Journalist & Author
Hi there! I’m a journalist and author, and currently work as an Associate Editor at Atlas Obscura, where I edit, report, and write original, wonder-inspiring stories.
I’ve written for National Geographic, Smithsonian, Gizmodo, Atlas Obscura, among others. My work has been translated into multiple languages and republished in Brazil, England, and Australia. My book The Beginners Guide to Alchemy is an Amazon bestseller with more than a thousand five-star reviews. Callisto and Rockridge Press published the book in May 2020.
Journalism Portfolio - selected work
History
Medieval elites used handwashing as a shrewd ‘power play.’ Here’s how. for National Geographic
The before-meal wash was an important ritual for peasants and nobility alike—especially since people often ate with their hands.
This article has garnered over a million views and became the second most-read article on Apple News after its publication.
Read the full article here.
She Was There series for Atlas Obscura. In this Q&A series, I talk to female scholars who are writing long-forgotten women back into history.
Uncovering the Secrets of a Forgotten Viking Town for Atlas Obscura
Did a Viking Woman Named Gudrid Really Travel to North America in 1000 A.D.? for Smithsonian
Is This $88 Portrait the Work of a 17th-Century Flemish Master? for Atlas Obscura
Why Is Scotland Apologizing Now for Witch Trials 300 Years Ago? for Atlas Obscura
Stephanie St. Clair, Harlem’s ‘Numbers Queen,’ Dominated the Gambling Underground and Made Millions for Smithsonian
The Long, Hidden History of the Viking Obsession With Werewolves for Atlas Obscura
How Medieval People Tried to Dance Away the Plague for Gizmodo
The Ouroboros, From Antiquity to AI for Gizmodo
The Patriarchal History of Viking Warrior Women’s Mythic Status for Lady Science
A Medievalist's Guide to Magic and Alchemy in A Discovery of Witches for io9
The Real Jeanne Baret and Untangling Women Scientists from the Patriarchy for Lady Science
A Brief History of Medical Face Masks for Gizmodo
science
For this community of “space cowboys,” entrepreneurs, and enthusiasts, a fireball streaming across the sky offers big risks and bigger rewards. But these hunters will need to act fast if they want a piece of it—literally.
Read the full article here.
To Rediscover a Rare Cave Crayfish in Alabama, Grab a Snorkel for Atlas Obscura
Monkeys Love Their Alcohol for Atlas Obscura
For Sale: Moon Dust Collected by Neil Armstrong for Atlas Obscura
The World Has Two New Flying Dinosaurs for Atlas Obscura
The Tricky Business of Saving a Baby Beluga for Atlas Obscura
Inside the Years-Long, International Effort to Save One Tiny Mexican Fish for Atlas Obscura
The Northernmost Island in the World Was Just Discovered by Accident for Atlas Obscura
Film & tv
There are more than 800 years between the stories of Viking god Loki first being written down and his arrival in the Marvel cinematic universe. Read all about how the god of mischief shapeshifted into an MCU superhero here.
The Middle Ages weren’t as sexist as Game Of Thrones would have you believe for the AV Club
How the Ancient Art of Alchemy Explains Star Wars for Inverse
A Medievalist's Guide to Decoding the Creatures in Godzilla: King of the Monsters for io9
A Medievalist’s Guide to Decoding The Witcher’s Monsters for io9
Five Period Romance Films any Feminist can Love for Film Daily
The Show Goes On: Picks for the 2020 New Orleans Film Festival for AntiGravity
The Brutal History Behind Jennifer Kent’s The Nightingale for Certified Forgotten
Five Bingeable TV Shows & Movies Filmed in New Orleans for AntiGravity
Top 5 Feel Good Medieval TV Shows & Movies for AntiGravity
Travel
“The original cause of trouble” was when a nine-year-old girl received a copy of Arabian Nights. At least, that’s how Freya Stark would explain her wanderlust more than 30 years later in the preface of her 1934 travelogue, The Valley of the Assassins. Fast forward more than a century later, and another book inspired a different young girl’s adventures to far-flung corners of the globe. That child is now British adventurer Elise Wortley, who’s about to embark on her most daring trip yet. In spring 2022, Wortley will follow Stark’s most famous journey to the Valley of the Assassins. Read the full article here.
The History and Mystery of Yemen’s ‘Well of Hell’ for Atlas Obscura
To Join This Community of People Who Speak to the Dead, Prepare to Be Tested for Atlas Obscura
The Dark History of Hawai‘i’s Iconic Hand Gesture for Atlas Obscura
Will the Gates of Hell Be Closed Forever? for Atlas Obscura
For Sale: A Grand Old President (That Happens To Be a Tree) for Atlas Obscura
9 Female Adventurers Who Journeyed Into the Unknown for Atlas Obscura
How to Spend a Long Weekend in New Orleans for Culture Trip
5 Precariously Placed Monasteries for Mental Floss
How Adrift could be a better Representation of Female Travelers for Film Daily
politics
The Biden-Harris administration's first environmental racism challenge may be Formosa's $9.4 billion petrochemical 'ethane cracker' in St James Parish, Louisiana. Read all about it here.
A Black ‘Cancer Alley’ Community Makes Gains Against Massive Plastics Plant for Drilled News
The Secret History of Panamá’s Most Colorful Clothes for Atlas Obscura
So What Has Actually Changed Since #MeToo Started? for the Mary Sue
Why you should follow people you personally disagree with on social media for UpWorthy
Personal Essays
How A Doll’s House Part 2 and Brett Kavanaugh Taught An Actor How To Listen for Stage & Candor
What does it take to make a nation listen? What about when that same country is in the midsts of the most controversial supreme court hearing in recent memory? Maybe we all just have to learn to listen a bit more as I posit in this personal essay.
How A Doll’s House Part 2 and Brett Kavanaugh Taught An Actor How To Listen for Stage & Candor
Your Hair is Long for World Nomads
To view my most up-to-date portfolio, check out my Muck Rack page.