About . | . Work

Lauren Barton

Lauren is an award-winning writer and freelance journalist from Tennessee. They are currently studying Communication Studies with a minor in History at East Tennessee State University, and hopes to one day pursue a master’s degree.

VIDEO: “They are Charlie Kirk — who are you?”

Homeschool Mental Health Crisis

Desperate Measures Post-Roe

LGBTQ+ Students in TN

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.

A photo of me standing in front of some of my work. This photo was taken by my beautiful boyfriend, Charlie.

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.I graduated with my Associates of Arts from Walters in 2025, cum laude. I achieved academic recognition for my tributes to the debate team and won first place for my personal essay, Love in Appalachia, in East Tennessee’s own Mildred Haun Conference.Outside of my academic and professional work, I play the keyboard and study Appalachian folklore. I also 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.