Mychal Denzel Smith
@mychalsmithNYT Bestseller. Kirkus Prize winner. Puffin Fellow @typemediacenter. Distinguished Writer-in-Residence @Hunter_College. Host “Open Form” @lithubradio
Similar User
@sandylocks
@MHarrisPerry
@imaniperry
@JamilSmith
@Dreamdefenders
@Colorlines
@iPhilSomething
@KeeangaYamahtta
@salamishah
@LeftOfBlack
@farai
@NewBlackMan
@profblmkelley
@alondra
@awkward_duck
"On February 4, 2023, my daughter was born; then on October 1, my mother died from leukemia. It has taken the exact emotional toll it sounds like it would." This essay, in the fall issue of @believermag, was my attempt to recover some sense of myself. thebeliever.net/scholars-mate/
“I believed myself to be capable of thinking and writing my way out of any emotional logjam, because that is what I had always done, who I had always been.” —from “Scholar’s Mate,” an essay by @mychalsmith thebeliever.net/scholars-mate/
Do you play wordle or connections? Listen up: the workers who make these games will be on strike soon unless @nytimes agrees to a fair contract. This means breaking your streak to not cross the picket line! Enjoy the archive today while you can!
“After a year of big feelings, I needed a way back to thinking.” —from “Scholar’s Mate,” an essay by @mychalsmith thebeliever.net/scholars-mate/
“But this ritual does exactly what I want it to do, which is to stimulate the part of my brain left dormant after my mother’s death, and in a low-stakes way.” —from “Scholar’s Mate,” an essay by @mychalsmith thebeliever.net/scholars-mate/
“Even when my position is hopeless, I play as if I still have a chance to win. My mother wasn’t wrong when she said I was stubborn. Something else for me to work on.” —from “Scholar’s Mate,” an essay by @mychalsmith thebeliever.net/scholars-mate/
Y’ALL! Say hello to my new book! I talked to @ELLEmagazine about The Dry Season in an exclusive interview and cover reveal: elle.com/culture/books/…
For everybody who didn’t realize The Believer was back in action, Mychal Denzel Smith’s “Scholar’s Mate” this issue is one of the best pieces in recent memory. Perfect composition, hard-hitting, weaving art and insight and yearning - the best of what an essay can be.
"On February 4, 2023, my daughter was born; then on October 1, my mother died from leukemia. It has taken the exact emotional toll it sounds like it would." This essay, in the fall issue of @believermag, was my attempt to recover some sense of myself. thebeliever.net/scholars-mate/
“After a year of big feelings, I needed a way back to thinking.” —from “Scholar's Mate,” @mychalsmith's forthcoming essay on how chess helped him through a period of grief following the loss of his mother Subscribe to read the full essay in our fall issue.
I have an essay coming out in the fall issue of @believermag and I think you should subscribe to @believermag so you can get it in print and read it there
Our fall issue is on its way! Believer 147 includes essays by @wtmcgrath, @mychalsmith, and @r_emmet; interviews with @BootsRiley, @kathleenhanna, Kaveh Akbar, Kate Zambreno, and @vulfpeck’s Jack Stratton; columns by @girinathan, @nickhornby, and Carrie Brownstein; and much more.
I've written on political dissent & violent policing for 15 years, particularly in NYC. Compared to Tuesday night, I have never witnessed, at the scene of a protest, the use of police power so disproportionate to the type of demonstration taking place. theintercept.com/2024/05/01/nyc…
Palestinians are not begging anyone to acknowledge our humanity. It is the world's we are questioning.
i had a three-day text message conversation with @mychalsmith we talked Ninja Turtles, family, writing and more: timbarnescomedy.substack.com/p/text-intervi…
Excellent essay by the always insightful @mychalsmith 👊🏾
For @espn's "Hip-Hop 50" series, I wrote about Jay Z, Michael Jordan, and how it's the story (true or not) that shapes how we talk about who's the greatest espn.com/nba/story/_/id…
For @espn's "Hip-Hop 50" series, I wrote about Jay Z, Michael Jordan, and how it's the story (true or not) that shapes how we talk about who's the greatest espn.com/nba/story/_/id…
I recently became a father. When @AmyRosary asked if I could write some thoughts about that, I was glad to have the space to explore some of the feelings (and fears) I’ve had, which turned into this piece for @SELFmagazine: self.com/story/new-fath…
You should make this piece I did for @espn (about opera, boxing, masculinity, sexuality, transformation, redemption) your weekend read: espn.com/boxing/story/_…
United States Trends
- 1. $MAYO 11,6 B posts
- 2. Tyson 417 B posts
- 3. Pence 48,4 B posts
- 4. Kash 81,3 B posts
- 5. Dora 23,3 B posts
- 6. Debbie 22,5 B posts
- 7. Mike Rogers 12,7 B posts
- 8. #LetsBONK 8.937 posts
- 9. Laken Riley 48 B posts
- 10. Gabrielle Union 1.233 posts
- 11. Ticketmaster 17,5 B posts
- 12. Iron Mike 17,6 B posts
- 13. Whoopi 70,4 B posts
- 14. Pirates 20,2 B posts
- 15. #FursuitFriday 16,1 B posts
- 16. Cenk 12,3 B posts
- 17. Fauci 177 B posts
- 18. National Energy Council 1.947 posts
- 19. The UK 442 B posts
- 20. The FBI 239 B posts
Who to follow
-
Kimberlé Crenshaw
@sandylocks -
Melissa Harris-Perry
@MHarrisPerry -
Imani Perry
@imaniperry -
Jamil Smith جميل كريم
@JamilSmith -
Dream Defenders
@Dreamdefenders -
Colorlines
@Colorlines -
phillip agnew
@iPhilSomething -
Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor
@KeeangaYamahtta -
Salamishah Tillet (she/her)
@salamishah -
Left of Black
@LeftOfBlack -
Farai Chideya
@farai -
SAVE A SEAT FOR ME (Simon & Schuster, 2026)
@NewBlackMan -
Blair LM Kelley, PhD
@profblmkelley -
Alondra Nelson
@alondra -
STOP COP CITY
@awkward_duck
Something went wrong.
Something went wrong.