In Alphabetical Order (By Contributor’s Last Name)

Pamela Arturi An advocate for people with disabilities describes how she got rich.

Molly Bishop Shadel A law professor writes about juggling her wide-ranging legal career with a personal life.

Jen Boyer A helicopter pilot recalls how she worked her way to the cockpit.

Zach Brockhouse A surveyor contemplates the history of the land he’s mapping.

Mary-Katherine Brooks Fleming A former trader concludes that “crazy” is not always wrong. 

Alison Buckholtz A writer remembers getting fired from her very first job.

Gerald Casale A founding member of the ground-breaking and enduring band Devo reflects on what constitutes “work.”

Samantha Cole A prep school grad embraces her “inner laborer.”

Lilly Dimling The Operations Director for the Global Soap Project explains why she went from wine into water.

Leland Dirks A writer, and arguably the world’s most sociable hermit describes what it’s like to live, and work, off the grid.

Christine de Brabander A veteran business traveller fields some questions about what it’s like to spend a substantial amount of her time on the road for work.

Jan Devereux A former product manager talks about the job she was embarrassed to discuss at dinner parties.

Jane Doh A United Nations employee on the red tape that so often distracts from the work at hand.

Peter Elliott A retired corporate lawyer fact-checks Tim Kreider on Richard Scarry—but agrees that idleness is worth chasing.

Suzanne Farrow A former Enron employee gives us a glimpse at the humanity behind the headlines.

Bernard Fulton People have a lot to say about lobbyists. This is what one lobbyist has to say for himself.

Kate Gace Walton The editor of this site describes her search for what psychologists call “flow”—that exhilarating sense of being wholly absorbed by your work.

K.T. Garner A forest ranger in training who has cleared many campsites of bears says people are typically the most challenging of all the wildlife.

Menekse Gencer An entrepreneur finds inspiration for her mobile money business among the Maasai people of East Africa. 

Ken Gould A Work Stew reader doles out a few points of hard-won work wisdom. 

Ronald J. Granieri An historian pulls back the ivy to reveal what life in academia is really like.

Melissa Grieco Triathlons, dogs, animal rescue—an entrepreneur describes how she’s brought all of her passions into her newest venture.

Norman de Guerre A senior executive posits six questions to consider for people wanting to swap their job for a calling.

Amy Gutman A writer explores the question: When job opportunities are few and far between, is it acting spoiled to hold out for an offer you really want? 

Michael T. Heath Two essays: 1) a mild-mannered product tester goes rogue and 2) a parking enforcement officer describes a day in the life—one unusually good day.

Meg Heimovics Kumin A software developer reboots after three babies and two family crises and emerges as a photographer.  

Tasha Huebner A self-employed Wharton grad takes a hammer to the old chestnut, “Do what you love, and the money will come.”

Gopi Kallayil A Googler ponders the power of intention after an idea scribbled on a piece of paper almost immediately springs to life.

Gerald C. Kempthorne An 82-year-old retired physician reflects on his career in a small town–a town where Stalin’s daughter became his patient and lifelong friend. 

Paula Kiger A customer service professional recalls her breaking point.

Jean Kim A psychiatrist explains how a pair of sandals derailed her academic career.

Jack Kissler A retired high school shop teacher traces his path from grocery carts to Model Ts.

Gary Kott The Cosby Show’s screenwriter shares the secret of his success; it involves suitcases.

Dawn Leahy A chef who works on luxury yachts tells the tale of her toughest day on the job.

Heath Hardage Lee A biographer explains why she had to move to Iowa in order to write about the South. 

Lisa Maguire An investment banker considers her next move, possibly horse dentistry.

Malvolio A Harvard grad goes to Hollywood and gets fired—a lot.

Kevin McHargue A lawyer recalls the pop song that prompted him to leave his job and live the life he had intended.

John F. McMullen A technologist connects the dots in his 50-year career, and finds that it all makes perfect sense—in retrospect. 

T.J. Mitchell An email from a writer-husband to his forensic pathologist-wife.

Lindsay Moran An ex-spy 1) ponders the hazards of working while parenting and 2) following the Abbottabad raid, reflects on her decision to leave the CIA (two essays).

Peter Morningstar A pediatrician who loves his Bad Little Job.

Kelly Murphy Mason A minister describes the spiritual pilgrimage that led her down a new and surprising career path.

Alice Pekarkova A woman who has cleaned other people’s houses for more than eight years observes: “To some clients, I am part of the family. To others, I have become a friend. To a few, I am just the cleaning lady.”

Erica Photiades A young teacher who graduated from college and ran smack dab into the recession.

Marcy Porus-Gottlieb A career coach who typically likes to be the one asking people why they do what they do tackled that question herself.

Laurance Price A South African-born filmmaker thinks through his next move. Maybe mushrooms.

Amy Redd-Greiner A single mom reflects on her return to college 20 years after first starting to work towards her degree.

Rhino A soldier describes what it’s like to come home, including what goes through his mind when someone says to him, “Thank you for your service.”

R.P. Rodgers Two essays: 1) Lessons learned from an aspiring screenwriter and 2) the recollections of an adman from a kindler, gentler (smellier) time.

Terri Rowe A longtime factory worker reveals the secret identity that has sustained her since she was four years old.

Michael Sacopulos A lawyer describes how he came to represent both docs and cats. Big cats.

Marcy Schwab A banking executive gives us a glimpse into her decision-making process by introducing us to the voice in her head.

Kelley Alison Smith A global health specialist on walking away when you’re not a quitter.

Mark Spearman A communications professional on 1) finding meaning amid the cubicles and corporate speak and 2) the value of unions (two essays).

Indrani Stephania Stangl A Stanford University employee reflects on the fact that she’s chosen to separate her paycheck from her passion.

Jim Thomsen A former newspaperman on 1) riding a tide of “goofball confidence” all the way to a brand new life and 2) the heartache of chasing clients who don’t pay on time.

Stephanie K. Turner Two work-related poems by a teacher, translator and dabbler in the word arts. 

Alison Umminger A writer asks the vexing question, “What if one is *not* as awesome as one would like to believe?”

Dominique Veniez A yoga instructor describes her circuitous path to the mat—a path that she strives to travel anew each and every day.

Jeff Wenker A father of two concludes that he’s probably a better stay-at-home dad than Osama bin Laden ever was.

Shannon Winakur, M.D. A cardiologist weighs in on an article that claimed that 9 out of 10 doctors surveyed would *not* recommend the profession.

Ross Fredrick Williams A hairstylist-to-be discovers a human-haired wig—and a lifetime of happiness.

Robert Clark Young A writer who is currently working as full-time caretaker to his elderly parents seeks to augment his income—by trying to buy pre-IPO Facebook stock.