Wondering where our past writers are now? Well, you’ve come to the right place! This year, we’re keeping up with the Review‘s alumni and showcasing our favourite pieces of their current work.

First up this week, spring 2007 editor Julia Belluz interviewed Richard Preston—author of The Hot Zone, the non-fiction thriller about Ebola published in 1994—about how the virus has changed in the last 20 years and what scares him most about it today.

After you’re through getting your blood pumping with that interview, settle in and read former Review instructor Lynn Cunningham‘s vividly personal tale of why quitting smoking is a long, lonely battle, because we don’t consider it a true addiction.

Finally, winter 2011 chief copy editor Ashley Csanady brought a unique take to the aftermath of the attack in Ottawa, compiling some of the most moving photos from the day after and visually parsing speeches made by Stephen Harper, Thomas Mulcair and Justin Trudeau.

That’s it for now, be sure to check back in next week for another edition of the Alumni Essentials.

Do you have a piece that should be featured here? Email the blog editor. And don’t forget to follow the Review and its masthead on Twitter.