I work with passionate, heart-forward people who unabashedly want their work to create big changes. Through accessibly-written research and engaging stories, I help experts bring their ideas to a wide, general audience. I specialize in history, science, and health, but the beating heart behind anything I work on is a desire to bring more compassion and complexity to our intellectual conversations.

Ghostwriting

As a Ghostwriter I am an integral part of shaping and writing a book as a whole. Starting in the book’s very earliest stages, I work closely with the author to help mold their ideas, research, and anecdotes into a compelling and cohesive story.

As we develop the work, I will collect material (interviews, research, primary source documents) and develop understanding of what you want to convey. I’ll then create and edit drafts with you to bring your story and ideas to life.

Book Doctoring

When a book is fully (or nearly fully) drafted, but is facing some kind of roadblock, I can be hired as a Book Doctor to help bring it home for publication.

In this role, I work to diagnose trouble spots and work closely with the author to address those, bring the book together as a whole, and prepare the manuscript to be accepted for publication.

Coaching & Consultations

I think of coaching work as a continuation of my work as a teacher. In this role, I’ll look at your writing with attention to your goals for your next draft or how you’d like to position it in the market, consider the best next steps to help you get there, and have a conversation with you about it. This is typically a package of calls responding to multiple drafts or a particular need.

I also consult with both individuals and agents on book proposals, providing an outside perspective before the proposal goes to editors. I comment on the proposal, consider its greatest strengths and identify a few places for improvement in a 1-2 page letter, and then provide a followup phone call to brainstorm the best path forward.

On Collaboration

I come to the work of collaboration as both a teacher and a writer, and so I know how to guide and I also know the experience of being guided. I know how much of our hearts we put on the page when we write. I know that a collaborator needs to treat the writing with respect as she works with the author to bring it to the next level, and so I work to encourage growth in the writing while staying true to the author’s voice and intentions.

I bring my skills as a narrative nonfiction writer to all of my collaborations. My essays have appeared in The Believer, Harper's Magazine, McSweeney’s Quarterly Concern, and in the anthology Pittsburgh Live/Ability, and my work has been recognized by Longreads, Longform, and Best American Essays. My book, The Invention of Miracles: Language, Power, and Alexander Graham Bell’s Quest to End Deafness, blends memoir, historical narrative, and an extended argument for disability justice. It was reviewed on the front cover of the New York Times Book Review, was named a NYT Editors’ Choice book, and was a finalist for several prestigious prizes from Harvard University, Columbia University, PEN America, and the British Academy. 

To ghostwriting and collaborative work, I also bring my skills as a researcher and journalist. I’ve received research fellowships from both the Massachusetts Historical Society and the Library of Congress, and I excel in taking raw material—whether rough drafts, interview material, blog posts, or news coverage—and shaping it into a compelling narrative or argument.

As a person who was raised in a family of inter-generational deafness, I am committed to using my skills to forward disability justice movements. I am also committed to working with storytellers and thinkers from groups underrepresented in their fields.

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Photos by LeeAnn K Photography