Flight of the Condors Is A Finalist
My article Flight of the Condors, originally published in Alta Magazine, was a finalist in the 64th Southern California Journalism Awards. Read the full list of winners here.
Category Writing – Nonfiction
Alta Article: Tin Can Mailman
For Alta Magazine, I wrote an ode to my favorite childhood bookstore, Tin Can Mailman in Arcata, California. I also wrote a round-up of North Coast Bookstores.
Mental Floss: Mary Astor’s Purple Diary, Old Hollywood’s Most Infamous Sex Scandal
For Mental Floss, I wrote 10 Juicy Facts About Mary Astor’s Purple Diary, Old Hollywood’s Most Infamous Sex Scandal. This scandal was a huge inspiration for my novel, Right Back Where We Started From. Poor Mary Astor was done dirty.
Alta Live: Why Mark Twain Canceled Bret Harte
I was invited by Alta Magazine to discuss my article When Mark Twain Canceled Bret Harte on Alta Live. I was joined by Russell Jeung, professor of Asian American studies and one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of…
Article: Make It Rain
For Alta Magazine I wrote about cloud seeding. Did you know we already have the ability to increase precipitation in clouds? And that we’ve been doing it since the 1950s? And that the technology was invented by Kurt Vonnegut’s brother?…
Article: When Mark Twain Canceled Bret Harte
I have a new article in Alta Magazine! It’s about the 30 year literary feud between Mark Twain and Bret Harte. 30 years! That Mark Twain could really hold a grudge. Read about it here.
Article: Haunted by Houses
Over at the Los Angeles Review of Books, I wrote about gothic horror, Shirley Jackson, and California Victorians: RIGHT BEFORE SHIRLEY JACKSON began working on her 1959 novel The Haunting of Hill House, a postcard depicting a California mansion started…
Right Back Where We Started From Book Trailer
My book has a book trailer! MARCIA made it for me! She is the best!
The Curious Reader By Mental Floss
So happy to have contributed to The Curious Reader by Mental Floss! It’s full of facts about authors and their books, from Jane Austen to JRR Tolkien. From the publisher: Readers rejoice From Mental Floss, an online destination for more…
USA Today Article: Is It Finally Time To Turn Against Workaholism?
For USA Today, I wrote an article about the consequences of hustle culture and its roots in the California Gold Rush. Excerpt: Whether it’s called hustle culture or toxic productivity, workaholism is now mainstream. For the past few years, the…
LitHub Essay: All in the Timing
For Literary Hub, I wrote an essay called All in the Timing: On Publishing a Novel Nine Years After Giving Up on It. It’s the publishing story of my novel, Right Back Where We Started From, which I finished way…
Article: Mary Astor’s Purple Diary, Old Hollywood’s Most Infamous Sex Scandal
For Mental Floss, I wrote about a juicy 1930s Hollywood scandal involving Mary Astor’s Purple Diaries. It’s one of the first Hollywood sex scandals–plus it inspired part of my novel, Right Back Where We Started From, which starts in 1930s…