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Kathleen McCleary on Muck Rack

Kathleen McCleary

(She/Her)
Virginia
As seen in: Facebook, The New York Times, TODAY, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Houzz, AARP, Parade Magazine, CultureMap Dallas, The Gwinnett Daily Post, Wind River and
Covers:  People, health, finances, politics, home design, personal essays, sports, celebrity interviews—pretty much anything and everything.
Doesn't Cover: Hard news
Journalist & novelist who covers everything from Lin-Manuel Miranda to the future of work. Articles in the NYT, Parade, etc.; 3 novels; a few good poems.

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Kathleen McCleary’s Biography

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Journalist and author and regular contributor to a variety of magazines and websites (Parade, houzz, WriterUnboxed). I've also written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, and a bunch of great magazines that no longer exist (More, Offspring, USA Weekend, etc.) My novels haven't made me rich, but the positive feedback nourishes my soul if not my wallet: HOUSE AND HOME (Hyperion, 2008) received favorable mentions in The New York Times ("a sharply funny work of catharsis"), O at Home ("One…

Kathleen McCleary’s Journalist Portfolio

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Getting Unstuck: Walking the Camino as a Creative Reset

Getting Unstuck: Walking the Camino as a Creative Reset

Sometimes, it's OK to not have a plan and get lost.

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Stories Will Save You

Stories Will Save You

A look at how reading and writing fiction can get us through challenging times

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Life Lessons From A Tough Hike On Lake Superior

Life Lessons From A Tough Hike On Lake Superior

How being rescued from a hike on Lake Superior's rocky northern shore was the best thing I ever did for mysel…

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JOURNEYS; On New Golf Courses, Nature Wins a Round

JOURNEYS; On New Golf Courses, Nature Wins a Round

ON a grassy bluff 100 feet above the Pacific Ocean, you can see for at least 14 miles in each direction, from…

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What I Learned While Cleaning Out my Junk Drawers

What I Learned While Cleaning Out my Junk Drawers

A homeowner finds some surprises on her journey to junk-free bliss.

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Earth Day Across America! 50 Earth-Saving Projects From Every State

Earth Day Across America! 50 Earth-Saving Projects From Every State

Good citizens in every state-from New York to Wyoming-are helping save the environment. In honor of Earth Day…

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Articles

Three Important Things (in Life and in Fiction)

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By Kathleen McCleary
| Writer Unboxed
Betrayal, greed, vanity, pride, impulsivity—all the human flaws that drive plots and create good stories are exactly that, flaws. I read a dozen books on my recent vacation, but two that stood out were Ann Patchett’s new novel Whistler and a brilliant work of non-fiction, The Gales of November, by John U.
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Why?

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By Kathleen McCleary
| Writer Unboxed
Years ago, in my other life as a journalist, I interviewed Michael Jordan for a cover story for the magazine I worked for at the time. At the peak of his fame, shortly after his father was murdered, Jordan had quit basketball to try playing baseball. When I interviewed him, he had just made the sudden and surprising decision to return to basketball. Look, interviewing someone as famous as Michael Jordan is hard. What can you ask him that he hasn’t been asked—and answered—a million times?
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Why Do We Write?

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By Kathleen McCleary
| Writer Unboxed
My youngest daughter got engaged last week, which means it’s been an intense weekend, with lots of hugs and joyful tears and gratitude and hope and excitement for the future. At the end of the weekend, a friend said to me: This was so much intense emotion. Are you going to use that in a novel? The question stopped me short, because it made me think about the many times in my life I’ve felt driven to write, in order to process intense emotion.
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See all 175 licensed articles (203 Total)

Interview

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What was your first job as a journalist?

I was secretary to T George Harris, EIC of American Health magazine.

Have you ever used a typewriter?

Yes. I miss the clacking sound of the keys. I don't miss Wite-out.

What does it mean to be a journalist?

To be perpetually curious.

Awards

Folio's Eddie Award

2016 - Consumer, Series of Articles-Banking/business/finance

Folio's annual Eddie Awards recognize excellence in magazine editorial across all sectors of the industry.

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Folio's Eddie Award

2018 - Range of Work by a Single Author

One of five finalists recognized for a series of articles and cover stories I reported and wrote for PARADE magazine in 2018, including stories on the nation's best charities, the economy, our National Parks, Lin Manuel Miranda and his mom, Star Wars' Mark Hamill, and other articles.

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