freelance writer

I'm an award-winning SF Bay Area-based freelance writer fascinated by the geography, ecology and cultures of our world.

As a Ph.D. in Anthropology, I've been trained to observe and tell unique stories. I'm especially interested in revealing perspectives on the past that fall outside of mainstream history books and the local, national and global food traditions that inform community identities. I also frequently write about the natural world and the changing climate.

My work has appeared at NPR, Smithsonian Magazine, Atlas Obscura, Afar, Bon Appetit, Yes! Magazine, Vice, Fodor’s and a variety of other publications. I am associate editor at the San Francisco lifestyle magazine, 7x7.

Find a handful of recent articles below. For additional samples of my work, please contact me.

How the U.S. Almost Became a Nation of Hippo Ranchers

Smithsonian magazine

The Birds of Prey That Stand Guard Over California’s Vineyards

Atlas obscura

Enduring the Promise Land

hidden Compass

2023 Solas Awards, Gold in Adventure Travel Category

The Spirits Industry is Broken, But a Sustainable Revolution is Coming

Trip savvy

The Struggle With Altitude Sickness in the Ecuadorian Andes is Real

Fodor’s Travel

How to Use Lemongrass, the MVP of Aromatics

Bon Appetit

terrapin_wide-4921059eb6b461230974f5756df2dcb7663050c4-s1600-c85.jpg

Our Taste for Turtle Soup Nearly Wiped Out Terrapins. Then Prohibition Saved Them.

NPR

Haa'ku, Acoma Pueblo

A Route 66 Road Trip Through Indigenous Homelands

YES! Magazine, Summer 2019

2020 National Native Media Awards, Best Print Feature Story, Second Place

york and lewis and clark.jpg

What the Color “Haint Blue” Means to the Descendants of Enslaved Africans

ATLAS obscura