Alanna Okun

Hello! I'm a writer, textile artist, and game designer living in Brooklyn. In the fall of 2024, I began a master’s program in creative technology at NYU ITP.

I most recently worked as the senior editor in charge of Vox’s vertical for service journalism, Even Better, and was a reporter and editor at Racked and BuzzFeed for a decade before that. 

My work has appeared in The New York Times, The New Yorker, NPR, Apartment Therapy, Polygon, Vogue Knitting, and The Hairpin, among many other places both extant and not; I've also done segments for The Today Show, Good Morning America, and a whole bunch of local and national television and radio shows.

My first book, The Curse of the Boyfriend Sweater: Essays on Crafting, was published by Flatiron / Macmillan in 2018, and my second, Knit a Hat: A Beginner’s Guide to Knitting, was published by Abrams in 2020.

I write a newsletter about making and playing video games, and what I’m up to creatively and professionally. That’s the best way to keep up with my recent work.

I’m open to collaborations and projects of all scopes; I freelance as a writer, editorial and narrative consultant, teacher, and all-purpose fabricator.

My current CV, including instruction and speaking engagements, can be found here.

Email me at alanna.okun@nyu.edu, or find me on Instagram and itch.io.

I’m represented by Kate McKean at Morhaim Literary.