What was your first job as a journalist?
The State News, in East Lansing, Michigan
Have you ever used a typewriter?
yes, as well as a pen and pencil
How is social media changing news?
a lot
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Ernest Hemingway
What does it mean to be a journalist?
to get it right, gracefully
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
dunno
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
via email
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
computer, internet, word
What's your favorite social network?
Facebook
Who do you wish followed you?
just about everybody
Why did you become a journalist?
needed the money, still do
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
no, though I did contribute one piece under a pseudonym
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
my latest
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
keep on trying
When's the best time to pitch you?
mornings
What's the best pitch you ever got?
still waiting
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
still trying to block it out
What's your favorite drink?
beer
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
researching, or at a library
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
New York Times
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
I only write about silent film
