Bio

I have worked as a magazine editor, professor of journalism and media studies, high school English teacher and program director at a number of education non-profits. I hold a PhD in communications from Columbia University and two degrees from NYU. I speak fluent Spanish.

In addition to my various collaborations with young writers, I’ve also designed professional development programs for their teachers and essay competitions and service learning programs for hundreds of schools. On the side, I’ve translated and consulted for immigration attorneys, urban planners, book publishers and the producers of Broadway shows, podcasts and movies.

A lifelong New Yorker, I began my career working in second-hand bookshops, old-time revival movie houses and ghetto schools. I have an encyclopedic knowledge of the city, its neighborhoods and history.