Madison Magazine writer honored in Best American anthologies | MADISON MAGAZINE

Two pieces by Madison Magazine contributing writer Jeff Oloizia were selected for notable mention in the 2025 editions of the Best American Series, which were released by Mariner Books on Oct. 21. These six volumes highlight the best writing of the year across essays, short stories, food and travel, mystery and suspense, science fiction and fantasy, and science and nature writing published by American authors.

Each Best American series editor vets hundreds of submissions from print and online publications, winnowing the field down to approximately 100 notable works to honor in each volume. Then a guest editor (typically a leading writer in the field) selects around 20 of those pieces for each book to republish in full.

Originally published in the January 2024 print issue of Madison Magazine, Oloizia’s “All the Lonely People” is noted in “The Best American Essays 2025” among works selected by guest editor Jia Tolentino of The New Yorker. The reported essay explores potential solutions to the loneliness epidemic declared by U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy in May 2023. Oloizia experiments with tempering his own moderate loneliness through cuddle therapy, behavioral economics and a University of Wisconsin–Madison course on human flourishing.

Oloizia was also given a notable mention in The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2025, edited by Susan Orlean of The New Yorker, for “Picturing An End to Alzheimer’s,” an article first published in Madison Magazine’s August 2024 print issue. Following the death of his father, Oloizia digs into emerging research on Alzheimer’s and the study of a groundbreaking potential treatment for the disease spearheaded by researchers at UW–Madison.

“Picturing An End to Alzheimer’s” additionally received an honorable mention in the health category of the 2025 American Society of Journalists and Authors Awards.

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