Writer. Author. Scientist.
Curious Conversationalist.
I love to write and have one-on-one conversations with people. Many of my casual conversations, not meant to be “interviews,” end up with the other person saying to me, “I can’t believe I am telling you all of this!”
I’m genuinely curious about other people — I want to know what someone is thinking, why they did this or that thing, what makes them tick, and people tend to open up to me. This is even more fun when those people are scientists and I can help tell their story to a wider audience than they may have reached otherwise.
When I’m writing fiction, a solitary experience, I love punctuating the hours alone with conversations with experts on topics I need to understand more about, like crime scenes and clinical trials, for some recent examples.
What Do You Write?
I write about science and scientists, and about a lot of other things, too. I write about what I see and experience and about what moves me. I write short and long articles, stories, essays, songs, and poems. I hope to soon add “books” to this list. I write in my journal everyday, something as essential to me as brushing my teeth or a drinking a cup of coffee.
What's New?
November 16, 2023
I have started a podcast! It’s called Science Fare, and in it, I talk with scientists about their latest research and draw connections between the an aspect of the research and one or two of the high school science learning standards in that scientist’s state. Check out the trailer and the first few episodes of Season 1 on your favorite podcast app.
The Newburyport Literary Festival posted a video of my conversation with Alan Lightman.
I published two pieces in November. The first, Higher Educating appeared in the Princeton Alumni Weekly, and looks at what has changed in some of Princeton’s notoriously hard classes, like organic chemistry. The second, Black Gold appeared in the Loch Raven Review — an essay on the disappointment inherent in “maple sugaring” experiences.
The Latest:
Essays
Black Gold
November 16, 2023
On a March morning in 1984, I learned that maple sap is, in fact, not sweet. I had waited in line behind the other children in bowl haircuts and puffer jackets in primary colors. When it was my turn, I held my finger under the spigot screwed into a maple tree. Clear liquid, the consistency […]
Science Articles
Higher Educating
November 16, 2023
Princeton’s toughest classes may not look the same, but that doesn’t mean academic rigor is suffering. Illustration by Tim Bouckley Excerpt: In Claire Gmachl’s introductory physics class for engineers, first-year students work in teams to tackle problems such as: How much energy would a hyperloop (an ultra-highspeed transportation system proposed by Elon Musk) save, or […]
Podcasts
Jamie Morton on Finding Associations Between the Microbiome and Autism — Part 1
November 15, 2023
Jamie Morton, scientist and founder of Gutsy Analytics, talks about his June 2023 paper in Nature Neuroscience entitled, “Multi-level analysis of the gut-brain axis shows autism spectrum disorder-associated molecular and microbial profiles,” in which Jamie and 42 other authors re-analyzed prior datasets to discover new connections between the human gut microbiome and autism. *Available on […]
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What Kind of Conversations?
I talk with scientists and writers, and sometimes with the rare person who is both.
I talk with scientists about how they got involved in their research, what is exciting about it, what was hard about it, what was surprising about it, and what they want a reader to take away when I write about it. I often do this as part of background research for an article I am writing, but sometimes the conversation itself is the product.
I talk with writers about their journey and process as a writer. What inspires them? What moves them? Where do the ideas come from? Which parts of writing are easy and which are hard? I do this mainly at the Manor Mill Prose Nights, and informally whenever I have the chance to talk to a writer.
I am seeking opportunities to have more conversations as the end product, whether as a published interview, a live conversation at an event, or as a video or podcast recording. I love connecting with another person in a one-on-one conversation, and building a connection between that person and an audience.
Contact me to start a conversation →
Image: Susan Keatley talks with Madison Smartt Bell about his novel, The Witch of Matongé, at the first Manor Mill Writers Guild Prose Night.