What was your first job as a journalist?
My first job was writing for a small-staffed alt-weekly, where I was responsible for creating the events calendar.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes! My dad collects antiques so I've definitely used a typewriter.
How is social media changing news?
It's made it instant and reckless. It's also made it more informed and less deliberately biased.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Fictional journalist tend to irritate me. Everyone isn't an investigative journalist. Also all music writers don't sleep with artists.
Why did you become a journalist?
I became a journalist because I love telling stories.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
I'm proud of a story that I wrote following Katrina about the displaced New Orleans residents who landed in Atlanta.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Read, read, read. Open your ears so that you don't only listen but hear what people are saying. Observe more often than you talk.
When's the best time to pitch you?
The best time to pitch me is whenever you have a great/relevant idea.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
The best pitch I ever got was to interview Quincy Jones. We ended up going way past our allotted interview time.
What's your favorite drink?
Whiskey on the rocks. Red wine.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
The most common misperception about writing arts and entertainment is that it's frivolous.
