Automotive PR/marcom writer has worked with the world's top car brands. Auto journalist writing stories at the intersection of history, emotion and culture.
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
Staff writer at a car magazine.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes. Had a manual and then electronic in college (remember "daisy wheels?") Worked on a Selectric at first job.
How is social media changing news?
Turning it into a weapon against those who can't tell truth from propaganda.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Carl Kolchak, "the Night Stalker."
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Ask thoughtful questions to get honest answers that will inform the reader.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
It would be political, and I don't want to get political here.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Email.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
MS Word, internet, Skype, occasionally a camera, my charm.
What's your favorite social network?
I use LinkedIn and occasionally use Twitter to try connecting with someone.
Who do you wish followed you?
Anyone who enjoys good stories about the deeper meaning of cars in a cultural context. Sound pretentious?
Why did you become a journalist?
When my first articles published in "The Whit," newspaper at Glassboro State College, in 1983 or 1984.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
No, but wrote a few pieces for my college paper.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
My work for The New York Times, particularly my stories about American muscle cars in Iran and artist Michael Paul Smith. Look him up.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
These days? "Don't bet your retirement on this."
When's the best time to pitch you?
Send me a detailed email.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
A club in Tehran, Iran for American muscle cars, an affiliate of Sarasota Cafe Racers in Fla.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
Can't remember, but probably a silly product.
What's your favorite drink?
Water. I brew my own.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
How long is this interview?
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
NY Times. (No longer "mine" since the paper cut the Autos section in 2014.)
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That it's just writing about cars.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.