BROKEN FREE: WRITERS ON #ESTRANGEMENT will be published in 2026. I’m thrilled to work with @catapultbooks.bsky.social on this important book, with an amazing list of contributors. So grateful to my agent @mlwyd.bsky.social and everyone who has supported this project. 1/

I still grapple with this, many years into family estrangement, but the more I let go, the healthier and more authentic I feel.

Whitney Goodman LMFT (@sitwithwhit on most socials) produces amazing content about #estrangement. I recommend giving her newsletter and podcast a follow.

This is a fantastic explanation of dysfunctional family dynamics. Gossip-fueled drama (and assorted lies) is exactly why I cut ties with my father and subsequently became #estranged from the siblings who maintain a relationship with him. Gossip makes healthy relationships unsustainable.

All 5 points are true for me. I think the last one was the most instrumental in my #estrangement from my father. This seems especially relevant in the context of widespread post-election cutting of ties. Accountability matters.

Often #estrangement stems from incompatibility with our family of origin. This resonates.

This is my family of origin in a nutshell and the reason why I am now #estranged from several of them.