Evan Dalton Smith
As seen in:
Los Angeles Times,
Slate,
The New Yorker,
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,
Baltimore Sun,
Poetry Magazine,
Los Angeles Review of Books
Covers:
Culture, travel, film, TV, gear, gadgets, cars, hotels, design, art, theater, comedy, sports, men's style, outdoors, books, architecture, food, games, robots, business, fatherhood.
Doesn't Cover:
Interested in everything.
Looking for Andy Griffith, available where books are sold. (Find me on Instagram, Substack, et al.)
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
I was sports editor of my high school yearbook, a features writer for my college newspaper, & editor of my college magazine.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes, I used an electric Brother typewriter that could erase!
How is social media changing news?
Because of access & immediacy, it's the greatest time to be a writer, yet also dangerous & impoverishing. Still, be excited about narrative.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Stephen Glass
What does it mean to be a journalist?
To follow your interests and find the story that's interesting to others.
Who do you wish followed you?
David Grann, Ariel Levy, Joseph Mitchell
Why did you become a journalist?
In 2011 I landed an editorial job that required me to read widely, then realized how much great writing is out there.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Yes, sports! I was an athlete so that was my assignment. I've not written about basketball since, but plan to again one day.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
My story after the death of Andy Griffith that led to my book proposal.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Listen to the Longform and Kill Fee podcasts. Read everything—read outside your beat.
What's your favorite drink?
Irish whisky, bourbon, a good ale, black iced coffee during the day.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
With my family, running along the Merrimack River, or driving my Subaru.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
New Yorker, LA Review of Books, Pacific Standard, Esquire, GQ, NYT Magazine, New York Mag
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That there's more interest in celebrity over art.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.