about — 1992

my name is katya ungerman, but i write under the name katherine dee. my username is almost always default_friend or default.friend.

i'm a writer and internet ethnographer. i mostly write about the internet but i also dabble in enchantment, spirituality, the philosophy of technology, and, sometimes, medicine. i'm the tech correspondent at the spectator and a staff critic at tablet.

for the last 5 years, i've been interviewing people about how they use the internet. you can read those interviews here.

questions people ask me

what is american dreamland?: i co-host american dreamland, a coast-to-coast-am-inspired call-in show about the intersection of magic, the paranormal, and technology.
what do you mean when you say the internet is fairyland?: a foreign country with its own etiquette, altered time, binding bargains, distorted mirrors, and paths back home. the rules for travelers are here.
is your work political?: no!! the biggest misconception about me. i know there's no such thing as a “view from nowhere” but also i am not particularly partisan. i am happy to hear anyone out.
where should i start reading?: start with the internet as the astral plane, then your phone isn't a drug. it's a portal to the otherworld.
why so many names?: it's a long story, but mostly an artifact of starting my writing career online, when handles and pseudonyms were an ordinary part of life. katya ungerman is my name, katherine dee is the name i publish under, and default_friend is the username that followed me from platform to platform.
do you speak or consult?: yes! happily. let's chat. more about consulting →