Hi! I’m Yael! (Insert handshake here).
What do you do?
I am a freelance writer. I write informational pieces for eHow. I write opinion and analysis on mixed martial arts for MMA HQ, Savage Science and MMA Opinion (including a weekly column on women’s MMA). I write about food and food politics for Spezzatino. And sometimes I’m lucky enough to get interviews with cool people for great print magazines like Sacred Fire (where I interviewed Taoist master Ken Cohen) or Bitch Magazine (where I interviewed Stumptuous.com’s Krista Scott-Dixon) or the Performance Menu (where I interviewed AZ Diamondbacks Strength and Conditioning coach Neil Rampe).
Any other wordsmithing you’ve done?
Why, yes! I’ve actually been working with independent print media since I started self-publishing at the age of twelve. Then I spent two years serving as a National Teen Correspondent for the now-defunct Blue Jean Magazine. I’ve proofread both magazines and books, including Predatory Bureaucracy: The Extermination of Wolves and the Transformation of the West. I did research for Corporate Watch UK while studying abroad in Oxford. And I’ve taught packed-room workshops on media bias, propaganda and media literacy. (I also taught middle school Language Arts for a couple of years).
What else do you do?
Didn’t I see you at the gym?
Probably! I am a martial arts, fitness and nutrition enthusiast. I train in Brazilian jiu jitsu and like lifting heavy things for fun. I’m working towards certification as a Certified Personal Trainer. I consider myself a food activist, working towards sustainability and justice through educated, responsible action.
And?
I’m all about classic literature and philosophy. I went to Shimer College, after all! I’m a huge fan of bluegrass music. With banjos. I really, really like chocolate.
In primitive skills circles, the term “dirt time” refers to time spent practicing the art of animal tracking–nose in dirt instead of just book knowledge.
