I want to write without consideration of likes, follower count, or sales funnels. I want to write free from the destructive criticism of scientific peer review and social media strangers. Most of all, I want to write to find my voice, who I know is hiding somewhere in here, underneath all the feedback.

The quiet 14-year-old who first scribbled poems near her geometry proofs — I want her to speak for once.

What is “The Field”?

I love a good metaphor. That’s why I chose “The Field.”

“Field” is a word that cuts across disciplines. You’ll find fields in the humanities, mathematics, social and biological sciences. You can battle on a field, study a field, grow in a field, or simply observe — so many things! So many possibilities.

Here are a few that I’m considering:

• The Field is where I write about human development, broadly defined. I’m a developmental psychologist by training, but I synthesize ideas from many fields (because, of course I do). History, philosophy, sociology, anthropology, linguistics, neuroscience, ecology, economics, and disability studies are my current favorites.

• The Field is where I develop my ideas. For me, writing is (and has always been) thinking — how else can one have an informed, nuanced opinion about something? You’ll find depth in my main essays, and hot less-informed takes in my notes (i.e., my “Field Notes” hehe).

• The Field is where I’ll start my first book. Is it romantic or naive to pursue a writing career in the age of generative AI? I hope it’s the former. I hope I live long enough to write many books that impact many lives.

So, who’s writing this?

Whoops, almost forgot. You can call me Ashley :)

I can’t possibly describe myself in a paragraph, so you’ll have to read along and form your own opinion 🌻 🐌