Stuff I’ve written

I’ve written essays and criticism, print and web features, and reported pieces, mostly about books (nearsighted bookworm), science (geology degree), and nerd stuff (raging nerd). For the determined Internet stalker, find a more comprehensive list of articles here.

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Essays

“My Unlikely Connection to Steely Dan,” The New Yorker

“Can This Two-Week Program Make You a Better Reader—And Do You Want It To?,” Electric Literature

“Why I Hide from Writerly Dread in the Pages of Self-Help,” Literary Hub

“Looking Up,” University of Chicago Magazine. An essay in which I wax sentimental about the summer I spent hunting gargoyles at my alma mater.

Book Criticism

The Best Books for a Broken Heart, The Atlantic

Chinatown by Thuận, Astra Magazine

Nine Books Overshadowed By the Pandemic, The Atlantic

Vagabonds! by Eloghosa Osunde, The New York Times Book Review

The Every by Dave Eggers, The New York Times Book Review

Four debut novels, The New York Times Book Review

Three short story collections, The New York Times Book Review

Having and Being Had by Eula Biss, Guernica

Stories of the Sahara by Sanmao, trans. Mike Fu, Bookforum

Dead Astronauts by Jeff VanderMeer, The New York Times Book Review

Three Dystopian Novels, The New York Times Book Review

How to Do Nothing by Jenny Odell, The Believer

Sourdough by Robin Sloan, San Francisco Chronicle

The New York Times for Kids

I contribute frequently to the New York Times for Kids, a print section in the New York Times on the last Sunday of every month.

  • For the July 2021 issue, I catalogued 12 different types of clouds, from cirrus to cumulonimbus to contrails.
  • Cats vs. Dogs: For this very special March 2020 themed issue, I charted out how dogs and cats, over thousands of years, have transformed from feral animals to our adorable best friends.
  • “The Body Issue”: The December 2019 section included a four-page, nearly life-sized spread dedicated to how kids’ bodies work, annotated by me and Nick St. Fleur.
  • For the October 2019 section (Halloween-themed!), I wrote a story cataloging more than 40 phobias, both strange and common.
  • For the November 2017 kids section, I wrote a cover-story explainer of how CRISPR works, complete with a prediction matrix and a how-to guide.

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