First person Archives - Page 3 of 34 - Pittsburgh's Public Source

Three older adults sit around a table reading documents and taking notes in a well-lit room with artwork, books and plants.

A writers club for older adults soothed my grief as we’ve ‘ranted, raved and wrangled’ with aging

by First-person essay by Mary Schinhofen November 7, 2025June 4, 2026

A group of people of various ages and backgrounds pose together indoors, some seated on chairs and couches, others standing behind them, in a brightly lit room with large windows.

Community storytelling

From Pittsburgh’s towers to Kabul’s airport and a Nepali dance class in North Dakota, teens give voice to diversity

by First-person essay via Sharing Our Story October 31, 2025November 1, 2025

People walk along a path in front of a historic university building with a prominent tower, surrounded by green lawns and trees, with a cityscape in the background.

Gagging Academia

Trump says academic freedom is ‘not absolute.’ Three Pittsburgh scholars say it’s essential.

by First-person essay by Candace Skibba, First-person essay by Jane Windsheimer and First-person essay by Philip Hackney October 24, 2025October 26, 2025

A man sits in a modern chair with a black and white dog on his lap, in an art-filled room with brick walls and neon brain sign in the background.

Practicing psychiatry left me suicidal. Converting my pickup into an off-roader let me explore the world — and recover mine.

by First-person essay by Vint Blackburn October 3, 2025October 2, 2025

A person with blue hair and glasses stands in front of a brick wall mural featuring black-and-white wings decorated with colorful international flags.

How the sound of children delighting in something the world had thrown away changed me

by First-person essay by Samantha Sunshine Rave September 26, 2025September 28, 2025

A split-screen image shows empty prison cells on the left and a woman with long blonde hair and a brown top against a green backdrop on the right.

In Pennsylvania, we can do better than caging kids

by First-person essay by Jamie Silvonek September 19, 2025September 18, 2025

They said ‘be a secretary,’ but instead I’m the official artist of the Garbage Olympics

by First-person essay by Maria DeSimone Prascak September 12, 2025September 24, 2025

A woman in a Steelers jersey and a man in a Bills jersey sit at a table with an autographed NFL football.

I’ve been a Steelers fan since age 10, but wish more Pittsburgh kids loved the arts

by First-person essay by Kate Oczypok September 5, 2025September 11, 2025

A man in a wheelchair smiles and gives a high-five to a standing person, surrounded by people in red and yellow shirts in an indoor setting.

Paralyzed by police, I raged — but now I urge others to wear the badge

by First-person essay by Leon Ford August 8, 2025August 7, 2025

A man standing in a kitchen with food on a tray.

At 16, I fused my passions for food and dialogue into a project bridging divides in Pittsburgh

by First-person essay by Laurence Park August 1, 2025July 31, 2025