is a writer, teacher, PhD candidate, and former wildland firefighter.

Their memoir, HOTSHOT, is forthcoming on August 12, 2025.

River was born in Los Angeles and grew up in the Pacific Northwest. They spent seven years working as a wildland firefighter, stationed out of California, Oregon, Colorado, and Alaska.

Read and subscribe to their newsletters: WILDERNESS and GATHERING.

River is neurodivergent and lives with CPTSD and an autoimmune disorder called rheumatoid arthritis. They are queer, white, and nonbinary.