About Lauren Harkawik.

I’m a writer of fiction, articles, and essays. 

My fiction has been published in New Reader Magazine, Goats Milk Magazine, and Sweet Tree Review. In 2021, my short story, "Joey Button," which was originally published in New Reader Magazine, was distributed worldwide in Short Édition's short story dispensers. My nonfiction has been published in Salt Hill, INTO, and Narratively. I’m a regular contributor to The Deerfield Valley News, where I report the news of my community; Times Union Hudson Valley, where I report on outdoor and science topics; and The Takeout, where I explore food and culture.  

I hold a BFA in Dramatic Writing  from the Conservatory of Theater Arts and Film at Purchase College. In addition to my studies, my background includes several chapters that helped shape my perspectives on art, work, and creating immersive worlds. 

In 2004, I was cast member at Walt Disney World. There, I witnessed how getting lost in a moment, or being caught by surprise, can be a portal for people to connect more deeply with themselves and each other. In 2008, I interned for Sesame Workshop, which put me in touch with brilliant artists with a laser focus on entertaining kids while helping them grow. I went on to work on "The Electric Company," a Sesame Workshop television show, which gave me a front row seat to how magic and humor left the page and became real, tangible things for kids to watch and experience. 

In the fall of 2008, I went to work as the assistant to the managers and president of Authentic Talent and Literary Management in Brooklyn. That job exposed me to the inner-workings of entertainment and shaped my views on work, opportunity, and what it means to serve one's craft as a way to connect more deeply with one's place in, and impact on, the world. 

In 2012, I moved to Vermont with my now-husband Garret, a filmmaker. There, I deepened my relationship to storytelling, becoming a published author of short fiction and discovered a talent for journalism. I still live in Vermont, where Garret are I are raising our two young daughters, Imogene and Esphyr.