Biography
As Arnoldia‘s editor, I help authors and artists follow woody plants into realms of science, culture, and landscape. Our community of contributors has long set the highest standard for plant science, horticulture, the history of science, and all of the topics the magazine has covered throughout its history. In addition, we’re experiencing an efflorescence of new voices and perspectives in natural-history writing, as artists and humanists are explore the living world with newfound urgency. The Arboretum has so much to offer this new generation of writers and artists as we pursue our commitment to expanding equity in the landscape, advocating for biodiversity, and fighting climate change.
I come to Arnoldia from a career merging literary, scholarly, and musical forms of inquiry. I teach in the media-studies program at MIT, and I’ve written for such venues as The American Scholar, The Atlantic, Harper’s Magazine, and Orion. My 2017 book Tree (Bloomsbury), which explores the entanglement of trees with humanity from antiquity to the present, was inspired and informed by the Arboretum’s collections, landscape, and caretakers. And I’m a neighbor, living in Jamaica Plain’s Woodbourne area with my wife, Rebekah.
Education
MA, Creative Writing
Boston University
BA, Anthropology
The University of Chicago
