My name is Josh Freedman. I am currently a writer and doctoral student based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. I used to be a writer and researcher in Beijing, China. Before that, I was writer and researcher in Washington, DC. My main areas of expertise are related to politics, China, and how everything seems to be falling apart right now (generally speaking).

You might be wondering why the tagline of this site is “Small head, big thoughts.” It is because I have a very small head, and I am insecure about it. I find hat stores to be very emasculating.

If you are confused as to why there are no pictures of large burly men or football statistics, you are probably looking for Josh Freeman, the former starting quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Much to my parents’ dismay, that is not, in fact, me. You may also be wondering about emotional intelligence, but, unfortunately, that would be the work of a different Josh Freedman. If you are looking for a Josh Freedman that is doing a PhD in political science, you have a 50 percent chance of getting me.

On this site, you will find links to all of my published work. I have written articles about politics, social policy, and higher education (one of those at a time) for a variety of print and online publications. Please go to “NOT FUNNY WRITING” to read those. I also contribute humor pieces to McSweeney’s Internet Tendency and other places. Please go to “FUNNY WRITING” to read those. I regularly perform stand-up and improv comedy, but thankfully there are no public videos of any of that.

The blog section of the site will feature other thoughts on topics including China, moral philosophy, social policy, higher education, poor people, artisanal sandwiches, and which power cord I am currently missing. I feel strongly about all of those things.

I do not like long walks on the beach, but short to medium walks are fine if I am able to hose off the sand at the end.

If you are still unsatisfied for any reason, first look inward. Then feel free to email me at josh [at] jbfreedman.com. I do Bar Mitzvahs and weddings.