Courtney Martin
The Bold Italic
Oakland, CA, United States
Contact Courtney
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Past articles by Courtney:
Where do I donate for Black Lives Matter? Why is the uprising / protesting violent? Should I go protest?
Where do I donate for Black Lives Matter? Why is the uprising / protesting violent? Should I go protest? Won't I get Covid-19 if I protest? What should I say to my Black friends? What should I tell my kids about the protests? We answer 10 of white people's most commonly asked questions. → Read More
A New Wave of Caregivers: Men
The shortage of caregivers around the country has opened a constructive path for men seeking work, including some who have served time in prison. → Read More
I Served My Prison Time. Why Do I Still Have to Pay?
How can prisoners sent back into society manage when they can’t pay a mountain of bills presented at release? They can’t, so a coalition in California is trying to cut the charges. → Read More
Closing the Racial Wealth Gap
The United States tolerates a widening chasm between the very rich few and the many with low incomes. The burden of poverty falls heaviest on African-Americans and other people of color. → Read More
Mourning the Demise of a Zen Place to Die
Why do many nonprofit organizations have short lives, only six to 15 years? The experience of a renowned hospice in San Francisco offers some answers. → Read More
Parents can’t always find the source of benign aches and pains. Maybe we don’t need to.
Whether the “chest pain” is sadness or a bruise, I can scoop her up in my arms and hold her. → Read More
The Walls in our Neighborhoods – Courtney Martin –
As I was driving my 5-year-old to school this morning, NPR updated us both about our current president’s maniacal desire for a wall. “Do you understand what they’re talking about, sweetie?” I asked… → Read More
7 Standards for Your End-of-Year Donations
Often neglected, these considerations can guide you to increased confidence in your charitable choices. → Read More
When Being Unproductive Saves a Career
With high levels of pressure and tension on the job, burnout rates among nonprofit staffers are rising. The antidote? Sabbaticals. → Read More
Death Without Duality: Three Both/Ands at the End of Life
The pain and gift of the end of life, and the truths that dying reveals at the heart of being human. → Read More
A Couple of Truths About Adulthood That No One Tells You
We equate adulthood with “having our shit together" — but there’s just as much clutter and confusion behind every successful grown-up we admire. → Read More
Three Tensions at the Heart of Fighting Racism as a White Person
The fruit of working for racial justice lies in the discomfort and the mess — but only if we acknowledge the lessons those tensions have to teach us. → Read More
So Who Cleans the Kitchen?
From college dorms to cohousing communities, living with other people can be chaotic and messy. Our columnist considers that these tensions may actually be healthy and essential to building resilient community. → Read More
The Mental Bargain We Make When We Use the Word “Evil”
President Trump called the mass shooting in Las Vegas "an act of pure evil." Courtney questions why we use the word "evil" to explain such violence. And, she argues, why we should stop making that moral bargain. → Read More
Seeing Our Mothers As People
At a certain point, we come to the realization that our mothers have interior lives entirely separate from us. On the conceptual challenge of seeing our mothers as whole human beings. → Read More
What I Learned About Community from a Maximum-Security Prisoner
An unexpected letter landed on our columnist's doorstep the other day. It contains a surprising lesson on the meaning of community — and an opportunity to open up to a fellow flawed and striving human being. → Read More
I'm Suspicious of Efficiency, and I'm Addicted To It
Courtney Martin on when efficiency is a good thing, and when it saps us of the slow, messy connections that help us learn, grow, and thrive. → Read More
For Longevity, Men Need to Cultivate Deep Friendships
A lack of intimate friendships doesn’t just lead to loneliness; it can negatively impact your health, too. Courtney Martin on the particular importance of meaningful relationships between men — and how it can add a few years to men’s lives, to boot. → Read More
What If We Could Be Our Whole Selves at Work?
Creating a false division between life and work has its own pitfalls. → Read More
The Courage to Acknowledge Our Frailty
It can feel painful to reflect on our mortality — especially the mortality of our loved ones. But maybe embracing the reality of death can help us to fear it less, and appreciate the wonder of life all the more. → Read More