Caroline Santinelli
Caroline Santinelli is a freelance essay, humor, and fiction writer. She also volunteers as the Growth Editor for Appalachia, America’s longest-running journal of mountaineering and conservation.
Her work has been published in the New York Times, National Geographic, Appalachia, The Belladonna, Slackjaw, and appears regularly in the ‘toasts’ sections at friends’ weddings.
She grew up in Massachusetts, studied nonfiction writing at Middlebury College, and received an Master’s in English Literature from the Bread Loaf School of English, where she was a James Maddox Presidential Fellow. She lives in San Francisco.
Essays01 - I’m Not Having a Baby, so I Climbed a Very Tall Mountain - Appalachia Journal - 2026
02 - Changing Mimi’s Mind- Tiny Love Stories, NYTs - 2024
03 - The Old Bridle Path: "It Is Solved by Walking"- Appalachia Journal - 2017
04 - Timber Kings- Appalachia Journal - 2014
Humor01 - How I’m Indicating I’m Single in Public - The Belladonna - 2026 ✨ #3 Most Read Piece in October 2026 ✨
02 - Rewriting the Classics for Daily Life in 2026 - The Belladonna - 2026
03 - I, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Would Like to Share My Weight-Loss Journey - The Belladonna - 2026
04 - To The Teacher Who Encouraged My Daughter’s Interest In The Oboe - Slackjaw - 2025
05 - I’m Sorry, Ma’am, Experts Know Nothing About Your Condition - The Belladonna - 2025
06 - Jane Eyre Discovers Ethical Non-Monogamy - The Belladonna - 2025 ✨ EDITOR TOP PICK 2025 ✨
Reporting01 - Can You Dig It? Arctic Explorers Find Buried Stash of 60 Year-Old Jam - National Geographic - 2015
Current Projects
Filler Content | a newsletter
Reading Rhythms San Francisco | not a book club. a reading party.