A drawing of various caricature heads all connected by dotted lines (symbolizing a family tree)

Will’s Essays

“My father retired as an investigator.

Then he began investigating our family tree.”

Published in The Boston Globe Magazine.

Image of alien with blurred out face

“2021 was so weird, that big UFO news

totally went over our heads.”

Published in The Boston Globe Magazine.

Illustration of a goldfish in a fishbowl with abstract background.
Illustration of a person with a half-smiling expression, dark hair, wearing a purple outfit against a yellow background. The name "Pamela Colman Smith" is written at the bottom.

“Meet my emotional support goldfish.”

Published in The Washington Post’s Inspired Life.

A classical portrait of a historical man wearing modern sunglasses.

“The nearly forgotten mystical

artist who still foretells fates.”

Published in The Boston Globe.

“The myth of the Mozart Effect.”

Published in Skeptic Magazine.

A person examining a framed photograph with a magnifying glass next to a vintage lamp on a floral wallpaper background.

“DEAD AND BREAKFAST:

He spent the night in Lizzie Borden’s bed”

Published in The Patriot Ledger.

A pink silhouette of a fairy with wings, wearing a dress and a bun hairstyle, sitting on a moon and holding a star wand amidst pink stars in a night sky.

“Once upon a time, my goddaughter loved

fairy tales and searching for fairies.”

Published in The Boston Globe Magazine.

Child riding a tricycle down a hotel hallway with patterned carpet.

“A Room with a Conspiratorial View.”

Published in Skeptic Magazine.

Poets & Writers logo in black text on a white background

“Will Dowd Recommends....”

Published in Poets & Writers Writer’s Recommend series.

Lithub link

“Autumn Has Always Been Poets' Season.”

Published in Lit Hub.

Blood moon during lunar eclipse with stars in the night sky

“A celestial body, starring

in the night sky near you.”

Published in Boston Globe.

Large blue industrial dome and smokestack in urban setting

“Thirty-Six Views of the Nuclear Reactor.”

Published in Hippocampus Magazine.

5-Minute Memoir logo with the subtitle 'Tales From the Writing Life'

“Writing in the Dark.”

Published in Writer’s Digest Inkwell column.

Writer's Digest logo with "WD" in a red circle above the text.

“Rethinking Writer’s Block.”

Published in Writer’s Digest.

Radio and Audio

pink moon Will Dowd.jpg

“The Child Moon”

Originally aired on WVIA-FM’s ArtScene with Erika Funke.

Will+Dowd+Harry+Houdini+Margery.jpeg

“The Magician v. The Medium”

Originally aired on WVIA-FM’s ArtScene with Erika Funke.

“The Recovering Joycean”

Originally aired on WVIA-FM’s ArtScene with Erika Funke.

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“Finding My New Voice”

Originally aired on NPR’s Morning Edition as part of WBUR’s Cognoscenti.