I write about sex, youth, immigration, death rituals and practices, poverty, race, education and families for The New York Times Magazine, where I am a contributing writer. In addition to my work throughout the United States, I have reported from Japan, Thailand, South Korea, Myanmar and Guatemala and have written for The NYT Book Review, The Washington Post, Mother Jones, The Smithsonian, The Guardian, Slate, Salon, Lingua Franca, Elle, Glamour, The Philadelphia Inquirer and other publications. I have written essays for books, including “Sleeping Beauty” by photographer Lydia Panas and “Maybe, Baby: 28 Writers Tell the Truth about Skepticism, Infertility, Baby Lust, Childlessness, Ambivalence and How They Made the Biggest Decision of Their Lives.”

I was a finalist for the National Magazine Award. I was a Nieman Fellow at Harvard University and a Senior Ochberg Fellow at the Dart Center for Journalism & Trauma at Columbia University.

I have taught and lectured at Boston College, Harvard University, University of Pittsburgh, Penn State, the Christopher C. Georges Conference, the Alexander Rowan Writers' Festival and the Creative Non-Fiction Writers' Conference. I have also appeared on NPR'S 1A, WNYC's The Leonard Lopate Show, The Brian Lehrer Show, KPCC's Take Two and The NYT’s The Daily, among others.

In addition to writing and speaking, I currently teach writing at University of Pittsburgh's undergrad and MFA programs.