Florence Williams is an American journalist and nonfiction author whose work focuses on the environment, health and science. She is a contributing editor at Outside magazine[1] and a freelance writer for National Geographic, the New York Times, New York Times Magazine, The New York Review of Books, Slate, Mother Jones, High Country News, O-Oprah, W., Bicycling and numerous other publications.[2]
""Human milk is like ice cream, penicillin, and the drug ecstasy all wrapped up in two pretty packages." — Florence Williams[3][4][5]
Her first book, Breasts: A Natural and Unnatural History, received the Los Angeles Times Book Prize in science and technology and the 2013 Audie in general nonfiction.[citation needed] The New York Times named it a notable book of 2012.[citation needed][6]
Her second book, The Nature Fix, which investigates connections between the brain and nature,[7] was released in February 2017. Edward O. Wilson called the book, "A beautifully written, thoroughly enjoyable exposition of a major principle of human life now supported by evidence in biology, psychology, and medicine."[8]
Her third book, Heartbreak, which deals with her personal stress from divorce and the science underlying such stress, was released in February 2022.[9][10] In the book Williams reports on her own suffering and recounts her investigations of emotional heartbreak – including her experiences at "conferences, wilderness programs for sex-trafficked women, universities, medical specialists, countless studies, an epic paddle down the Green River and even a Museum of Broken Relationships in Zagreb, Croatia."[11]
She was a Scripps Fellow at the Center of Environmental Journalism[12] at the University of Colorado. She is a fellow at the Center for Humans and Nature and a visiting scholar at George Washington University.[citation needed] She serves on the board of nonprofit environmental magazine, High Country News.[citation needed]
She has received many awards, including six magazine awards from the American Society of Journalists and Authors and the John Hersey Prize at Yale. Her work has been anthologized in numerous books, including Outside 25 (2002), The New Montana Story (2003), How the West Was Warmed (2009) and Best American Science and Nature Writing (2008). She was named "Author of the week" by The Week in May 2012. The Wall Street Journal calls her writing "droll and crisp."[13]
Williams is the writer and host of two Gracie-Award-winning Audible Original series, Breasts Unbound and The Three-Day Effect, produced by Mary Beth Kirchner for Audible Originals.[14] She was nominated for a 2022 Webby for a podcast episode written for Meditative Stories. In addition, she has made two appearances on Fresh Air with Terry Gross.[15]
She lives in Washington, D.C.[citation needed]
References edit
- ^ "Florence Williams". Outside. Outside magazine. Retrieved July 9, 2016.
- ^ "Florence Williams". florencewilliams.com. Retrieved July 9, 2016.
- ^ "30 Breastfeeding Quotes That Beautifully Describe What Nursing Is All About". Romper. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
- ^ Cardace, Sara (September 5, 2012). "The Body Politic: A Trove of New Books Examines Some Very Specific Anatomy". The New York Observer. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
- ^ McDonald, Soraya Nadia (May 29, 2014). "The newest, hottest workout recovery beverage: Human breast milk". Washington Post. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
- ^ "100 Notable Books of 2012". The New York Times. November 27, 2012.
- ^ Mark, Jason (March 2, 2017). "Review of The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative by Florence Williams". The New York Times.
- ^ "The Nature Fix". WW Norton. Retrieved July 9, 2016.
- ^ Williams, Florence (2022). Heartbreak: A Personal and Scientific Journey. W. W. Norton. ISBN 9781324003489.
- ^ "Review of Heartbreak by Florence Williams". Kirkus Reviews. November 2021.
- ^ Szegedy-Maszak, Marianne (March 11, 2022). "Her heart was broken — so she turned to science (review of Heartbreak: A Personal and Scientific Journey by Florence Williams)". The Washington Post.
- ^ "Former Fellows, 2007–2008". Center of Environmental Journalism. University of Colorado. Archived from the original on July 11, 2016. Retrieved July 9, 2016.
- ^ Smith, Jenni Erin (May 11, 2012). "All Natural, or Not Quite". Wall Street Journal. Wall Street Journal. Retrieved July 10, 2016.
- ^ "Florence Williams".
- ^ "Heartbroken? There's a scientific reason why breaking up feels so rotten". NPR.
External links edit
- "Florence Williams: Your Brain on Nature". Town Hall Seattle. February 18, 2017 – via YouTube.
- Claire Dederer (February 8, 2022). "Florence Williams discusses "Heartbreak: A Personal and Scientific Journey" with Claire Dederer". Harvard Book Store – via YouTube.