Dana Goodyear

Explore the life and achievements of Dana Goodyear, American journalist, poet, and New Yorker staff writer. Discover her writings, poetry, podcasting, and influence in food and culture journalism.

Introduction

Dana Goodyear (born 1976) is an American journalist, poet, and cultural commentator known for her long tenure at The New Yorker, her poetic work, and more recently as host of the true-crime podcast Lost Hills. Her journalism often blends reporting on food, culture, environment, and social issues with a narrative sensibility. Her voice is admired for its curiosity, craft, and ability to illuminate the hidden layers in everyday life.

Early Life & Education

Goodyear graduated from Yale University in 1998, where she served as Managing or of The New Journal.

Details about her childhood and family background are less publicly documented; her public profile emphasizes her intellectual and literary development rather than biographical detail.

Career & Major Works

At The New Yorker

Goodyear joined The New Yorker in 1999, initially on the editorial staff. staff writer. Over the years, she has written deeply reported, richly textured long-form articles on topics as varied as:

• James Cameron

• The mountain lions of Los Angeles

• Bug-eating, sustainability, and food trends

Some of her articles have been selected for Best American Food Writing collections and honored by the James Beard Foundation.

Books, Poetry & Anything That Moves

Goodyear is also a poet. Her poetry collections include Honey and Junk (2005) and The Oracle of Hollywood Boulevard (2012).

Her nonfiction book Anything That Moves: Renegade Chefs, Fearless Eaters, and the Making of a New American Food Culture (published in 2013) examines evolving food cultures, underground dining, and the adventurous edges of culinary life.

Podcast Lost Hills

In a newer phase of her career, Goodyear is the co-creator, host, and writer of the podcast Lost Hills, which investigates a real murder in Malibu Creek State Park. This work moves her into narrative audio storytelling, combining journalistic investigation with immersive narrative.

Themes, Style & Influence

• Interdisciplinary curiosity: Goodyear moves fluidly between food, environmental issues, culture, crime, and nature. Her work often connects micro stories (a chef, a food trend, a local murder) with larger social and ecological questions.

• Narrative depth: Her articles tend to be immersive, carefully paced, with a strong sense of place and character, blending reportage and literary sensibility.

• Bridging journalism and poetry: Her dual life as poet and journalist enriches her prose with metaphorical insight without sacrificing factual rigor.

• Adaptation to new media: With Lost Hills, she shows willingness to shift mediums, embracing podcasting as a form for deep narrative journalism.

Selected Works & Highlights

Some notable articles and works include:

• “I ♥ Novels” — about cell phone novels in Japan (New Yorker)

• “Élite Meat” — recognized by James Beard Foundation

• “How Driscoll’s reinvented the strawberry” (for Best American Food Writing)

• Lost Hills (Podcast) — an episodic investigation into violence and memory in the L.A. area

Legacy & Ongoing Impact

Dana Goodyear is still an active voice in journalism. Her crossover between traditional print journalism and newer narrative audio forms positions her as part of a generation redefining what long-form journalism can be in a multimedia era. Her work in food & culture has influenced how readers see everyday life as a window into social and ecological change.

As a teacher in the Master of Professional Writing program at USC, she also shapes and mentors new writers.

Conclusion

Dana Goodyear’s career illustrates how a journalist can remain deeply curious, adaptive, and artistically serious. From poetry to The New Yorker profiles to immersive podcasting, she continues to explore how stories of food, nature, crime, and culture reveal the hidden forces shaping our lives.