I once read that “art organizes the epiphanies—the sparks leaping between the in-here of ourselves and the out-there of something else.” Like art, storytelling can help connect our personal experiences to a more relatable, collective perspective. I love hearing about people’s choices, professional paths, and personal experiences. Storytelling always offers a way to learn about alternative ways of living or perhaps feel connected and comforted by the similarities. 

I grew up in rural California and my parents are both artists. I think that California along with my family’s interest in visual culture have had a big influence on me in my professional and personal life. Because of a rural childhood, near the coast, the natural world and environment have always been a place of comfort and a cause worth fighting for. I studied both history and art history and I continue to be interested in how we understand places and people through photography and film. I am also a runner and it’s my favorite way of discovering a new city when traveling.

I first started working with curators after graduating from college in 2007, and focused on building photography collections and organizing exhibitions. In 2011, I joined Aperture Foundation where I was hired in the editorial department to help project-manage the publishing of photography books. I love sequencing images to tell a story and pairing photographs with writing and graphic design.

In addition to writing, I work as a photography book editor and freelance with Aperture Foundation. I also am a photography researcher and support directors in building visual treatments and references. I studied the history of photography and think the medium is such a powerful way to understand the past. I also really love how working with photography can lead to projects that are wide-ranging. I have worked on photography books about mars, fashion in the 1990s, conflict in Central America, and conceptual photography made in Southern California, as examples.  I am also really interested in arts education and how artists teach creativity. People like Sister Corita, Ruth Asawa, and Black Mountain College are all particularly inspiring to me.

When I write I often consider the importance of the images and the visuals that accompany the writing. I am also always interested in thinking through where the writing will be published and the specific audience. I want to write in a way that is welcoming and inviting.

I moved to LA in 2021 and since being here I created a self-assigned reading list to better understand the city. I am now making my way through a stack of books and ephemera on my desk about Los Angeles including Sun Seekers, Into the Sunset: Photography’s Image of the American West, Judy Chicago: Los Angeles at Jeffrey Deitch Book of Postcards, and Los Angeles Standards. I also have a set of framed postcards from Dia Beacon of Lighting Fields which I was lucky to visit last fall. The postcards act as a helpful reminder of the big open field in the desert and a welcomed contrast to whatever is happening over email or in the busyness of everyday city life.

I have a small nook in my kitchen in my apt. where I like to write. There is a window that looks out to a big pepper tree and in the late afternoon, the shadows on the wall create the most wonderful light that feels very specific to LA. I also run with my phone often, and I am finding more and more that I have the urge to sit down on the curb or a bench and use my notes app to write mid-run.

I don’t know if this is exciting to many but I am running the Big Sur Marathon soon. I have always wanted to, not only because marathon training is fun (for some), but also because it’s a rare opportunity to run along a car-free Highway 1 and the Pacific Coast Highway.