A Berkeley homeowner confronts an unwelcome guest—and her class guilt—by channeling Blanche du Bois.

“Crossing a line” is a common phrase these days, a staple of the American vernacular. But what does it really mean? Dozens of local writers took a crack at the topic this fall, submitting moving personal essays about line-crossing experiences of love, loss, and more. Here, our top five picks—and our gratitude to everyone who sent us their work.