“In about an 18-month period, my mother got sick and died, and then I had a freak illness less than a year later and almost died myself. And I found in both of those situations that there was this expectation to have a kind of transformative experience.”

American author, essayist, podcaster, and journalist

Meghan Daum is an American author, essayist, podcaster, and journalist. She is known for her personal essays and commentary, as well as for work that moves between literature, culture, and public life. Her writing often examines identity, independence, family, and the pressures of modern adulthood, using a direct and observant voice. She has built a broad body of work across print and audio, and her name is closely associated with nonfiction that is personal in tone but wide in range.