A Socially Acceptable Breakdown

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By Patrick Roche ’14

Published Oct. 19, 2021

Roche’s debut poetry collection, A Socially Acceptable Breakdown (Button Poetry), draws on the struggle of coping with emotions and experiences that may not be fully accepted in society — like mental illness, grief, sexuality, and more — and learning to dismantle the stigma surrounding them.

Paw in print

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The October 2025 cover of PAW, featuring an illustration of a woman dressed like Superman, but the S on her chest is a dollar sign.
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October 2025

Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott ’92; President Eisgruber ’83 defends higher ed; Julia Ioffe ’05 explains Russia.