Writer

RACHEL GREENLEY is a Pacific Northwest writer published in the New England Review, The New York Times, Orion Magazine, River Teeth, Longreads, and Passages North, among others. She earned her MFA from Bennington Writing Seminars in 2023, and has been supported by the Bread Loaf Environmental Conference and the Prospect Street Writers House.

Greenley’s NER essay, “Here in Umatilla,” was nominated for the John Burroughs Award and was selected as a Notable Essay in the 2025 edition of The Best American Essays, guest edited by Jia Tolentino. One of her essays in Orion, “The Atomic Disease,” was selected as Longreads Top Essay of the Week.

Greenley, who works as a writer at a public university, is currently working on a memoir-in-essays. Her local bookstore is The Bookloft in Enterprise, Oregon. Even though her BWS book club already finished Paul Harding’s “Tinkers”, she continues to re-read and savor it. She is also making her way through Miriam Toews’ work because she was so blown away by “A Truce that is Not Peace.”

Selected Writing

No portion of any of my writing may be used for training artificial intelligence without my written permission.

What We Leave Out – Orion Magazine – Reprinted in Memoir Monday

Packed Cubicles, Empty Corner Office: Remote Work Is Increasingly a Right of the Rich – The New York Times

Here in Umatilla – New England Review – Selected by LitHub to be featured in LitHub Daily, nominated for the John Burroughs Award and a Notable Essay in the 2025 edition of The Best American Essays, discussed in CopyText Magazine

The Atomic Disease – Orion Magazine – Selected as Longreads #1 Essay of the Week, and Best of 2023

This is the Reality of America’s Fast Fashion Addiction – The New York Times – Reprinted in Memoir Monday

Origin Stream – Passages North (#47 – Winter 2026) – Reprinted in Memoir Monday

Place of Healing – Brevity Blog

Confession – River Teeth

Untethered – Hobart / Republished on Had

The Cedar – The Baltimore Review