Casey Johnston is an acclaimed writer and cultural critic. Her work covers the intersections of a diverse range of topics, including politics, identity, health, technology, power, womanhood, and embodiment, and has earned critical acclaim from numerous outlets.
Casey grew up in the Adirondacks, and received her Bachelor’s of Science in Applied Physics from the Columbia University engineering school. She has worked in media for 15 years, as a senior tech/science/health editor at The Outline; a senior health/tech editor at the New York Times’ Wirecutter; and as the culture editor at Ars Technica. Most recently, she was the editorial director of health and lifestyle coverage at VICE. In 2016, Casey started a science-based column about strength called Ask A Swole Woman, which now lives within her newsletter, She’s A Beast. In December 2021, she published LIFTOFF: Couch to Barbell, a book and training program for total lifting beginners who want to feel stronger and build a more meaningful, functional relationship with their bodies.
In addition to writing and speaking, Casey is an inveterate podcast guest. If you’re interested in anything of those things, she hopes that you will say hi. She loves lifting, watching TV, playing video games, and eating interesting snacks and inadvisably un-photogenic meals. She hangs out most with her partner, Seamus McKiernan, her two black cats, Fletch and Gert, and her dog, Luca.
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A Physical Education traces Casey Johnston’s journey of calorie restriction and obsessive cardio—making herself small in almost every way—to finding healing through the (unexpected) practice of lifting weights. As she progresses, carrying groceries and closing heavy doors become easier. As she diligently practices checking in with how she feels, she begins to question not only
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