Jerry Grillo on Muck Rack

Jerry Grillo

Nacoochee, Sautee Nacoochee
As seen in: LinkedIn, WebMD, Substack, EurekAlert!, Phys.org, Audible Blog, Paste, Big Think, Medical Xpress, Emory Report and
Covers:  Science, law, music, sports, etc.
Husband, dad, bro, pal, citizen. Georgia Author of the Year finalist for "The Music and Mythocracy of Col. Bruce Hampton," author of "Big Cat," available now!

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Jerry Grillo’s Biography

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I'm an alphabet engineer, using letters to construct words and sentences that tell stories. For many years I wrote and edited for newspapers and magazines. For the past five or so, I've done basically the same thing at Georgia Tech in the university's communications department. In my spare time, I write on a freelance basis for a variety of publications and recently completed my first book (a biography of musician Col. Bruce Hampton), to be published by University of Georgia Press in 2021. Yay!…

Jerry Grillo’s Journalist Portfolio

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From the baseball field to the broadcast booth, Jeff Francoeur is still knocking it out of the pa...

From the baseball field to the broadcast booth, Jeff Francoeur is still knocking it out of the pa...

Homegrown phenom and former Atlanta Brave Jeff Francoeur starts his first season as the Braves' lead analyst,…

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The Thiokol factory explosion is a largely forgotten tragedy. Survivors want to change that.

The Thiokol factory explosion is a largely forgotten tragedy. Survivors want to change that.

Jannie Everette stood up from her desk in Camden County High School and felt the earth shake. Miles away, a f…

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My son has spastic quadriplegia cerebral palsy. But there's so much more you should know about hi...

My son has spastic quadriplegia cerebral palsy. But there's so much more you should know about hi...

My son is a constant loop in my thought track. My son is the boy you can hear from outside the house or from …

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Col. Bruce Hampton says goodbye - Atlanta Magazine

Col. Bruce Hampton says goodbye - Atlanta Magazine

I heard Col. Bruce Hampton say on several occasions that he'd probably die on stage, eventually-that he'd pre…

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Piano Man: At 87, jazz legend Johnny Knapp is still jamming - Atlanta Magazine

Piano Man: At 87, jazz legend Johnny Knapp is still jamming - Atlanta Magazine

Johnny Knapp is 87, and he feels it. He moves with a walker, his withered legs powered by wiry forearms and l…

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Joe Gransden's big band magic at Cafe 290

Joe Gransden's big band magic at Cafe 290

swings into Ella Fitzgerald's rollicking blues anthem "When I Get Low I Get High," the buoyant intro fronted …

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Articles

Where No One Has Gone Before

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By Jerry Grillo
| Substack
This is an emotional day for me, for a couple of reasons. The first reason was expected. Today is my daughter’s birthday, our firstborn, our amazing, overachieving, brilliant and beautiful Sam. It’s always a little emotional for me, recalling her arrival on Earth. Sam, somewhere near Madison. I remember this day. The second reason, completely unexpected, is because of something that happened far from Earth.
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Overreaching on Opening Day

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By Jerry Grillo
| Substack
Cut your hair, ya hippie, and hang in against the curve! If there ever was a time to overreach, it’s today, right now, this moment. Why? Because it’s Opening Day. Another baseball season. And if you’re into numbers, this season is kind of a big deal because the National League started in 1876, so this year makes it a 150th anniversary of what we think of as big-league baseball. But, overreaching.
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Why Johnny Mize Matters Today

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By Jerry Grillo
| Substack
Congratulations to Venezuela for winning the World Baseball Classic championship. What an amazing final game, and what fitting proof of the country’s excellent baseball culture, and what a great opportunity for me to share another Johnny Mize story! Late in his life, Mize was interviewed by a historian who wanted to know about the best ballplayer the old Big Cat had seen. “The greatest player I ever saw was a Black man,” Mize said. “His name is Martin Dihigo.
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See all 148 licensed articles (193 Total)

Interview

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What tools and software do you use to do your job?

A computer with Microsoft Word

What's your favorite social network?

Facebook and Twitter ... it's a tie

When's the best time to pitch you?

Hardly ever ... I'll find you

Awards

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Society of Professional Journalists Award

2006 - Feature Writing

I won first place in the Green Eyeshades Awards (Southeastern U.S. region of SPJ) for my three-part magazine series on energy in Georgia.

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Society of Professional Journalists Award

2007 - News Writing

I won first place in the Green Eyeshades Awards (Southeastern U.S. region of SPJ) for my magazine series on water issues in Georgia.

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Society of Professional Journalists Award

2010 - Feature Writing

I took second place in the Green Eyeshades Awards (Southeastern U.S. region of SPJ) for overall feature writing.

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Society of Professional Journalists Award

2013 - Feature Writing

I took second place in the Green Eyeshades Awards (Southeastern U.S. region of SPJ) for a body of work.

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Atlanta Press Club - Awards of Excellence

2012 - Feature Writing

I took first place for a body of work in the first year of the Atlanta Press Club's Awards of Excellence program (which continues as a strong awards program for regional journalism to this day).

AABP Editorial Excellence Awards

2011 - Personality Profile

I won the 'gold' award for my profile on the CEO of Aflac in the annual Association of Area Business Publications awards program (national competition).

Association of American Medical Colleges

2017 - Feature Writing

I took a 'silver' in the annual competition among science writers for a story about the microbiome called 'Learning to Love Our Bugs.'

Georgia Press Association, Atlanta Press Club, Magazine Association of the Southeast, etc.

Various

Since 1989 I've been an award-winning journalist based in Georgia (with the exception of one year in Pennsylvania). I won numerous Georgia Press awards for writing sports columns and stories, as well as others through the years for newspaper and magazine writing, in addition to the few that I've already mentioned here.

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