Welcome
Miranda C. Spencer
Some may know me as Staff Editor at the webzine Mad in America ("science, psychiatry, and social justice"). But I'm also a freelance journalist and book editor who offers a nose for news, an ear for language, and an eye for detail gleaned from 30 years of eclectic publishing experience. My business provides writing and editing services to news media, publishers, and individuals. Together, we produce projects with purpose, power, and personality.
I recently relocated to rural New Hampshire, about two hours from Boston. Have ticket, will travel.
You can check out samples of my latest work below, then click on "Find Out More" to learn about my background. Don't forget to visit the Portfolios page!
Miranda C. Spencer, writer & editor
Journalism
Latest Work
"The Media's New Hashtag: #GuardianshipIsGood for Britney Spears"
Mad in America, December 18, 2019
This MIA Report reviews recent press coverage of top star Britney Spears, who remains under a personal and professional guardianship due to an unspecified “mental illness."
Excerpt: " The coverage in recent stories about Spears, filled with truisms about mentally ill people’s incompetency, could have benefited from a more critical eye and less speculation. Instead, we see stories built on anonymous sources, who frequently use reporters for their own purposes; reporters’ inability to sit down with the star renders their reporting more like glorified gossip. Little attention was paid to an obvious fact about her case that resonates beyond it: The state has the power to circumscribe an allegedly disabled but highly functional woman’s right to self-governance “for her own good” even though she has committed no crime. Also, less extreme alternatives to conservatorship were never mentioned, such as supported decision-making."
Book Editing
Latest Works
Animalkind: Remarkable Discoveries About Animals and Revolutionary Ways to Show Them Compassion
By Ingrid Newkirk and Gene Stone
(Simon and Schuster, 2020)
In the last few decades, a wealth of new information has emerged about who animals are—intelligent, aware, and empathetic. Studies show that animals are astounding beings with intelligence, emotions, intricate communications networks, and myriad abilities. The authors present these findings in a concise and awe-inspiring way, detailing a range of surprising discoveries. They pair their tour of the astounding lives of animals with a guide to the exciting new tools that allow humans to avoid using or abusing animals as we once did. Whether it’s medicine, product testing, entertainment, clothing, or food, there are now better options to all the uses animals once served in human life.
I provided substantial research and writing on the "Scientific Research" chapter on the history of medical research using animals and viable alternatives— including organoids, big data, and in-vitro techniques, among others.
By Nil Zacharias and Gene Stone
(Abrams, 2020)
A delicious, informative guide to eating vegan—featuring 75 recipes from some of the world’s greatest plant-based chefs, businesses, and influencers.
I researched and wrote the blurbs about how various plant foods—from potatoes to figs— support a healthy environment.