I am a writer based in Providence, Rhode Island. I grew up in Vermont and spent many years as a freelance journalist in Pittsburgh, and I spent two years working as a journalist in Costa Rica. I've published several books about travel, and I write about arts and culture for various publications. I am a veteran actor and playwright, and I enjoy seeing plays and film festivals and art galleries and whatever else in unfamiliar cities. I love the outdoors and solo sports like hiking, running, and (especially) cross-country cycling. At 39, I am still happiest slinging my backpack onto an idling bus and gabbing with strangers in a pub. My dream is to bike around the world.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Looking to meet up with fellow Couchsurfers. Less interested in the couches than the socializing. But yes, also intermittently looking for couches.

Interests

Writing, cycling, photography, film, theater, hiking, history, late-night conversation, kayaking, gastronomy, and (of course) travel.

• arts
• culture
• writing
• books
• theater
• photography
• acting
• festivals
• film festivals
• running
• pub crawls
• trivia
• traveling
• socializing
• outdoor activities
• cycling
• hiking
• backpacking
• kayaking
• sports
• freelancing
• history
• journalism

Music, Movies, and Books

MUSIC: Gaby Moreno, The Polyphonic Spree, Cat Power, Cake, Passiflora, Zebda, Johnny Cash, Radiohead, The Beatles, Tori Amos, The Vitamin String Quartet, Rachel's, Adele, Florence and the Machine, Lisa Hannigan, etc.

MOVIES: (Dramas) "Chinatown," "Sneakers," "Citizen Kane," "Apocalypse Now," "The Mission," "Bladerunner," "Dr. Zhivago," "The English Patient." (Comedies) "The Princess Bride," "Roxanne," "Amélie," "The Royal Tennenbaums," "Radioland Murders," "The Great Muppet Caper," "Knock on Wood."

BOOKS: (Fiction) "House of Leaves," "Foucault's Pendulum," "All the Anxious Girls on Earth," "On the Road," "Dune," "Ulysses," "Coming Through Slaughter." (Nonfiction) "For the Time Being," "Running in the Family," "The Rings of Saturn," "Consider the Lobster," "The Bicycle Diaries," "The Narrow Road to the Interior."

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I don't know if it's amazing, but one of my proudest projects was to take buses from Athens to Sarajevo in search of a Bosnian friend I had known in high school. The story of this expedition became a book, "The Archipelago," which was shortlisted for the Greywolf Nonfiction Prize and was the first nonfiction title to be published by Autumn House Press. I then adapted the book as a one-man show, which I performed with the No Name Players in Pittsburgh, thanks to a Trespass Fellowship from Future Tenant Art Gallery.

Teach, Learn, Share

Que será, será.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Great conversation. Endless trivia. An open ear. Good humor. Catharsis and words of encouragement. Book recommendations.

Countries I’ve Visited

Albania, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Iceland, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Laos, Malaysia, Mexico, Montenegro, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States, Vatican City State, Viet Nam, Virgin Islands, British

Countries I’ve Lived In

Costa Rica, United States