ABOUT THE HOSTS
Christen Civiletto
Julia Rose
Christen E. Civiletto is the author of THUNDERING WATERS: The Toxic Legacy of Niagara Falls (Princeton University Press/Island Press Imprint, June 30, 2026). This PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY starred review book interweaves environmental crime, history, and memoir, and exposes the astonishing story of exploitation and ongoing abuse lurking in the shadows of one of the world’s most treasured natural wonders.
Christen is also an environmental lawyer, law school adjunct at SUNY Buffalo Law, and former Niagara Falls resident. She earned her law degree from Vanderbilt Law School and has spearheaded litigation on behalf of hundreds of sick Niagara County residents in high-profile toxic tort cases against municipalities and major chemical polluters.
Christen’s roots go right back to her hometown of Niagara Falls, New York. She’s been grounded by her boisterous Italian family, moved by the people of an environmentally devastated city, drawn outdoors by its natural beauty, and inspired to act locally by using the law as the means to effect change.
She experienced a wake-up call after wondering why so many residents of the Falls were dealing with cancer or disease. She began to research the area’s environmental history -- a history marked by greed, deception, illegal dumping, and misplaced patriotism. Those discoveries led to a lot of writing, including Green City Savior (2015), a suspense novel set in Niagara Falls. Christen is represented by Don Fehr, with Trident Media Group.
Christen has also authored non-fiction books and articles relating to law practice. She’s a past writing award finalist, and a judge for The Eric Hoffer Award for Book and Prose and other contests.
Whether Christen is writing, hiking, litigating, raising a family, or teaching, there's one unifying theme to her pursuits: it's the idea of stewardship -- the notion that we’re to care for what’s been entrusted to us. Stewardship of the natural world requires that we use our aptitudes and interests to act. It’s intentional.
Website: christencivilettoauthor.com
Julia is an attorney, veteran, and award-winning poet driven by a deep appreciation for the familiar and an insatiable curiosity for the unknown. Reading and writing are her primary mediums of exploration.
Raised in Buffalo, New York, Julia grew up advocating for causes small and large. She can recall making PowerPoints in favor of a family dog, or presenting her arguments against an early bedtime - which she still avoids. As time went on, the causes became more serious and the stakes increased, but so did her confidence and vigor. Nowadays, Julia seeks to put her experience and energy towards what matters: family and friends, the environment, human connection, and the creative arts, to name a few.
Julia lives and works in downtown Buffalo, where she's never more than a few steps away from live music, the gym, or a cup of coffee.