Fiction and nonfiction writer. Books on Haiti, Middle East, California politics. Former newspaper reporter at Newsday. Freelance writer for many, many publications. Former staff writer at The New Yorker. Contributing editor at The Nation. MacDowell fellow and 2020 Guggenheim fellow. National Book Critics Circle Award 2014. Academy of American Arts & Letters first fiction Rosenthal award 2001, and other awards. Professor Emerita at UC Irvine, English Department, Literary Journalism Program.