What was your first job as a journalist?
I wrote an expose of Long Island video stores renting porn to minors for Long Island Monthly when I was 15.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Bob Woodward as played by Robert Redford
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Email
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Firefox, Word, Slack, Mailchimp, Monday, WordPress, Chrome, Safari, Pages, Excel
Who do you wish followed you?
Paul Simon
Why did you become a journalist?
It was the most logical way to make a living as a writer.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
I was the co-editor-in-chief of The Pulse at Syosset High School from 1989-90.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
I did an essay for Time a decade ago about my dog dying and our choice not to treat his cancer. People still write to thank me for it.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
If you can't deal with people hating you, find another business.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Late morning
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
I get invited to restaurant openings in European countries often. So odd.
What's your favorite drink?
Tim Horton's coffee, though not the store-bought ground version which is not the same.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
On the floor or in the pool with my kids.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
The Hollywood Reporter
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
that gambling is not mainstream.
