Publications
Russ López’s published work spans short fiction and academic scholarship, reflecting a career shaped by storytelling, research, and a deep engagement with place, identity, and social systems. Across genres, his writing explores how people understand themselves within communities—whether imagined, historic, or lived.
Russ López’s work appears in leading literary journals and peer-reviewed public health publications, including the American Journal of Public Health, Environmental Health Perspectives, The Fictional Café, and more.
Short Fiction
Russ’s short fiction blends realism with myth, humor with depth, and intimate character work with a strong sense of place. His stories explore identity, belonging, and the quiet magic threaded through everyday life—often drawing inspiration from Provincetown, Latinx experience, queer history, and the unexpected corners of human nature.
Published in a range of literary journals, these works reflect a commitment to character-driven storytelling that resists stereotype and embraces complexity.
Academic Writing
Russ’s academic scholarship examines how physical and social environments shape health, community life, and inequality. His work spans environmental justice, urban planning, neighborhood design, air toxics exposure, schoolyard transformations, and the long relationship between public health and the built environment.
Grounded in interdisciplinary research, these publications reflect a sustained focus on how policy, space, and history influence lived experience.
Urban Sprawl and Risk for Being Overweight or Obese
American Journal of Public Health
Examines the relationship between urban sprawl and increased risk of overweight and obesity, highlighting how land-use patterns influence population health.
Neighborhood Risk Factors for Obesity
Obesity Journal
Analyzes how neighborhood characteristics—including walkability, access to resources, and the built environment—contribute to obesity risk.
Segregation and Black/White Differences in Exposure to Air Toxics
Environmental Health Perspectives
Investigates racial disparities in exposure to air toxics, demonstrating how residential segregation contributes to unequal environmental health risks.
The Boston Schoolyard Initiative: A Public–Private Partnership
Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law
Documents a public–private effort to transform urban schoolyards, assessing its policy implications for health, education, and community development.
Public Health, the APHA, and Urban Renewal
American Journal of Public Health
Explores the historical relationship between public health institutions and urban renewal, examining how planning decisions shaped health outcomes in American cities.
Literary Leadership
Russ’s work extends beyond his own writing into the broader literary landscape. He is the founder and editor of LatineLit, an online magazine dedicated to fiction by and about Latinx people. Now in its fourth year, the magazine has published more than 100 stories—from portraits of new immigrants to speculative fiction set on other worlds—and curates a widely read monthly Latinx Best Seller List.
He also founded Shawmut Peninsula Press, a small independent publisher focusing on fiction, history, and social commentary. The press champions distinctive voices and publishes five to six carefully selected titles each year, offering authors a supportive and mission-driven alternative to traditional publishing models.
Through both platforms, Russ amplifies underrepresented voices, nurtures emerging writers, and helps shape a more inclusive and expansive literary community.
