Michelle Dowd

Author of Forager: Field Notes for Surviving a Family Cult (Hachette Book Group)

Michelle Dowd is a journalist, professor, and frequent contributor to The New York Times, Alpinist, Catapult, and other national publications. She was named the Faculty Lecturer of the Year for 2019–2021 at Chaffey College, where she founded the award-winning literary journal and creative collective, The Chaffey Review. In addition to advising Student Media, she teaches poetry and critical thinking within the California Institutes for Men and Women in Chino.

Her writing has earned significant acclaim, including a Longreads Top 5 recognition for her work on environmentalism and hope, and two nominations for the Pushcart Prize. In early 2020, she authored the most popular Modern Love column of the year in The New York Times. Her personal history was profiled on the second season of Sincerely X, a TED production featuring stories considered too risky or controversial for the main stage. Her debut book, Forager: Field Notes for Surviving a Family Cult, was published by Hachette Book Group in 2023.

Raised on a mountain in the Angeles National Forest, Michelle learned at a young age to identify flora and fauna, navigate by the stars, and forage for edible plants. This background informs her work as an Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher; she has been training students in Southern California since 2008 and co-hosts Yoga in Horse Time with Four Winds Equine Guided Alternative and Holistic Health Services.

Books

Forager: Field Notes for Surviving a Family Cult

Algonquin, March 7, 2023