Jenny Rough is a writer and former attorney with over 20 years of experience crafting stories for magazines, newspapers, and podcasts, and currently serves as letters editor for AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. She holds a J.D. summa cum laude from Pepperdine and a bachelor's in creative writing from Miami University.
1 min read • Originally published December 3, 2015 / Updated March 19, 2026
“That which is most personal is most universal,” said author Henri Nouwen. In personal essays, writers use material from their own lives and share it in a way that offers insight to the individual emotional experience. Usually submitted in advance (check each publication’s preferences), personal essays come in the long form, the short form and…