Sandra K. Barnidge

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Photo: Sandra Barnidge

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Hi there

My specialty is writing thoughtful bios of scientists, entrepreneurs, artists, and change-makers. My creative work centers small towns, working-class women, and environmental themes. My debut novel, The Diamondbacks, is forthcoming from Belle Point Press (2025), and my short fiction has appeared in Barren, The Fiddlehead, Nimrod, Reservoir Road Literary Review, Allegory Ridge, and elsewhere. I’m the editor in chief of Wisconsin People & Ideas magazine, and I also write Buried Nitrogen, a column about nature and creativity for Reckon Review, where I’m an assistant editor.

As a freelancer, I work with nonprofits and higher-ed clients to translate research and strategic initiatives into compelling stories for the general public. In addition, I’m a co-founder of Handcraft Nation, a directory of artists, crafters, and makers who live in parts of the United States that are usually overlooked by big tech and social-media influencers.

Originally from Beloit, Wisconsin, I now live in Northport, Alabama, with two young daughters and a gorgeously unruly backyard that I’m slowly re-wilding with native Southeastern plants. I hold an MA in journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an MFA in creative writing from the University of Alabama.

Read

Imagined Worlds

Hollow Eggs // Reservoir Road Literary Review

Ellaria Jane Peterson Is Going To Die // Barren Magazine (Reprinted 2024 in Fragile Like a Bomb by BULL Press.)

Mullenville, Population 82 // Allegory Ridge

The Waubeen Annual Kanaranzi Kimball Day // Nimrod International Journal

River Dolls // Reckon Review

Amberleen //The Fiddlehead

Orbit // Heron Tree

The Last Grand Tour of Albertine’s Watch // Arizona State University Center for Imagination

Clay Pots // Psychopomp

Real World

Project Pawpaw: Biologist hopes to make a highly beneficial fruit more widely available // On Wisconsin

Beyond Jurassic Park: Researchers preserve animal DNA for species that face extinction // On Wisconsin

The Climate Museum: Connecting the Dots Between Climate Dismay and Environmental Action // Mellon Foundation

The Teachings of Plants: Robin Wall Kimmerer braids Western science and Indigenous knowledge into a vision for a sustainable future // On Wisconsin

The Matilda Effect // On Wisconsin Magazine

The 1920s women who fought for the right to travel under their own names // Atlas Obscura

Madcap Writer Makes History in a Model T // On Wisconsin

How to blend in at an Alpine Krampus Parade // Atlas Obscura

The Warlord’s Biographer // On Wisconsin Magazine

The best new fiction about climate change // Shepherd

Review: Chase Burke’s LECTURE // Black Warrior Review

Division in Dairyland: Community Structure, Social Identity, and New Frames During the Wisconsin Gubernatorial Recall

“Sandra understands and excels at all aspects of editorial content, from planning to content creation to analytics to distribution. She stays informed about the issues within our field and beyond, and that knowledge allows her to advise on both specific details and the big picture. She is incredibly bright and insightful.”

— Cindy Foss, Editor, On Wisconsin Magazine

Let’s Talk

I approach client content with the same dedication and care I put into my own creative work. I’m down-to-earth, adaptable, and reliable — and I understand that your voice is what matters most. Have a project you’d like to discuss? Contact me below.

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