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Sam Anderson

I’ve written about all kinds of things: rhinos, pencils, poets, water parks, basketball, weight loss and the fountain of youth. I’ve written portraits of writers (Haruki Murakami, Anne Carson, John McPhee) and athletes (Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Bill Walton, Phil Jackson) and odd places all over the world, including Mount Rushmore and a Charles Dickens theme park.

I’ve loved reading since I was a child. (My first favorite: “The Monster at the End of This Book.”) After studying literature for my undergraduate and graduate degrees at Louisiana State University, I worked as a book critic for New York Magazine. In 2011, I joined The New York Times Magazine.

My work has won a National Magazine Award for Essays and Criticism, as well as the National Book Critics Circle’s Balakian Citation for Excellence in Reviewing. It has been included in multiple ”Best American Writing” anthologies. I am the author of “Boom Town,” a book about Oklahoma City. I also host the Times podcast “Animal,” which is about animals in our lives. I have two dogs, Walnut and Pistachio.

I’m originally from Oregon but have lived in California, Louisiana, and New York.

As a Times journalist, I am committed to upholding the standards of integrity outlined in our Ethical Journalism Handbook.

Latest

  1.  

    2024 Is the Year of ‘The Power Broker’

    Our critic tackled its nearly 1,200 pages — and thinks you should too.

    By Wesley Morris, Sam Anderson, Elyssa Dudley, Paula Szuchman, Wendy Dorr and Daniel Ramirez

  2.  
    TimesVideo

    How Our Reporter Learned to Love Bats

    Sam Anderson, the host and reporter behind the podcast “Animal” for The New York Times Magazine, went on a journey to Mexico to conquer his fear of bats. He’s not alone. Bats seem spooky. They live in the dark. They don’t fly like birds, in big, smooth arcs — they flit, twisting and flapping and tumbling like confetti in a wind tunnel. They’re prevalent in scary tales for children. But they are also major contributors to the ecological balance around the world. Hear more about Sam’s experience and whether he learned to love bats on “Animal.”

    By Gabriel Blanco, Farah Otero-Amad, Claire Hogan and Sam Anderson

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  4.  

    Episode 1: Walnut

    A hole in Sam’s floor sparks a crisis.

    By Sam Anderson, Kaitlin Roberts, Cristal Duhaime, Wendy Dorr, Larissa Anderson, Marion Lozano and Dan Powell

  5.  

    Episode 2: Puffins

    As his daughter prepares to leave for college, Sam visits a remote island.

    By Sam Anderson, Kaitlin Roberts, Cristal Duhaime, Wendy Dorr, Larissa Anderson, Marion Lozano, Dan Powell and Pat McCusker

  6.  

    Episode 3: Manatees

    Sam makes his underwater dreams a reality.

    By Sam Anderson, Kaitlin Roberts, Cristal Duhaime, Larissa Anderson, Wendy Dorr, Marion Lozano and Pat McCusker

  7.  

    Episode 4: Ferrets

    Sam soothes his anxiety by visiting a convention center in Ohio.

    By Sam Anderson, Cristal Duhaime, Kaitlin Roberts, Larissa Anderson, Wendy Dorr, Marion Lozano, Dan Powell and Elisheba Ittoop

  8.  

    Episode 5: Wolves

    On a taxi ride, Sam meets a Chihuahua.

    By Sam Anderson, Cristal Duhaime, Larissa Anderson, Kaitlin Roberts, Wendy Dorr and Marion Lozano

  9.  

    Episode 6: Bats

    Sam stares into another hole.

    By Sam Anderson, Kaitlin Roberts, Wendy Dorr, Marion Lozano and Dan Powell

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