About Me

I am a writer, editor, and photographer; my interest is in the intersections between wildlife, the environment, and humanity.

My writing has appeared in The Atlantic, The Center for Humans and Nature’s City Creatures blog, Atlas Obscura, Hakai, Smithsonian, the Los Angeles Review of Books, Real Life, Men’s Health, and other outlets.

I graduated with a B.A. in English from Santa Clara University. Working as Dr. Michelle Burnham’s research assistant, my work earned me co-editor credit on The Female American, published by Broadview Press. I still edit scholarly articles and book projects.

After Santa Clara, I earned my M.A. in Cultural Reporting & Criticism at NYU and have worked as a freelancer, News Editor, and at the Endicott College Writing Center. Outdoor work is something I also value, so I have done trail maintenance, seasonal employee management, and farmhand work.

After an automotive accident with a semi truck resulted in an ongoing personal health ordeal—a diffuse axonal traumatic brain injury bringing “invisible” symptoms and multiple eye surgeries— I have pivoted to pursue a legal career at The University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law.

Contact me:

Email: james.amfreitas@gmail.com or James.Freitas@law.unh.edu

Instagram: @james_freitas_

Substack: @jamesfreitas, Rock & Hawk.
A few Substack essays I’m proud of:

Birding By Ear, A Personal Essay, Names, Under No Power But My Own, American Kestrel, and Everything Can Be Trained.