ABOUT 

My writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, Parents and elsewhere, winning awards from the New York Press Association. I hold graduate degrees in Comparative Literature from the City University of New York Graduate Center and in Communications from Georgetown University. I've taught English Composition, ESL and journalism at colleges in California and New Jersey. 

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I also specialize in writing and strategic communications for mission-driven organizations, including nonprofits, companies working to combat climate change, and educational institutions. I've worked with Castilleja School, the U.S. Navy, St. Anthony Foundation, Google, Taiwan External Trade Development Council, Elemental Excelerator, Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, and others.  

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My nonfiction book about immigrant families was published by Beacon Press in 2021 (hardcover) and 2022 (revised paperback) and won the 2023 Sarton Women's Award for Nonfiction. I'm represented by the Robin Straus Literary Agency. I was born in the former Soviet Union and now live in California with my family and a hamster.