I got my start in entertainment journalism in sixth grade, while reviewing movies for my school newspaper. Printed on 8 1/2-by-11 paper, it was as legit as a sixth-grade school paper gets.
Eventually, in 2006, I received my journalism degree from Eastern Michigan University, and returned to the university in fall 2015 to teach Feature Writing. As a student, I wrote for the Eastern Echo, the university paper, where I put my scoop-getting skills to work when I asked Vince Vaughn, “Are you and Jennifer Aniston romantically linked?” Even Vince, who told me I should be working for Hard Copy, knew I had a knack for this journalism thing.
Now, and since 2009, I've been editor of Q Syndicate, the only LGBTQ wire service serving regional LGBTQ press across the United States, where my viral interviews with everyone from Meryl Streep to Mariah Carey and Joe and Nick Jonas have transcended niche markets and garnered tags in pubs such as Vanity Fair, People and USA Today. (Vince would be happy to know that I'm also a regular contributor to Entertainment Tonight.)
In 2014, during an enriching and unforgettable sit-down with Elaine Stritch, I received what is probably the greatest compliment of my career thus far. It certainly made me less fearful of broaching uncomfortable topics, like an 89-year-old woman's waning health.
That afternoon, I was told Stritch had been abruptly ending interviews. And just as The L.A. Times called, I told her I'd be on my way.
“Don’t cut yourself short," she told me. "You can read me out. It’s all right, I’ll just be late for everybody else.”
