Steel was born in Salt Lake City but moved to Lincoln , Nebraska and East Lyme , Connecticut before she graduated from the University of North Carolina . She lives in New York City . Steel says she became interested in journalism after writing a piece in her high school newspaper about how to be happy and grateful in the wake of 9/11 ; she said a janitor approached her to say her piece had brightened her day , and she knew in that moment she wanted to become a writer
9/11
September 11 attacks
Emily Steel