about me
Hi! My name is Alexa, and I am a current undergraduate student at Washington University in St. Louis, studying English Literature with a concentration in Creative Nonfiction writing. This educational background has taught me how to become a better writer, a thoughtful communicator, and a ceaseless question-asker, fueling my zeal for journalism. I love reading historical fiction books as well as fantasy novels, and my favorite book is 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. My writing focuses on unearthing the daily curiosities brought about by my own interactions with the planet, the internet, and other people. I especially love connecting imaginative documentations of culture left behind by early societies to current events, using my art history minor to discuss the modern implications behind art-historical mysteries like El Dorado, The Rosetta Stone, and The Book of Kells. This website includes all of my up-to-date writing samples as I begin my journalism career. Feel free to explore, ask questions, and share comments with me!
“Each piece showcased gives us a shimmering glimpse into the vastly imaginative world of the Muisca: flying fish and zigzagging snakes and grazing rabbits, soaring shamans with metamorphosed bird-bodies, unimaginably large nose pendants engraved with zoomorphic creatures in wild oscillations”
— from “The Price of Gold”
my published pieces
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![A person in a dark hooded robe making a large splash using a white liquid substance on a wooden frame outdoors near water, with smoke and a bucket nearby.]()
A Pictish Book of Kells? New Research Says It's Possible
for The Edinburgh Student
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![A young woman with long brown hair wearing a white sleeveless top, standing in a room with beige brick walls and a window with white curtains.]()
Walking the Runway, Raising Awareness
for Aspen Daily News
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![A man in a tuxedo with red glasses standing on a stage in an ornate theater with empty seats and balconies illuminated in warm lighting.]()
Renowned Conductor Enrique Mazzola Prepares for his Aspen Debut
for Modern Luxury Aspen
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![Modern house with large windows, an outdoor pool, and poolside lounge chairs at dusk.]()
CCA Wins Second Colorado Crystal Award for Interior Design
for Modern Luxury Aspen
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![Back of a woman with curly red hair standing outdoors, wearing a white jacket with a logo for the Aspen Fire Foundation.]()
Camp Aspen and AWF Team Up to Launch Fire-Fighting Inspired Loungewear Collection
for Modern Luxury Aspen
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![Display of colorful bowls, jewelry, and accessories on a wooden table in a boutique shop.]()
Create Custom Jewelry at Camp Aspen: A Stylish Summer Collaboration from Etc… and The Woods
for Modern Luxury Aspen
Nothing ever dies. Not a person, not a language... everything possesses an eternal life. Find the eternity within the hieroglyphs, the eternal knowledge within yourself"
— from “Glyph”
not-yet published (but still worth reading) pieces
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![Gold-colored miniature model of a ship with intricate human figurines on deck, set against a black background.]()
The Price of Gold
How a real-life “city of gold” older than El Dorado shaped the legend we know today
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![A painting of a man dressed as a jester in red, sitting on a throne with a contemplative expression, surrounded by richly decorated interior with objects on a table and a curtain, in a classical art style.]()
Jesters: Comedians, Celebrities, or Something Else Entirely?
A deep dive into the medieval concept of “Jester’s Privilege”, and the historical significance of “punching up”
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![The Rosetta Stone, an ancient stone inscribed with hieroglyphics, Greek, and Demotic scripts, displayed in a museum case with informational plaques on either side.]()
Glyph
the first act of a screenplay about the true story of the first man to decipher the Rosetta stone, and the lifelong feud it formed
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![A barren, rocky hillside with sparse vegetation under a dark, cloudy sky.]()
The Struggle for Growth in The Waste Land
An in-depth analysis of how nature shapes T.S Eliot’s masterwork
“Perhaps the jester never had anything to do with humor at all, but rather bravery, when confronting figures of authority that deserve to be criticized, especially offensive comedians. If we wanted, we could all be jesters. I mean, not all of us can be funny, but we can all certainly use our voices to hold people in power accountable. And we could definitely wear hats with bells on it while doing so.”
— from “Jesters: Comedians, Celebrities, or something else entirely?”