I’ve written more than a dozen books and lots of articles, essays, stories, and appellate briefs. I hold a law degree from the University of California at Berkeley, a master’s in English with an emphasis in fiction writing from the University of California at Davis, and an undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania.
My op-eds have appeared in The Washington Post, CNN.com, NBC, and other mainstream news outlets. A list of my publications is here.
For twelve years I maintained a private appellate law practice limited to representing indigents on appeal from adverse rulings. I took breaks from writing appellate briefs and wrote books for young readers. Writing for middle school readers is much like writing for appellate justices. I know that sounds a joke, but appellate justices want everything broken down and digestible. I won’t carry the comparison too far: Ninth graders are usually more open-minded and a lot more fun.
I have two graphic novels coming out within the next few years from Macmillan Publishers. The first, a book on disinformation is called A Firehose of Falsehoods and will be part of this series. The second book is a stand-alone book called The Second Amendment: The History and Politics of Guns in America.
I believe that democracy requires each of us to contribute. I believe with the ACLU that when the rights of society’s most vulnerable members are denied, everybody’s rights are imperiled. And I believe with John Updike that the purpose of literature is to expand our sympathies.
My volunteer work includes:
- Voter rights legal work in three states: CA, NV, and GA.
- Spending a few weeks working in a detention center in Texas offering legal assistance to asylum-seekers (through RAICES).
- Researching and packaging a successful civil rights case against a California county that was violating the Indian Child Welfare Act.
I live with my family on California’s beautiful central coast.
My books have received the following honors and distinctions:
Andrew Jackson
♦Honorable Mention, Grateful American Book Award
Alexander Hamilton
♦A Junior Library Guild selection
The Girl From The Tar Paper School::
♦Jane Addams Peace Association, Children’s Book Award for Older Readers, 2015
♦Carter G. Woodson Middle Level Book Award, 2015
♦California Reading Association Eureka Silver Honor Book Award
♦Included on the 2015 list of Notable Social Studies Trade Books for young readers compiled by the National Council for Social Studies
♦Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children (National Association of Teachers of English), Recommended Book
♦Included in the New York Public Library’s list of 100 children’s books to read in 2014.
♦A Junior Library Guild selection
Rivka’s Way:
♦Sidney Taylor Book Awards, Notable book of 2001
♦Lilith Magazine’s 5th Annual Selection of Books for Young Readers
♦Included in Great Books for Girls, by Kathleen Odean
♦Included in Best Jewish Books for Children and Teens, by Linda R. Silver
Guilty? Crime, Punishment, and the Changing Face of Justice
♦Junior Library Guild selection
Education
J.D., University of California, Berkeley School of Law
M.A., University of California, Davis, Graduate School, English with an Emphasis in Fiction Writing
B.A., University of Pennsylvania