SELECTED REPORTING
My reporting focuses on science and the environment—particularly how humans have made sense of the world and our place in it and left our fingerprints all over its surface.
Prior to freelancing, I worked as an editor at The Atlantic’s urbanism project, CityLab, a staff writer and senior editor at Atlas Obscura, a contributing editor at Modern Farmer, and—long ago—an intern at the Detroit News and Free Press. I received my MFA in creative writing from Hunter College and have spoken about my work at various schools, conferences, and on NPR. My 2023 essay for the New York Times Magazine is a notable selection in The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2024.
My work spans books, longform narrative features, quick-turnaround news items, audio pieces, and reported essays.
Across these genres, my commitments remain the same: vigorous reporting, deep research, diverse sourcing, and dedication to clarity and accuracy.
MY BEATS
Pollution
“The Seine River Passed Its Test,” The Atlantic.
“This Fjord Shows Even Small Populations Create Giant Microfiber Pollution,” The New York Times.
Cultural heritage and climate
“The Archaeologists Saving Miami’s History From the Sea,” CityLab.
“The Bumpy Business of Hauling Historical Sites to Safety,” Atlas Obscura.
Ecology
“We’re Finally Getting a Picture of How Dangerous PPE Is for Wildlife,” Atlas Obscura.
“The Secret World Inside Tiny Fog Droplets,” Atlas Obscura.
“Walden Pond Is Full of Jellyfish,” Atlas Obscura.
Quirky science
“Sea Otter Teeth Are Gross But Really Useful for Scientists,” Atlas Obscura.
“Some Space Rocks Are Notorious for Being Stinky,” Atlas Obscura.
“How Do Stressed-Out Corals Smell?” Atlas Obscura.
Archaeology & Paleontology
“Archaeology in an East Village Classroom,” The New Yorker.
“The Thorny Problem of Tallying Every T. rex to Ever Live,” Atlas Obscura.
“Revelations From a Wine Barrel Filled With Renaissance Poo,” Atlas Obscura.
“The Strange, Smelly Chores That Keep Natural History Museums Running,” Atlas Obscura.
“What Do You Do When You Find a Mammoth on Your Farm?” Atlas Obscura.
“These Bronze Age Beetles Look Like They Just Died Yesterday,” Atlas Obscura.
“Jessica Leigh Hester drops feet-first into a Hadean underworld of tunnels and drains, bacteria and geology. Sewer proves that some of our most consequential urban achievements are seldom seen—and rarely so well illuminated. Come for the fatbergs, stay for Hester's lucid history of architecture and engineering, public health and political ambition.”
Geoff Manaugh, New York Times bestselling author of A Burglar’s Guide to the City
Buy it here, or request a copy for your local library!