Hello! I'm a novelist, journalist. and editor based outside of Washington, DC. My debut novel, The Maidenheads, about two queer musicians in the DC punk/indie scene, was published in May 2026 by Dutton Books—perhaps you’d like to read it!
I’m an editor at The 51st and a contributing writer at Washingtonian magazine. Previous gigs have included Foreign Policy and the New Republic, as well as Street Sense, D.C.’s homeless newspaper, where I co-founded and then for years co-edited the opinion section. As a freelancer (sometimes bylined as Britt Peterson), I’ve written about culture, politics, gender, and LGBTQ+ issues for the New York Times, Washington Post, Elle, Slate, the Atlantic, and other places. My Washingtonian feature on the downfall of former LGBTQ+ icon Ruby Corado was recently a finalist for the reporting award from the City and Regional Magazines Association. I’ve taught undergrads in Georgetown’s journalism program and George Washington University’s writing department and work as a writing coach and freelance editor. My work has been supported with grants from Bennington College (where I earned an MFA in fiction in 2018), the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, and the Wesleyan Writers’ Conference.
They/them.
For literary inquiries: Julia Kardon at HG Literary
For Maidenheads-related publicity and events: Hannah Poole at Dutton: hpoole@penguinrandomhouse.com
For film/TV inquiries: Jason Richman at UTA