What was your first job as a journalist?
Paid? Production assistant on an NHL documentary about the Boston Bruins.
How is social media changing news?
Public figures can converse with an audience of millions 24/7. Reporters have less time to work and more people holding them accountable.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Rachel Samstat in Nora Ephron's Heartburn
What does it mean to be a journalist?
A storyteller who layers newly reported facts with context to help a wide audience understands the consequences of a change
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Via email, the earlier the better
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Tape recorder, telephone pickup microphone, transcription service, laptop, cellphone, pencils and paper
Who do you wish followed you?
Roxane Gay and Phoebe Waller-Bridge
Why did you become a journalist?
Teachers nurtured me as a writer from a young age. When I got to college, I thought journalism sounded more practical than creative writing.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
I wrote for my high school paper when I was a senior. The school was huge, yet somehow I comprised the entire opinions staff.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
New York magazine cover packages and my first New York Times profiles
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
"When in doubt, leave it out."
When's the best time to pitch you?
Far enough in advance to time a published story with a specific peg
What's the best pitch you ever got?
The stories I write are usually based on pitches I come up with myself.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
A pushy publicist sent me a cold pitch titled, "Your Interview Tuesday."
What's your favorite drink?
A mocktail with a punny name
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Sitting on the floor of my office, cutting and gluing and pretending I'm in art class
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
The New Yorker
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
People think entertainment journalism is light or easy since it can involve talking to celebrities. But all the articles are business stories
