What was your first job as a journalist?
Magazine art director at Va Commonwealth University
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Many times!
How is social media changing news?
Too easy for false narratives to gain traction
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
I don't have one
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Tell the truth
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
email
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Laptop, numerous digital databases, Celtx, MS Word
What's your favorite social network?
Facebook
Who do you wish followed you?
David Lynch
Why did you become a journalist?
Love research and telling oddball stories
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
No
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
"An Executioner's Song." Richmond Magazine, 2019
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Take every story and assignment you can. After you build experience start filtering toward specific genre, then become an expert at it
When's the best time to pitch you?
All the time
What's the best pitch you ever got?
"Word count is up to you, and get it in when you can."
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
No pay, but great exposure. One of those was true.
What's your favorite drink?
Bourbon on the rocks with a splash of sparkling water
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
gym
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
New York Times
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
History is easy.
