Writer Erica Etelson

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Articles

Additional articles can be found on Erica’s Substack.

FEATURED ARTICLES

If the Left Doesn’t Channel Populist Resentment, We Know Who Will
The Nation, 8/24/23

Bette Midler’s Contempt Fuels Right-Wing Populism
The Nation, 12/30/21

The 7 Deadly Sins of Politi-speak
Yes! Magazine, 6/28/21

 

POLITICS

The only thing worse than taking rural voters for granted
The Nation, 4/15/24

Kitchen Table Populism Is Up for Grabs
The Liberal Patriot, 1/14/24

How These Candidates Bucked the Trend and Won Over Rural Voters
Newsweek, 11/30/22

Democrats must do better in rural America
The Nation, 11/17/22

In order to transcend Trumpism, we must tend to suffering, not celebrate it
Waging Nonviolence, 4/26/22

The 7 Deadly Sins of Politi-speak
Yes! Magazine, 6/28/21

Don’t gloat, organize!
Progressively Speaking, 10/29/20

Want #NeverBiden holdouts to join #TeamJoe? Show them some respect.
Progressively Speaking, 7/30/20

With Trump Self-Destructing, Do Swing Voters Matter?
Progressively Speaking, 7/3/20

How Liberals Left the White Working Class Behind
Yes! Magazine, 12/16/19

Could Elizabeth Warren’s Wit Be Her Downfall?
Tikkun, 11/1/19

Why is a black resident in Berkeley 13 times more likely to be unhoused than a white person?
Berkeleyside, 9/26/19

Joe Biden’s Biggest Problem is Enthusiasm Deficit
The Progressive Populist
, 9/15/19

Democrats should oppose Trump’s military buildup
Common Dreams, 10/22/17

Berkeley must find effective ways to thwart battles in our city
Berkeleyside, 4/24/17

Put single payer back on the table
San Francisco Examiner, 3/25/17

Senate Democrats should boycott Neil Gorsuch
San Francisco Examiner, 3/21/17

To make our voices heard, we must be indivisible
San Francisco Examiner, 1/31/17

So blue. The heartbroken case for Hillary Clinton
Medium, 9/7/16

Americans should hold merchants of death accountable
Oakland Tribune, 9/10/15

Wake up Sleeping Beauty, it’s time to kiss Prop 13 goodnight
Berkeleyside, 4/21/15

Eric Garner’s last words say it all
Oakland Tribune, 12/15/14

Target: military budget
Baltimore Sun, 11/26/08

It’s a crime to build another prison
Los Angeles Times, 11/25/01

TALKING ACROSS THE DIVIDE

Covid and the Negotiation of Public Space
The Forum, 10/25/22

Mask-Shaming Won’t Work. Try These 5 Things Instead
Yes! Magazine, 7/16/20

Yes, Conversations Can Change Minds
Progressively Speaking, 6/29/20

Civility and Its Discontents
Kosmos Journal, Summer 2020

Polarization and Alienation
Better Angels Media, 3/29/20

How to talk to the coronavirus deniers in your life
Salon, 3/29/20

For a Bernie win, stop dragging Warren supporters through the mud
Op Ed News, 3/7/20

Mistakes were made but not by me
Better Angels Dispatch,  12/19/19

How to deal with fake news
Better Angels Dispatch, 1/30/20

Is it time to put the Baby Trump blimp to bed?
Waging Nonviolence, 12/5/19

Talking Turkey about Impeachment
Alternet, 11/26/19

Could Elizabeth Warren’s Wit Be Her Downfall?
Tikkun, 11/1/19

Across the Divide (spoken word)
KQED Perspectives, 10/16/19

The Dangers of Dehumanization
Better Angels Dispatch, 7/25/19

The one question every American can ask themselves about impeachment
The Fulcrum, 10/15/19

Kavanaugh Retrospective
Better Angels Dispatch, 9/26/19

Insulting Trump voters won’t win them over
Alternet, 10/25/17

How to talk to Trump voters
Alternet, 9/18/16

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

“Why Local Clean Energy Matters,” Clean Power Exchange, 7/26/16

“From Local Pants to Local Energy,” Truthout, 6/30/16

“Why Are We Letting Corporate Water Barons Steal Our Future?”
Daily Kos, 1/4/16

“State Panel Must Reject Utility Attacks on Clean Energy”
Sacramento Bee, 12/16/15

“Down with PG&E Exit Fees”
Marin Independent Journal, 12/10/15 (ghost-written)

How to drought-proof California’s farms
High Country News, 9/24/15

Stop the Attack on Rooftop Solar
KQED, 9/15/15

Dear Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, It’s Not Me, It’s You
Story of Stuff, 8/31/15

California should invoke public trust doctrine
San Jose Mercury News, 8/6/15

UC should divest from fossil fuels
Berkeleyside, 6/1/15

Local governments should move quickly to create community choice energy programs
San Jose Mercury News, 3/27/15

Can Seven Billion Humans Go Paleo?
Earth Island Journal, 2/2/15

New PUC President should be clean energy visionary
Sacramento Bee, 11/10/14

Is Modern Technology Killing Us?
Truthout, 9/19/14

Power for the People
San Diego Union Tribune, 5/30/14 (ghost-written)

Solar for the 99%
Celsias, 8/27/12

BioChar Offers Bevy of Benefits for People and Planet
Celsias, 8/7/12

Organic Gardening 101
Ladies’ Home Journal (April 2009)

Why Cheap Gas is Bad, Very Bad
Christian Science Monitor, 2/23/09

The Other ‘Big One’
San Francisco Chronicle, 7/20/08

After Oil Supplies Dry Up, What’s Plan B?
San Francisco Chronicle, 8/26/07

Reduce, Reuse, Rejoice
San Francisco Chronicle, 12/16/06

Every Drop of Water
San Francisco Chronicle, 3/29/98

CHILDREN’S HEALTH AND EDUCATION

This is your child’s brain on porn
Medium (originally published in now-defunct Parentco 1/24/17)

No more good doggie: How rewards and praise hurt students
Medium, 9/28/16

5 reasons to say “hell no” to Hello Barbie
Medium, 12/9/15

Don’t turn students into praise junkies
BabyCenter, 11/6/15

How the Myth of the Meritocracy Ruins Students
Truthout, 11/2/15

Recess restriction is discriminatory and counterproductive
Berkeleyside, 11/17/14

Soda is the New Tobacco
San Francisco Examiner, 9/30/14

Soda Kills
Berkeleyside, 9/8/14

Boycotting Halloween
Babycenter, 10/24/13

Getting the Lead Out
Mothering, 9/15/08

Green Tea Pros and Cons
Pregnancy, 1/08

What’s in your water
Bay Area Parent, 5/07

PARENTING

Do Real Feminists Attachment Parent?
Journal of Prenatal and Perinatal Psychology & Health, Summer, 2007

Parenting in the Age of ‘Supernanny’
Znet, 5/14/07

How Democrats can reclaim family values and the White House
Mothers Movement Online, 5/07

ParentBling Magazines
Mothers Movement Online, 12/07

MEMOIR

No Soliciting
San Francisco Chronicle Magazine, 4/13/08

All in My Head
San Francisco Chronicle Magazine, 11/4/07

The Molester Who Lives on the Lane, July 2007
XOJane.com

Zen and the Art of Chewing Gum
(unpublished) 2006

The Year of Living Fearfully
Hip Mama (Issue #42, 2009)

Little Drummer Boy
(unpublished) 2006

Chills and Fever
(unpublished) 2006

Over Here, Over There
Smith, 8/16/07

The Last Card
Appears in Birth Writes: A Collection of Real Life Birth Stories (Inner Roads 2016)

The Otor Odge
in I Should Have Just Stayed Home, RDR Books (2003)

The Stuff in My Bag
(Finalist in Bellingham Review 2002 creative nonfiction contest)

Operation Infinite Anxiety
ABA Student Lawyer, 5/02

FICTION

You Live in Yonkers Your Whole Life, You Know
(Honorable Mention in New York Stories 2002 short fiction contest) 2000

The Kind of Girls Who Have Parties
(unpublished) 1998

Erica

Erica Etelson is a writer and depolarization activist.

Copyright © 2025 · Erica Etelson