Oh, hi! I know I said I would be retiring this blog in pursuit of other projects. And I did just that. Since January 2021, I:
- Beat early-stage breast cancer and learned that my health is my number one priority
- Started recording episodes for the JoyProject podcast
- Sold my Emerson Page young adult novel trilogy to a publisher
- Applied to and was accepted into the graduate program in Sustainability Leadership at University of Cambridge
- Worked closely with Carnegie Hall to help launch Carnegie Hall+, a new streaming service for classical music, dance, and music-based films
Now I’m coming out of retirementThe world is in a strange and difficult place, from where I sit and around the globe. The war in Ukraine. The continuation of the COVID-19 pandemic. Continued and accelerating climate change. My long-term medical treatment to make sure I maintain the health I fought so hard to restore.
I’m still grieving what’s been lost since 2019. Trying to find joy each and every day. Looking forward with hope for the future. We contain multitudes, and we hold bundles of disparate emotions all at once.
What’s remained constant for me:
- daily writing
- living in New York and my deep love for this city
- my sweet dog, Phineas
- my fierce loyalty to my friends
And so I return to this blog now with a focus on writing—the craft, the joy it brings, the relief it provides, and the connections it makes across time and geographies. I’m here to share my writing life with you, to support writers, and to give a peek behind-the-scenes into my creative life.
I’m glad you’re here. I’m grateful I’m here. Take my hand. Let’s see what we can find, together. Ask me anything. Let’s go.
Published by Christa Avampato
IN BRIEF
Author, journalist, digital product manager, and licensed New York City tour guide. Creator and host of NYC's Secrets and Lies. Alumna of the University of Pennsylvania (BA), the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia (MBA), Arizona State University (Biomimicry), and the University of Cambridge (MSt in Sustainability Leadership).
I build digital media platforms, report on urban climate resilience and biodiversity, and produce live narrative experiences that connect communities to history, nature, and place.
THE DEEP DIVE
My work centers on a single thread: building systems and stories that foster deep connection to our shared world. Across digital streaming, environmental reporting, and live civic storytelling, I design experiences that help people understand complex ideas and the environments around them.
DIGITAL PRODUCT STRATEGY & MEDIA LEADERSHIP
At Carnegie Hall, I serve as Digital Product Manager, leading product strategy, operations, and technical delivery for the video streaming platform Carnegie Hall+. I translate artistic mission into scalable, high-performance streaming architecture that reaches audiences globally. Previously, I led agile product and delivery teams across operations and compliance at American Express, managed Broadway theatrical productions and national tours, and guided strategic initiatives across cultural institutions.
ENVIRONMENTAL JOURNALISM & AUTHORSHIP
As a freelance journalist, I investigate how living systems, urban infrastructure, and human culture intersect. My reported features on urban decarbonization, biodiversity, coastal resilience, and biomimicry appear in publications including Smithsonian Magazine, The Washington Post, Mongabay, Natural History Magazine, and Foreign Policy Magazine. In fiction, I write the Emerson Page young adult novel series, alongside upcoming historical fiction and nonfiction works on New York history, mythology, and human resilience. I also write Togetherhood, a LinkedIn newsletter focused on urban ecology and community restoration, and co-host the podcast Frameworks in the Wild.
LIVE EXPERIENCE & CIVIC STORYTELLING
As a licensed New York City tour guide and live event producer, I transform urban landscapes into shared narrative encounters. I created, produce, and host NYC's Secrets and Lies, an interactive live storytelling series staged across cultural landmarks including the New York Transit Museum, the South Street Seaport Museum, and the historic tall ship Wavertree. I also design and lead site-specific walking tours exploring coastal ecology, food history, and neighborhood evolution, often with partners at Climate Week NYC and the Natural Areas Conservancy.
DOUBLE OR NOTHING MEDIA
Through my independent production studio, Double or Nothing Media, I develop ventures across media, ecology, and public history:
Digital Products & Strategy: Architecting scalable digital platforms, streaming experiences, and operational models for mission-driven institutions.
Environmental Reporting & Publications: Delivering long-form reporting, books, and newsletters grounded in climate resilience and regenerative design.
Site-Specific Live Storytelling: Producing immersive live shows and educational walking tours that engage public audiences in community history.
CONNECT
Website & Production Hub: doubleornothingmedia.com and christaavampato.com
Newsletter: Togetherhood on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/newsletters/togetherhood-7273771832221089792/
Instagram & Threads: @christarosenyc
Emerson Page Novels: emersonpagebook.wordpress.com/
View all posts by Christa Avampato
So glad you’re back! Love reading these columns.
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Thank you!!
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