Nell Porter-Brown

Nell Porter Brown is assistant editor of Harvard Magazine. She is a graduate of Connecticut College and recently earned a master’s degree in creative writing and literature from the Harvard Extension School. Before joining the magazine staff in 2000, she was a newspaper reporter and covered politics, business, and criminal justice. She has also worked for land conservation organizations, on documentary films, and as an editor for a pharmaceutical research marketing firm. At the magazine, she writes and edits alumni profiles, along with a section on New England arts and culture, history, food, and day trips. She seeks out diverse, novel stories and out-of-the-way places that highlight the region’s beauty and uniqueness. Throughout her career Nell has developed strong collaborative and trusting relationships with both story sources and colleagues, building a wealth of knowledge and the ability to convey human truths through storytelling. 

As a magazine writer with a background in reporting for daily newspapers, Nell carefully researches every story, speaks with numerous sources, and takes multiple steps during final editing to fact-check every facet of the story. She is forthright with all interview subjects, explaining the purpose and scope of the story, and she instills a high level of trust throughout the process.

Winter hiking in the Blue Hills Reservation

Appalachian Mountain Club’s winter hiking in the Blue Hills

Steampunk art at the Fuller Craft Museum

Brockton’s Fuller Craft Museum offers Steampunk art that celebrates the city’s shoe-manufacturing legacy.

Cranberry Harvest Celebration in Wareham, Massachusetts

Learn how New England’s iconic berries are cultivated at this annual event.

Harvard alumna Sarah Alcorn reflects on her life as a private investigator

Boston-based private investigator Sarah Alcorn is “a bit of an oddball in this business.”

Saugus Iron Works replicates colonial-era industry

The Saugus Iron Works highlights early U.S. industrial history

The Iron Works House is a national historic site in Saugus, Massachusetts

The historic structure in Saugus, Massachusetts, highlights Colonial-era styles.

The Boston Fire Museum highlights firefighting history

Children and adults alike are drawn to this eclectic array of firefighting artifacts.