Marina Benjamin

Senior Editor, Aeon+Psyche

Marina is a former arts editor of the New Statesman and deputy arts editor of the Evening Standard newspaper in London. Her books include, Living at the End of the World which looked at end-time cults, Rocket Dreams, an off-beat elegy to the Space Age, and Last Days in Babylon, the story of the Jews of Iraq. Marina specialises in the culture of science, developmental psychology and strong personal narratives. Her acclaimed memoirs The Middlepause and Insomnia have been translated into 9 languages. Her latest memoir A Little Give will be published in 2023. She can be found on Twitter @marinab52.

Edited by Marina Benjamin

Photo of a charred landscape with a narrow path leading through burnt terrain towards a distant hill under a clear blue sky.
CAREGIVING
7

Defensible space

My husband was in crisis and our home faced wildfire. When it came, I saw the cost of holding the line

by Moonshine Matthiessen

Photo of an art installation featuring multiple monitors displaying black and white images in a dimly lit room.
TECHNOLOGY AND MEDIA
10

Why AI’s hallucinations are like the illusions of narcissism

Unable to handle uncertainty, AI mimics the narcissistic compulsion to fill voids with plausible but false narratives

by Jennine Gates

Shadows on a wall, showing silhouettes of people and plants. A chair and a plug socket are partially visible.
VIOLENCE AND AGGRESSION

Sticks and stones and words

A smart, educated woman, there’s no way I could have ended up in an abusive relationship, could I?

by Zoe Michaels

Photo of a cross in the sky with a blurred rainbow-coloured flag in the foreground.
SEX AND SEXUALITY

Severe joy

I wanted conviction to tell me if I could be gay and Catholic. My convictions told me something bigger

by Will Martino

Illustration of a couple holding hands walking past a giant cheque that unravels to reveal a scenic view of a bridge over a river and the Eiffel tower.
LOVE

My swindler sweetheart

I was a pushover with a habit of picking cheating men as boyfriends; then one of them pushed me too far

by Patricia Olsen

A dog with a leash standing on a carved wooden bench in front of a field and bare trees under a cloudy sky.
ANIMALS
2

Dog day blues

We were a new stepfamily, and only the puppy was missing. With Elsa, we lobbed a grenade into the mix

by Lily Dunn

Illustration of a night scene with musicians performing, a person on a chair, a bird flying and mountains in the background.
MEMORY AND NOSTALGIA
1

Synchronicity

Long ago, I gave a boy a greenfinch. That moment followed me in ways I’m still puzzling over

by Katia Ariel

A white wolf standing on a rocky surface with a grassy background, tongue out, looking forward.
HUMANISTIC AND EXISTENTIAL THERAPY

Alone with a she-wolf

Time slowed and adrenaline kicked in. The creature studied me, just another element in nature

by Melanie McGrath