I’ve written and produced audio stories about lots of things, including why a Ukrainian publisher is selling weird editions of Jane Austen novels on Amazon, how a circus acrobat restarted her career after having both feet amputated, what to do when you get lonely traveling alone, why Japan’s government is paying single moms to move to small towns, and what it’s like to do karaoke by yourself in Tokyo.
Here are some of my favorite pieces:
RUSSIA AND former soviet union
Why Russians Are Lining Up for Soviet-Style Canteens (Atlas Obscura)
An International Amazon Mystery (episode #24 of Household Name, a podcast from Business Insider and Stitcher, which I reported from Ukraine)
Lines Of People Waited To Say Goodbye To Russian Human Rights Activist Lyudmila Alexeyeva (BuzzFeed News)
"The Americans" Reminds Us That Enemies Are People, Too (BuzzFeed News)
Cyclists Take Nighttime Ride Through Moscow's History (NPR)
Trial of Russian Protesters Threatens Right To Dissent (NPR)
Migrants Flock To Russia, But Receive A Cool Welcome (NPR)
How Russia Betrayed Central Asia's LGBT Community (BuzzFeed News)
Vladimir Putin's LGBT Refuseniks (BuzzFeed News)
The Chaos In East Ukraine Is Hitting LGBT People Particularly Hard (BuzzFeed News)
Meet The Tiny Theatre Taking On Europe's Last Dictatorship (BuzzFeed News)
29 Things You Will Only Understand If You Studied Russian (BuzzFeed)
ELECTIONS
Handwriting Disputes Cause Headaches for Some Absentee Voters (ProPublica)
Mail-In Ballot Postage Becomes a Surprising (and Unnecessary) Cause of Voter Anxiety (ProPublica)
ESSAYS
The best $115 I ever spent: a sequined circus costume (Vox’s The Goods)
My Dream Apartment Had Everything Except A Bed (BuzzFeed News)
When My Mother Taught Me How To Cook, She Taught Me How To Live (BuzzFeed News)
I Used To Be Ashamed Of My Fear. Then I Started Training As An Acrobat. (BuzzFeed News)
HealtH
Here's What It's Like To Get An Illegal Abortion (BuzzFeed News)
Adaptation after amputation: An acrobat finds new ways to fly (WHYY’s The Pulse)
This Is How an Aerial Performer Re-started Her Career After Having Both Feet Amputated (SELF)
10 Things Amputees and People With Limb Differences Want You to Know (SELF)
FAMILIES
23 Stories About Parental Leave In The United States (BuzzFeed)
Here’s What Parental Leave Is Really Like Around The World (BuzzFeed)
In Japan, these single moms and shrinking cities are trying a new start — together (The Christian Science Monitor)
Why Japan is paying single mothers to move to the countryside (PRI’s The World)
MEDIA
Behind the Freelance Curtain (Pressland’s News-to-Table)
James Goodale: It's a bad time for press freedom (Columbia Journalism Review)
TRAVEL
The Solo Traveler’s Guide to Dealing With Loneliness (Medium)
How to Manage Anxiety When You’re Traveling (Medium)
Tokyo's Best Karaoke Is Karaoke Sung Alone (The Daily Beast)
FAVORITE STORIES I’VE EDITED FOR YCTEEN
Navigating Life in a White School - Teen writer Christina reflects on her experiences as one of the only students of color at a majority-white private school in New York City.
Talking About Black Mental Health - Gabrielle explores why it’s so hard for her to talk to her parents about feeling depressed.
Saying “I Love You” in Spanglish - As Natalie learns more English at school, she feels distant from her Spanish-speaking parents.
Not Holding It All In Anymore - Growing up in a family that doesn’t talk about feelings, Q.Y.L. starts learning how to open up.
The Color of Beauty - Melissa confronts the colorism and sexism in her Guyanese family and community.
Not a Girl at All - An anonymous teen writer who is transgender and bisexual comes to terms with the fact that he can be out at school, but not at home.
How to Support Trans and Gender-Diverse Students - A trans teen shares tips for educators on how to make schools a safe space.
Tired of Being Called a Terrorist - Ruby decides to speak up about Muslim stereotypes.
Photo by Hugo Bruns on Unsplash.