Two hands in dim light crafting a food of some kind - perhaps a wonton

Wǎnān

This poem was written by Marie Hua, winner of the 2026 Artistic Narrative section in the 2026 Humanities Center Tell Your Story Contest.   Tonight, my Nǎinai makes wontons: ground pork bok choy xiāmǐ  thumbs up! chop to mix, hǎo hǎo hǎo… We wrap them like small talk; like how on the way to buy …

A stream of light emerging through a window

Angle of Incidence

This essay was written by Paige Winegar Fetzer, winner of the Creative Nonfiction section of the 2026 Humanities Center Tell Your Story Contest.   Most of what I know about God has arrived sideways—caught like dust motes illuminated in a warm slant of light. The summer before I started graduate school, the sun slipped through …

a blurry group of people seated in a theatre, taken from behind

On “Goodness” and Moral Ambiguity

This essay was written by Sawyer Wood, BYU Humanities Center intern and student fellow. A few months ago, Wicked: For Good was released in theaters. As the concluding adaptation of one of Broadway’s longest-running musicals, it stood among the year’s most anticipated films, and seemed to be something the whole world was talking about. When …