About .................................. Work
Lauren ... Barton
Lauren is an award-winning writer and freelance journalist from Tennessee. She is currently preparing to transfer to East Tennessee State University, where she will major in journalism and something TBD.
Writing ‘n whatnot
“Kids Online Safety Act Could Leave Homeschooled Kids Without Crucial Resources,” Teen Vogue, 2025 • Author“Homeschooled Students’ Invisible Mental Health Crisis,” The Nation, 2023 • Author“‘Hopeless’ Appalachian Youths Prepare to Vote in 2024,” 100 Days in Appalachia, 2024 • Author“I Speak for Myself, Rep. Tim Rudd,” The Tennessee Holler, 2021 • Author“LGBTQ+ students in Tennessee have never been more terrified,” Scalawag Magazine, 2023 • Author“Unschooling Trend Is Growing More Popular, But It Can Cover Up Neglect,” Teen Vogue, 2024 • Author“Hundreds of sexual deepfake ads using Emma Watson’s face ran on Facebook and Instagram in the last two days,” NBC News, 2024 • Interviewee“Trans and gender-fluid kids are under attack. How can we tell their stories without furthering harm?,” Poynter, 2023 • Interviewee“What Do Young Voters Want From Kamala Harris?,” YES! Magazine, 2024 • Interviewee“This Is Not For Tears,” Study Hall, 2023 • Interviewee“High school sweethearts met on a quiz website,” Mashable, 2025 • Interviewee
About me
My heart lies within the Appalachian mountains, and my spirit rallies with the trans folks who reside in them. I write about the intersection of both, as well as home-based education systems like traditional homeschooling and unschooling. In my spare time, I've competed in Tennessee Parliamentary Debate for Walters State Community College, volunteered for the Coalition for Responsible Home Education, and planned plenty of passion projects ─ from a lifestyle magazine on WordPress, to a CRT-focused podcast, to many (failed) newsletter attempts.Outside of my work, I play the keyboard and study "granny" magick. I spend time honing my skills in web/graphic design and editorial photography. I'm really interested in philosophy, sociology, history, and personality typing systems such as George Gurdjieff's Enneagram.Industry-wise, I enjoy community-building initiatives and reading work from independent, freelance, and marginalized journalists. Here are a few of my favorite stories from a few of my favorite journalists: Carol Cadwalldr, Nora Neus, Aina Marzia, Kat Tenbarge, Lindsay Lee Wallace, Olivia Hicks, and many others.