Author photo credit: Divine Brujeria.
Here’s a press kit with a high-res headshots.
Here is a downloadable shorter version of my bio.

Sandy Ernest Allen is a journalist, essayist, author and speaker. His work tends to focus on gender and on mental health. Sandy has contributed to many outlets including The Boston Globe, Eater, Cosmopolitan, Esquire, The Believer, The Cut, Them, 99% Invisible and This American Life. Sandy’s work has been praised by The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, O Magazine and The New Republic, amongst others. His debut book is an innovative work of nonfiction called A Kind of Mirraculas Paradise: A True Story about Schizophrenia (Scribner). AKOMP was beloved by many critics, and it was long-listed as a top work of journalism the decade in 2020 by NYU’s journalism school (amongst other honors).

Originally from a small beach town in the Bay Area, Sandy received two degrees in nonfiction writing (Brown undergrad and an MFA ‘12 from the University of Iowa). He was then BuzzFeed’s Deputy Features editor (2013-2015). Nowadays, he lives in the rural Catskills Mountains where he’s often found singing at his piano or baking bread or out in his garden. He contributes a monthly Garden Report to the popular local Catskill Crew newsletter. He is a proud member of the Trans Journalists Association.

You’re encouraged to subscribe to his free, self-care-focused newsletter, What’s Helping Today. You can also follow him on Bluesky.