WRITING 

My freelance work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Newsweek, Time, The New Republic, Paper, Paste, The Awl, Lucky Peach, The Believer, Vice, T, Gizmodo, Literary Hub, Creative Loafing, and n+1.

AWARDS

  • 2022 Finalist, Health Reporting, South Asian Journalists Association

  • 2021 Emmy winner for Outstanding Edited Breaking News Coverage

  • 2021 Emmy winner for Outstanding Hard News Feature Story: Long Form

  • 2021 Emmy finalist for Continuing News - Short Form

  • 2020 Emmy winner for Outstanding Newscast

  • 2020 Emmy finalist for Outstanding Continuing Coverage of a News Story in a Newscast

  • 2020 Los Angeles Press Club, National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards winner, Best Multimedia Package

  • 2014 Louisiana/Mississippi Associated Press Media Editors, Second Place, Feature Writing

  • 2013 New Orleans Press Club Awards, First Place, Feature Writing

EXPERIENCE

Curbed, New York
NY, NY. Daily.

Writer
Nov. 28, 2022 — present

I’ve used the real estate beat to show my flair for finding sideways, second day angles on major stories. My pieces have been some of the site’s most read, led to change, and been emulated by major outlets. I take pride in coming up with more ideas than I can handle, and pulling on my experience writing off documents and reporting quickly as a traditional news reporter. My blogs show what I learned about aggregating memorable details as a television writer.

VICE News
Brooklyn, NY. Nightly.

Supervising Writer
Jan. 6, 2020 — Apr. 1, 2022

As head writer for the nightly news show VICE News Tonight, I built a team of four writers and a copy editor who together reported, wrote, and edited documentary packages, wrote directly for an anchor who delivered nightly monologues, and checked on-screen text. In this role, I defined the show's voice and editorial vision, set style and ethics rules, and helped dream up franchises. In March 2020, I reorganized the team’s workflow so we could produce the show remotely. I also helped create our Emmy-nominated cooking show, Counter Space. 

Show Writer
Jun. 4, 2018 — Jan. 6, 2020

I wrote scripts for VICE News Tonight, the nightly news program on HBO and, when it went dark, served as the senior producer on a team that produced a daily news update. In these roles, I worked with producers, editors, and correspondents to create concise and compelling mini-documentaries on deadline. I also pitched and reported my own ideas, directed and recorded voice talent, and filled in as head writer. 

CNN
Atlanta, GA. Daily.

Writer
Feb. 15, 2016 – May 11, 2018

To write scripts for CNN International on a fast-paced deadline, I honed skills in research, fact-checking, and working directly with talent. I wrote scripts for several shows and focused on coverage of the 2016 presidential election, the administration, and the Russia probes.

The Times-Picayune
New Orleans, LA. Daily.

Reporter
Jul. 1, 2013 – Jul. 17, 2015

I covered breaking news and politics and was regularly tapped to research, report, and shoot video for feature packages concerning everything from the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina to the case of a missing Lynda Benglis statue. 

The New York Times
New York, NY. Daily.

James Reston Fellow
May 2011 – Aug. 2011

I served as one of two reporting fellows assigned to the Metro section, where I filed multiple stories per day. I gravitated toward quirky features—sailing on a new ferry for an entire day, having my leg sucked by a leech for “medical treatment,” and following an artist’s tour of the city’s shadows.

University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN.

Graduate Instructor
Sep. 2010 – May 2013

While taking courses for an MFA, I taught introductory and intermediate courses in fiction writing and served as a teaching assistant for surveys of American and world literature.

MTV World
New York, NY. Daily. 

Blogger
Aug. 2009 – Jun. 2010

I managed a blog on global pop culture and wrote seven to twelve posts per day, while assigning and editing the work of up to four interns. 

The Greenpoint Gazette
Brooklyn, NY. Weekly. 

Staff Reporter
Feb. 2009 – Jul. 2009

I closely followed neighborhood news to pitch and write several stories per week for Brooklyn’s oldest continually operating weekly. 

Various
Beijing, China. 

Freelancer
Dec. 2007 – Oct. 2008

I published stories widely and produced a weekly podcast for local alt weekly That’s Beijing. I also transcribed press conferences for the Ministry of Propaganda—a job I wrote about for n+1. 

Time
Hong Kong. Weekly. 

Intern
Aug. – Dec. 2007)

Pitched and wrote stories for the Asian and International editions of the magazine, researched, and fact-checked. Freelanced beyond internship.

The Washington Post
Washington, DC. Daily. 

Intern
Summer 2006

Pitched and wrote an average of three stories per week for the Style section ranging from long-form features to concert and movie reviews. Wrote breaking news on a quick deadline. 

The New York Observer
New York, NY. Weekly. 

Intern
Summer 2005

Pitched and wrote articles as well as fact-checked and researched the stories of other reporters for publication. Wrote primarily for the nightlife section under editor Choire Sicha.

EDUCATION 

University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN
MFA, Creative Writing (Fiction), May 2013. 

Yale University
New Haven, CT
BA, English, May 2007.
Editor-in-Chief, The New Journal. 
Arts and Entertainment Editor, The Yale Herald.