I am a writer, artist, and researcher living in Brooklyn.
My writing has appeared in Harper's, The Guardian, n+1, Parapraxis, The Baffler, The Drift, Cabinet, and Post45 Contemporaries, among other venues. I'm best known for writing about personal boundaries, the crisis of soft skills, and group dynamics.
I am a PhD candidate in English and Theater and Performance Studies at the University of Chicago, where I research personality, work, and the history of social science. My research often involves ethnographic methods and oral history.
My writing has been mentioned in Forbes and the Washington Post. I was interviewed by Time as an expert on social distancing. I've been a podcast guest on Ordinary Unhappiness (twice!) and Red Medicine.
I also work in performance art. I’ve given performance lectures at the Renaissance Society (on friendship), the Gray Center (on ambition) and daadgalerie (on space and time).
My work has been supported with fellowships, grants, and awards from the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Studies, the DAAD Artists-in-Berlin program, 3CT, the Nicholson Center, the Center for the Study of Gender and Sexuality, the Arts, Science + Culture Initiative, Harvard Magazine, the Tavistock Institute for Human Relations, and the American Society for Theater Research. My PhD is funded by a Neubauer Distinguished Doctoral Fellowship. I was the Nonfiction Editor of Chicago Review from 2020–23. I am a member of Groups Group, a collective studying group dynamics in social movement organizations as part of the Psychosocial Foundation.
You can reach me directly at lily.scherlis [at] gmail.com. I also have a newsletter for occasional updates. I am represented by Chris Parris-Lamb at the Gernert Company.