“Gently So”

A meditation on death, life, and a bucket of good earth. Published at Notre Dame Magazine.

"Proper Poetical Education"

My three-year-old asked me, “What does take a sad song and make it better mean?” This essay turns to Robert Frost to try to give my son an answer. Published at The Millions.

"Bones, Bones: How to Articulate a Whale"

In August 2020, I built a whale to hang in my university’s science building. This essay tells the story. Published at Longreads.

Selected as a Notable Essay in both the Best American Essays and Best American Science and Nature Writing 2023