Clayton Dalton is an emergency physician based in western New Mexico with a medical degree from Columbia University and residency training from Harvard. He is also a journalist whose work has appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, and Harper's, covering topics including conflict in Gaza, less-lethal weapons, and climate-related wildfire. Dalton has practiced Zen Buddhism since 2009 and received Tokudo (novice priest ordination) from Roshi Joan in 2026. He is affiliated with Upaya Zen Center.