Journalism & Essays
Here are a few samples of my written work.
For a full list of clips, please see my Contently portfolio.
The New York Times His Doughnuts Were Getting Really Popular. Then He Was Shot in the Face.
Foodies visit the Black Label Donuts pop-ups in Bayside, Queens, from near and far. The man who makes the Asian-flavored baked goods has had a rough year: in June, he was shot in the face
The New York Times A Waltz for a Soccer Game? This Composer Sets the World Cup to Music
10 years ago, the German musician Carsten-Stephan Graf von Bothmer looked at the game and saw it in a different light: as a silent film in need of a musical score.
The New York Times Five Places to Go in Düsseldorf
The enclave in Düsseldorf, Germany, known as “Little Tokyo on the Rhine” — one of Europe’s largest Japanese communities — offers visitors a deep dive into Japanese culture with its growing food scene.
Intercontinental The Dreamlike Collage Photography of Cooper & Gorfer
Frida Kahlo once said, “They thought I was a Surrealist, but I wasn’t. I never painted dreams. I painted my own reality.” She could have been describing the work of Cooper & Gorfer.
National Geographic: The Contentious History of the Passport
The concept of a worldwide passport standard is relatively new, created in the aftermath of the First World War.
The Atlantic Why a Classic German Children's Tale Is Ripe for Revisiting
A 45-year-old fantasy novel by the author of The Neverending Story is in many ways a fitting companion to A Wrinkle in Time.
Curbed The Dark Side of Living in a Secret Berlin Building
After a while, you just want to live in a normal building on a normal street, where no one ever tries to take a selfie
Saveur North German Fishermen Take a Cue from Spain and Portugal
The Baltic island of Hiddensee has long called out to travelers. An oddly shaped strip of land, it’s known for reedy beaches, waddle-roofed huts, and ban on cars.
Edible Queens Foodspotting: Akrotiri
At Akrotiri, Chef Nicholas Poulmentis unearths seeds that lay dormant for centuries, then transforms them into something delicious, entirely original and worth a special trip to Astoria
CityLab In Berlin, This Coffee Shop Is a Microcosm of the Changing City
The iconic Café Kranzler got a makeover. Now, the coffeehouse illustrates the schism in a city caught somewhere amid historic and hip.
The Independent How Berlin's Ugliest Building Became Its Coolest Art Gallery
Forget “poor but sexy.” The quote that best describes Berlin is from German cultural critic Karl Scheffler, who called it a city “condemned always to be becoming but never to be”.
The Atlantic Why Fans of Elena Ferrante Should Watch “The Best of Youth”
While the six-hour run time might scare off some, this striking 2003 epic doesn't waste a moment of its story about two brothers living in postwar Italy.
Vox A Workshop with An Alleged Literary Grifter
I spent a week in Provence with Anna March. To me, it was worth it.
Edible Queens Journey of a Cocktail Crate
How one dissatisfied boozehound traveled the world to create the ultimate craft cocktail mixers.
The New York Times A Destination Restaurant in Remote Sweden Gets a Pop-Up Pairing
At Fäviken, his beloved restaurant in Åre, Magnus Nilsson adds a rotating pop-up restaurant Uvisan, cocktail bar Svartklubb and cafe and bakery Krus.
BBC Travel How Sausage Flavours the German Language
It was all but inevitable that pork would become thoroughly baked into the German psyche, its savoury juices trickling down into everyday speech.
BBC Travel The Myth Behind German Efficiency
In fact, German efficiency is a myth, with roots in religion, nationalism, enlightenment thought and a few major wars.