Jessica Wakeman
Writer + editor
Present: Staff reporter at Mountain Xpress in Asheville. Always: Writer and editor with over 19 years experience covering politics, culture and health, with a solutions journalism focus. Reach me at jessica dot wakeman at gmail dot com.
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How Choire Sicha Is Steering Style in a Crisis
The man behind the curtain of the New York Times’s most innovative section emerged fully formed from the Internet. But the Style section's reputation for lightness is running up against our chaotic moment.
Bustle
The Women Of Democratic Socialism Prove The Movement Isn't Just A Bunch Of Sexist White Guys
Meet the young women joining the Democratic Socialist movement in the wake of the 2016 election.
Glamour
Men Who Scream at Work Aren't "Passionate." They're Abusive.
The toxic effect of verbal harassment in the office.
melmagazine.com
The Delicate Art of Writing a Believable Sexual Predator
Kate Elizabeth Russell, the author of the new book ‘My Dark Vanessa,’ talks about what men can take from her portrait of an abusive bond.
Mountain Xpress
UNC Lab Assists with Local Drug Checking
Last year, Sunrise began participating in a nationwide drug-checking program. The nonprofit collects substances or drug paraphernalia samples from people who use drugs and want them checked, then anonymously mails them to a UNC Chapel Hill laboratory.
Mountain Xpress
NC's 12-week Abortion Ban Adds Layers of Red Tape
North Carolina's SB 20, which went into effect July 1, 2023, bans most abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy. In the case of rape or incest, abortion is allowed up to 20 weeks.
Mountain Xpress
The Plight of Asheville's Unhoused Population and Their Pets
Randy Tucker has a shadow, and her name is Star. Tucker is one of hundreds of people in Asheville with no fixed address. He and Star live in his van, which has a mattress for him and a large crate in the back for her.
Rolling Stone
Virtual Brothels: How Teledildonics Is Revolutionizing Sex Work
Customers can experience cam girls like never before.
The New York Times
Book Review: ‘Jersey Angel,’ by Beth Ann Bauman
A review of the YA novel with mature themes.
Mountain Xpress
Couple Shares Journey After Infant Loss
Abigail Mary Elizabeth Crawford’s life started sometime in the weeks before Oct. 4, 2020. That was the date her mother, Jenna Crawford, giddily leapt on top of her sleeping father, Garry Wynn, holding a positive pregnancy test at 5:30 a.m.
Mountain Xpress
Forensic Nurses Play Key Role After Assaults
Few crimes are more personal than sexual assault and collecting evidence that may lead to a conviction of an attacker can be traumatic and invasive. That’s where trained forensic nurses can make a difference.
Mountain Xpress
WNC Explores Psychedelic Mushrooms for Mental Health
People who use mushrooms for depression or anxiety often have a clinical history of using pharmaceutical antidepressants or anti-anxiety medication.
Food & Wine
This Chef Helps At-Risk Women Feel at Home for the Holidays
Abigail Hitchcock teaches residents of a Manhattan shelter to cook healthy dishes they can make cheaply and easily on their own.
Medium
I Shared My Sex Life with the Entire Internet
I’m reckoning with the fact that there’s a lot of very personal details about my sex life online from a specific time of my life that was pretty different from the one I have today.