Elena Passarello is an essayist, teacher, and performer whose work has appeared in National Geographic, Paris Review, Audubon, the New York Times, and Best American Science and Nature Writing. In 2019, Outside named Elena one of “25 Essential Women Authors Writing About the Wild.” A recipient of the Whiting Award in nonfiction and the Oregon Book Award, her writing has been translated into five languages. She teaches in the MFA program at Oregon State University, and can be heard weekly on PRX arts and culture radio show Live Wire!