I am a middle-grade author, an award-winning journalist, and a global speaker on disability representation in the media based in New York City.
I write 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. It follows a talented disabled girl named April who loves all things Broadway and will do anything for a chance at the spotlight — even if it means stretching the truth. It’s a story about friendship, identity, and the masks we wear both in real life and onstage.
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.
By day, I work as a deputy editor at The New York Times on the Flexible Editing desk. 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. 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. 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. I’m also a former Knight Visiting Nieman Fellow, an honoree of Diversability’s D-30 Disability Impact List, and a recipient of the Disability Futures Fellowship. I give lectures, host journalism and creative writing workshops, and regularly speak on panels about disability representation in the media. Past appearances include Harvard University, the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, New York University Abu Dhabi, Asian American International Film Festival, Press Pass NYC and more. Interested? Find out where I’ll be next here.
I am a proud disabled woman. Since birth, I’ve worn a tracheostomy 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. In my spare time, I enjoy bullet journaling, pampering my turtle and my plant children, and trying new restaurants with my husband, Andrew.
