Amherst Reads About the Author

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Current Home
Brooklyn, NY

Place of Birth
Boston, MA

Education
BA, Amherst - 1999
MA, Human Geography, University of Toronto - 2002

Why did you choose to come to Amherst?
Even in high school I knew I wanted to be a writer, and--coming from New York City--I fell hard for the New England literary tradition of the college. I remember seeing the etching on the Lord Jeff bookstore bookmark, of the guy with a book and a pipe in front of a fireplace, and thinking that looked good.  

Favorite (most memorable or most influential) class at Amherst:
William Kennick's great books class, but less for the books themselves than the brutal one page essays each week. He demanded a real idea. And brevity.  

Favorite (most memorable or most influential) professor:
William Pritchard, Kim Townsend, David Sofield, Carol Clark, Joel Upton, Nicola Courtright, Peter Pouncey.

Research Interests?
I've been thinking a lot about the weather.

Favorite Book
Walden

Favorite Author
Somehow that's harder to choose.

Tips for aspiring writers?
Write every piece, no matter how dinky, as if it were your big break.

Tell us a bit about your path to becoming an author.
I began freelance writing for architecture magazines a few months after graduation, and never really stopped.