About Zoe
I'm Zoe Scontras, a writer who sees the world through the lens of a cultural critic.
I graduated from Samford University in spring 2026 with a journalism degree, and currently reside in Birmingham, AL. Growing up in the Northeast It was never on my itinerary to live in the South, especially Birmingham. I was a fish out of water at first, but after four slow years, I have come to appreciate small(er) knit towns like Birmingham because of its supportive community that gives up and coming writers, like me, a chance.
I write personal essays, opinion pieces, profiles and features on everything from pop culture to politics and public policy. My bylines have appeared in the Portland Press Herald, The Local, The Samford Crimson and with Maine Policy Institute. I also publish regularly on my Substack.
When I'm off duty, you'll find me at a jazz club with a glass of bourbon.
Writers who inspire me
Nothing feeds my old soul like a good book or magazine article. But the following writers have shaped me in ways inexplicable. When I read their work, I feel a sense of camaraderie. I understand them, and they understand me.
Gay Talese
Ernest Hemingway
Margaret Mitchell
Anne Morrow Lindbergh