Claire Zulkey
Verified
As seen in:
Evil Witches Newsletter,
Medium,
The New York Times,
Yahoo Life,
Forbes,
HuffPost,
Mashable,
Red Bull,
Stanford University,
The Atlantic,
Barnes and Noble
and
Covers:
Chicago, parenting, academia, pop culture, womanhood, marriage, entrepreneurship, humor
Freelance writing, published author, newsletters, Chicagoland, yelling at little boys. she/her
evilwitches.substack.com muckrack.com/claire-zulkey
Interview
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes. I was alive for a few minutes before the internet was a thing.
How is social media changing news?
I think it has trained us to demand quantity over quality, but it has also expanded the borders of who can be a journalist, which is good.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Hildy Johnson, obvs.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Being professionally curious.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Harvest, Tomato Timer, Freedom, headphones for hands free interviewing, an old-school assignment notebook
Who do you wish followed you?
Beyonce and Steve Martin.
Why did you become a journalist?
Because I love talking to people, I love seeing my name on my work, and writing is my therapy.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Of course. I was the features editor with my friend, also named Claire. We both won a trophy for our efforts.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
A story about what how to help grieving new mothers who lost a parent or a child around the same time they gave birth.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
If you're not interested in your subject you better figure out a way to get interested or else it's going to show in your story.
When's the best time to pitch you?
During work hours, Monday-Friday.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
"Sorry about my publicist."
What's your favorite drink?
A gold rush: bourbon, lemon juice and honey syrup.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Catering to my children's every whim and need. Or out with my friends complaining about work and children over drinks.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
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