What I Write About

I write essays about the tricky, often painful, and mostly hidden parts of pregnancy and motherhood: Why do we conceal the first trimester? Why is it so hard to become a family when baby arrives? What impact does motherhood have on marriage? What is it like to grow up in the shadow of stillbirths, or to experience a miscarriage? My motherhood work has been featured in Cup of Jo, The Cut, On Parenting, Motherwell, What’s Up Moms and The Millions, among other places.

These are the essays that have emerged out of the difficulty and beauty of being human. What’s it like to live abroad, to sell (or not) sell a book, to rely on others so heavily for advice, to deal with a life-altering injury? I write about the body, marriage, place, culture, food, feminism, gun violence, religion, chronic pain, home — you name it. These essays have been featured in The New York Times, Cup of Jo, O: The Oprah Magazine, Marie Claire, The Cut, Longreads, Electric Literature, The Forward, among other places.

After my career as a professional modern dancer ended in 2005, I got my start as a writer with an internship at Dance Magazine, and later joined the editorial team at Dance Spirit. My dance writing has touched on my own struggles with chronic pain and injury; how dancers actually make money; how social media impacts ticket sales; and so much more. I’ve written about modern, ballet, tap, hip hop and contemporary dance, and profiled artists like Debbie Allen, Emma Portner, the Syncopated Ladies, the dancers of Ailey II and Tiny Pretty Things, and many Broadway stars.