Bio
A bit about me: I’m a court-appointed special advocate (CASA) who believes deeply in the transformative power of showing up. For the past decade, I’ve stood alongside children and families navigating the complexities of the child welfare system. My Other Kids: A Memoir of Child Advocacy and the Power of Showing Up is the story of how four siblings—and the system meant to protect them—changed the course of my life.
This book is a love letter to the family we choose, the resilience of children, and the sacred responsibility of bearing witness. Rooted in the Jewish value of tikkun olam, or repairing the world, my work and writing reflect a commitment to justice, presence, and radical empathy. I hope this book inspires you to show up for someone who needs it.
Eight things you don’t know about me:
- I went bungee jumping in New Zealand in my 20s, a leap that taught me the value of doing hard, scary things (and surviving to tell the tale).
- When I’m at my local pottery studio, time disappears. Three hours can pass in what feels like minutes, and I emerge a calmer, happier and much muddier version of myself.
- Lying in a hammock by a lake with a good book and ice decaf coffee is my idea of a perfect day.
- I edited My Other Kids with two broken hands after a bike accident. My cycling days may be behind me.
- Things I need more of: puppies, peonies, pee-inducing laughter, peach juice dripping down my chin, positive people, patter of rain on a tin roof, artichokes and James Taylor.
- Things I need less of: time-sucking online word games, negative people, stress, my hips would say mint chocolate chip ice cream, orange flavored anything.
- Fredrik Backman is one of my favorite authors. His books make me laugh and cry—sometimes all in the same sentence.
- My most memorable hike was via ferrata in the Dolomites in Italy.
