I am an award-winning journalist, a middle-grade fiction writer, and a global speaker on disability representation in the media based in New York City.
I’m an author of contemporary middle-grade fiction for children ages 9-12. My debut novel, CASTING APRIL, will be published by Knopf Books for Young Readers (under Penguin Random House) in the summer of 2026.
I work as a senior staff editor at The New York Times on the Flexible Editing desk, which means I edit a variety of stories from across the newsroom — breaking news, politics, science, culture, newsletters and more. I am also a global speaker on disability representation in the media and a freelance national reporter covering the intersection of disability, politics and culture. Previously, I was an editor and disability reporter at HuffPost.
I was named as one of Forbes’s 30 Under 30 in the Media division for 2022 for my efforts to expand and improve disability coverage in newsrooms across the country. In 2020, I was selected as a Knight Visiting Nieman Fellow to develop a curriculum to educate reporters on how to cover disability issues and train newsrooms to be more inclusive of disabled journalists. I was also recognized as one of 30 global disability leaders on Diversability’s D-30 Disability Impact List. I’m on the board for the National Center on Disability & Journalism and have previously judged the Katherine Schneider Journalism Award for Excellence in Disability Reporting. In 2022, I received a Disability Futures Fellowship, provided by the Ford Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the United States Artists.
As an author, I am represented by Alexander Slater at Greenburger Kids. I love to write about strong disabled characters with big hearts and big dreams. I am also a creative writing workshop facilitator at Paragraph NY, and I’ve served as a MG/YA scholarship judge for the Mendocino Coast Writers Conference.
I speak publicly for a wide range of audiences and institutions. I give university lectures, host journalism and creative writing workshops, and speak on panels about disability representation in the media. Past appearances include: Harvard, Lincoln Center, New York University Abu Dhabi, Princeton, Press Pass NYC, The Texas Tribune, Asian American International Film Festival and more. Interested? Check out my Events page for upcoming appearances, or book me for your next event.
I am a proud disabled woman. Since birth, I’ve worn a tracheostomy (trach) tube that helps me breathe. My disability is an integral part of who I am, and it fuels my passion for telling important stories and reporting on historically marginalized communities. I grew up in Boston and eastern North Carolina, and I spent my summers off from school in Shanghai, where my family is from. In my spare time, I enjoy bullet journaling, pampering my turtle and my plant family, and trying new restaurants with my husband.
