Hi, I’m Emma. I'm a mid-thirties memoirist and aspiring optimist. I write essays about resilience, grief, hope, and the strange business of being human. My work often begins in darkness—like being diagnosed with breast cancer at 29, or losing my childhood best friend not long after—but always tries to move towards light. I'm interested in how we keep going when everything falls apart, and how we find meaning (or at least a bit of humour) in the aftermath.

I write a weekly newsletter called Attempts at Optimism, where I share honest reflections on staying hopeful in a complicated world. It includes stories from my life as a writer, young adult cancer survivor, and Brit in LA—alongside featured writing from fellow optimists-in-progress.

When I’m not furiously scribbling about hope, you’ll find me devouring a good memoir, singing sad songs in the kitchen, or out hiking California trails with my two dogs.