A few years ago, I was diagnosed with "hidden allergies." For those of you who don't know what this is, it basically means I have a hypersensitivity to chemical substances and I didn't even know it. I was clinically diagnosed, which means that my doctor can see I have allergies even if I'm nonreactive to the standard pinprick test for allergens. Because I'm a medical anthropologist and a science nerd, I immediately began asking questions about allergies and talking to people about it. This sparked a serious interest in doing a big, crazy-making project looking at the recent rise in allergies - a project that asks a lot of questions about the science and culture of allergies in America.

I just finished a nonfiction book on the topic. Although my academic training heavily influenced both the way I researched this book and its grounding questions, this book is not, strictly speaking, an academic one. This book is written for a more general audience, since so many of us are allergies sufferers, know someone who is, or have some level of curiosity about allergy-related topics such as the recent "gluten-free" trend.

Stay tuned for publication details. Right now, the book is slated for release in May 2023.