About me:

Hey there! I’m K.D. Kemp, an archivist and writer living in Washington, D.C.

By day, I write code and automate systems to make archival records more accessible to people. I have a Master of Library and Information Science and I'm a Certified Archivist. Throughout my career, I've worked in public libraries and museums, as well as some other pretty cool places like the National Archives and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

I’m currently working on a middle grade non-fiction book about Y2K and what it can teach us about today’s technology fears, as well as an upper middle grade fiction series about a group of friends who investigate seemingly supernatural activity in their wild and strange hometown. Think The X-Files meets Nancy Drew! Both my non-fiction and fiction strive to teach kids to be curious and think critically without losing their sense of wonder.

When I’m not working or writing, you’ll find me SCUBA diving, collecting physical media, repairing retro technology, or hitting the road with my 35mm camera. I’m passionate about media literacy, digital autonomy, and open access to information.

I’m on a mission to reclaim the Weird Wild Web that was built on exploration instead of exploitation. This website is an attempt to do that. It is a love letter to the old Internet, coded clumsily by hand, and modeled after many of the sites that I grew up with. It is ad-free, algorithm-free, and AI-free.

Press:

Rolling Stone - Physical Media is Cool Again. Streaming Services Have Themselves to Blame.

Who I'd like to meet:

Kids who ask too many questions (and the adults who encourage them to keep asking).

Teachers, librarians, and guardians looking for books that make kids think.

Anyone curious about a career in archives or libraries. I'm always happy to offer some guidance!

Literary agents who love middle-grade fiction and non-fiction.

Physical media enthusiasts.

Basically anyone who believes the internet can be weird and wonderful again.

Feel free to drop me a line at hello@kdkemp.com.