About
Erin Blakemore is a freelance reporter from Boulder, Colorado. In more than 15 years as a journalist, she’s covered everything from yoga teachers in cadaver labs to Cold War-era archeology to the mysterious uptick in diabetes cases during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her work on science, health, and history has appeared in National Geographic, Smithsonian Magazine, The Atlantic, TIME, NPR, and more.
Experience
During nearly two decades as a reporter, Erin Blakemore has turned an obsession with the unexpected into a prolific career as an independent journalist. Erin’s favorite stories tackle complex and thorny subject matter, and she loves to weed through complicated research in search of compelling narratives. She studied history and library science, and her career has included extensive archival research and a brief stint as an archival processor tasked with coaxing untouched collections into order. Her specialties include women’s issues, social determinants of health, and finding the fun in seemingly dry subjects. Erin’s first book, The Heroine’s Bookshelf, won a Colorado Book Award for nonfiction. She has appeared on BBC Radio, Paul Ross Tonight, New Hampshire Public Radio, and other outlets.
Education
Erin completed coursework at Smith College before graduating from the University of California, Los Angeles with a bachelor’s degree in history.
Highlights
- Obsessed with the unexpected.
- A prolific freelance reporter with expertise in science, health, and history.
- Author of the Colorado Book Award-winning The Heroine’s Bookshelf (Harper).
Favorite weird science fact
If every Burning Man attendee jumped simultaneously, they could generate a 0.5 earthquake on the Richter Scale.
