Why would a mother abandon her children, and what would make her return? A pre-teen girl mourns her fragmented family, but doesn’t dare put her feelings into words.

Twice a year, we devote an issue to personal essays by local writers, all written specifically for us. The topic at hand—“Where I’m From” (after a well-known 1993 poem by George Ella Lyon)—has inspired writers and poets around the country, yet it also seems tailor-made for our diverse East Bay.

Twice a year, The Monthly offers readers a chance to sample an eclectic mix of personal writing by local scribes. In this, our summer 2010 essay issue, we bring you five of our favorite submissions on a subject that most human beings can relate to: making a hard choice. To have your own first-person piece considered for a future roundup, keep your eye on this page, where we’ll announce our upcoming topic this fall.

Appel takes her obligations as a juror very, very seriously—and you might, too, after reading this thought-provoking piece.

It’s hard not to envy a beautiful friend, or, for that matter, to really know her.