Lives

Short, powerful stories about meaningful life experiences.

The Best of Our Lives Column
For more than 20 years, The Times Magazine has published Lives, a series of incisive personal essays or as-told-to accounts. Here are some of our favorites.
By The New York Times Magazine
A Disobedient Woman
Defying obstacles, and her husband, to pursue an education and a career.
As told to Lauren Schenkman
Putting a Faithful Friend to the Test
The religion of a companion causes a sectarian split.
As told to Dmitriy Frolovskiy
Strangers on an 18-Hour Train
Discomfort and deliverance on a long trip through Pakistan.
By Rafiq Ebrahim
The Cat Named Morphine
Allaying suspicions on the Ukrainian front, with some unexpected assistance.
By Sandor Jaszberenyi
An Iraqi Immigrant’s Unexpected Role
Getting started in the United States means living through some surprises.
As told to Cynthia Agustin
Motorcycling Without the Mansplaining
Zen and the art of managing comments about your crew of women riders.
By Lily Brooks-Dalton
Looking for a Friend in Old Age
At 80, she has spent years alone in her Russian village.
As told to Dmitriy Frolovskiy
A Grim Discovery in El Mozote
Building a new home on the land where family members were killed.
As told to Sarah Esther Maslin
An Almost-Love Story
Disease comes between a young Nigerian couple.
As told to Chika Oduah