Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
Middle school paper.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes.
How is social media changing news?
More access, but lower quality.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Not sure.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Reporting the truth. Speaking truth to power.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
By email.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
MacBook. Both sides of my brain.
What's your favorite social network?
Twitter.
Who do you wish followed you?
Barack Obama.
Why did you become a journalist?
To reach a broader public through writing.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Briefly. Staff writer.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
I review books mostly. Every piece is different.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Be persistent. Have principles.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Anytime.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
Not sure.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
Baseball. 5th grade.
What's your favorite drink?
Shiner Bock. Rooibos tea. Oatmilk draft latte. Not all together.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Backpacking. Climbing mountains. Running.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
The New Yorker. The Atlantic. NYRBooks.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That "Africa" is all the same.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.