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Dear Sugar

100 posts

Dear Sugar—the once-anonymous online columnist at The Rumpus, revealed in 2012 as Cheryl Strayed, author of the bestselling memoir Wild—is the person thousands turned to for advice about writing, relationships, and so much more. This column ran on The Rumpus from 2009-2012 and many of the pieces were collected for the book Tiny Beautiful Things. Read our full archives here.

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  • Dear Sugar
  • Rumpus Original

DEAR SUGAR, The Rumpus Advice Column #87: In the Direction of Real Life

  • Sugar
  • October 6, 2011
In fear and in pain and in faith, we swim there, to wherever that is, in the direction of real life.
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  • Dear Sugar
  • Rumpus Original

DEAR SUGAR, The Rumpus Advice Column #86: Tiny Revolutions

  • Sugar
  • September 29, 2011
Real change happens on the level of the gesture.
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  • Dear Sugar
  • Rumpus Original

DEAR SUGAR, The Rumpus Advice Column #85: We Call This a Clusterfuck

  • Sugar
  • September 15, 2011
I don’t know if your friendship is built to last a lifetime, but I know the game is worth the candle.
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  • Dear Sugar
  • Rumpus Original

DEAR SUGAR, The Rumpus Advice Column #84: The Distance of the Leap

  • Sugar
  • September 8, 2011
From what garden or pot or crack in the pavement did you grow? How did you get your water?
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  • Dear Sugar
  • Rumpus Original

DEAR SUGAR, The Rumpus Advice Column #83: The Major Notes

  • Sugar
  • August 25, 2011
We sing the song of parenthood in only the major notes. Were you there? Did you love full-throttle?
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  • Dear Sugar
  • Rumpus Original

DEAR SUGAR, The Rumpus Advice Column #82: The God of Doing it Anyway

  • Sugar
  • August 18, 2011
I’m here not only to give you permission, but also to say that you must. There is no other way.
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  • Dear Sugar
  • Rumpus Original

DEAR SUGAR, The Rumpus Advice Column #81: A Bit of Sully in Your Sweet

  • Sugar
  • August 12, 2011
This isn’t a spotless life. There is much ahead, my immaculate little peach.
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  • Dear Sugar
  • Rumpus Original

DEAR SUGAR, The Rumpus Advice Column #80: The Ordinary Miraculous

  • Sugar
  • August 4, 2011
It’s almost never until later that we can draw a line between this and that.
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  • Dear Sugar
  • Rumpus Original

A Grittier Acknowledgement of What We’re Up Against: A Sugar Addendum

  • Sugar
  • July 15, 2011
I meant to say there is no cure except to live the hell out of our lives, to take it apart, to put it back together, to dig it all up, and then fill the hole.
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  • Art
  • Dear Sugar
  • Rumpus Original

“SUGAR SAYS” Poster Now On Sale!

  • The Rumpus
  • July 14, 2011
A beautiful high-quality matte paper poster made up of quotes from everyone's favorite advice columnist, Sugar!
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  • Dear Sugar
  • Rumpus Original

DEAR SUGAR, The Rumpus Advice Column #79: Soul-Sucking Spirit Death

  • Sugar
  • July 7, 2011
When people allow dark crazy thoughts to rule their actions and emotions they like to drag other people into that dark crazy space, too.
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  • Dear Sugar
  • Rumpus Original

DEAR SUGAR, The Rumpus Advice Column #78: The Obliterated Place

  • Sugar
  • July 1, 2011
You have the power to withstand this sorrow. We all do, though we all claim not to.
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