What was your first job as a journalist?
Electronic Publishing Intern at Truthout.org. Good timing for a changing media landscape, huh? (And it was paid!)
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes! I'm only 31, but I grew up writing on one.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Via e-mail for sure.
What's your favorite social network?
Twitter.
Why did you become a journalist?
I've wanted to be a writer since I was 4 or 5. Neither low pay nor its negative impact on my health have stopped me.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Nope. We did not have one.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Ruthlessly but politely seek out mentorship. Always ask questions. Anticipate your first mistake and own it.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Morning. Though I may regret it by 3 pm.
What's your favorite drink?
Scotch on the rocks with a lemon twist because I'm an old man.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
In my kitchen or my living room. Talk about homebody.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
Ohhh. I'm listing more than one. I'm a die hard fan of Emily Nussbaum AND Adam Gopnik, so def. The New Yorker. Also: Harper's!
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
When I was full-time people often thought the LGBT beat just meant I promulgated a left-wing agenda. Really.
