Voice

Use your imagination to write the opening of a short story or poem inspired by this illustration — or, tell us about a memory from your own life that this image makes you think of.Post it in the comments, then read the related article to learn more.Want more Picture Prompts? Find them all in this…

Do you ever donate time or money to a cause you care about? If you don’t, would you like to? If so, what cause might you choose, and why?Tell us in the comments, then read a related article that describes how several New Yorkers found rewarding volunteer work like helping with a “shower bus” for…

The Times recently chronicled scenes of holiday shopping in New York City with archived photographs going back more than 80 years. Do you enjoy holiday shopping? Do you have any shopping traditions that you look forward to every year?Tell us in the comments, then read the related article to learn more.Want more Picture Prompts? Find…

Use your imagination to write the opening of a short story or poem inspired by this illustration — or, tell us about a memory from your own life that this image makes you think of.Post it in the comments, then read the related article to learn more.Want more Picture Prompts? Find them all in this…

Researchers at an artificial intelligence lab at the University of Washington say they have built a new technology that makes moral judgments. But it turns out that making such judgments can be as complicated for machines as it can be for humans.Do you think morals are universal or relative? Where do our ideas of morality…

What do you think this image is saying? How does it relate to or comment on society or current events? Can you relate to it personally? What is your opinion of its message?Tell us in the comments, then read the related article to learn more.Want more Picture Prompts? Find them all in this column.Students 13…

Use your imagination to write the opening of a short story or poem inspired by this illustration — or, tell us about a memory from your own life that this image makes you think of.Post it in the comments, then read the related article to learn more.Want more Picture Prompts? Find them all in this…

Do you often judge yourself harshly? Treat yourself worse than you treat others? Or, are you generally kind to yourself? According to a Times article, “Today’s teenagers are plagued by more distress than any generation on record,” but being compassionate to yourself — by doing things like noticing your feelings without judgment, and by realizing…

The movie “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” was released 20 years ago this month. Have you seen it? Are you a “Harry Potter” fan in general? If so, how have these books and/or films shaped you? What role have they played in your life? Tell us in the comments, then read the related article…

On Thursday, the United States celebrated the first Veterans Day in two decades without troops engaged in an active war overseas. And the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington, Va., commemorated its centennial, allowing the public access to the site for the first time in decades.Is Veterans Day an important day for you, your family…