August in October
This fall 2023 cover story for C-VILLE Weekly won Best Arts Feature at the 2024 AAN Awards, which honor the best work published across alternative news publications in the United States.
News Reporting, Local & National
As Editor-in-Chief of C-VILLE Weekly, I often stepped in to cover local issues, but I've also explored the realities of presidential food tasters for Grunge (a story that was later adapted to video) and the fringe personalities tied to the first Trump Administration for The Click at New York University, where I earned by master's in American Journalism.
Good Enough?
Ahead of the 2022 midterms, Virginia Rep. Bob Good ignored our multiple requests to interview him on his potential reelection. So, we worked around him.
Tales from the Chicken Strip
For this first-person feature, I endured the disruptive Raising Cane's drive-thru line in Charlottesville, Va., which blocked highway traffic.
Does Vladimir Putin Use Food Tasters To Avoid Poisoning?
This piece about the Russian president's paranoia around food was adapted into a popular video on Grunge's YouTube channel.
Six Conspiracy Theorists with Connections to the White House
During Trump's first term, he brought with him more than a few hangers-on who held some eyebrow-raising views.
Public Relations, Communications
From 2017 to 2020, I was the first full-time Arts Writer in the Communications Office of Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts, which was then the top-ranked public art school in the country according to U.S. News & World Report. I was responsible for writing, reviewing, and editing the majority of the copy published by VCUarts, both online and in print. In 2019, my team and I won the Commonwealth Award of Merit from the Public Relations Society of America for our yearlong content production centered on the school's 90th anniversary campaign.
Changing the Way Art Students See Their Future Careers
At VCU's Center for the Creative Economy, aspiring creatives learn to apply their skills in the business world.
A VCU Alum’s Scientific Approach to Music
I interviewed Devonne Harris, aka DJ Harrison, about his songwriting method, which he said he learned in the VCUarts Jazz Studies program.
VCUarts 90th Anniversary (Studio 2018)
The timeline included in the alumni magazine Studio compiled a year's worth of my writing and research into the school's history.
Hajr Avant | myVCUarts
myVCUarts is a video series I co-created which interviewed undergraduates for an audience of prospective students.
Editing, Copy & Fact-checking
In my editorial role at C-VILLE Weekly, I personally reviewed the copy of every page of the paper each week, in addition to helping with online publishing and the creation of each week's newsletter. I oversaw many of C-VILLE's largest cover stories in many different ways, from concept, research, and reporting, to the final copyediting before our print deadline. I was also in charge of scheduling cover stories for each week of the year by soliciting pitches from our stable of talented freelance journalists, and working closely each day with Catie Ratliff, C-VILLE's full-time news writer.
The Many Temptations of RFK Jr.
As Margaret Manto's editor on this feature, I reviewed revisions, requested changes, fact-checked, and even fended off threats from the campaign.
How Accessible Is C'ville?
In editing Matt Dhillon's excellent feature, I followed up with sources and advocates to ask which terms they preferred we use.
No Curfew
When C-VILLE News Reporter Catie Ratliff set out to conduct spontaneous interviews, I accompanied her and helped reassure hesitant sources.
The Year in Review
As editor-in-chief, I took the lead on our annual double feature, which reviewed the most popular C-VILLE issues of the year.
Culture Reporting, Arts Writing
Selected work from C-VILLE Weekly, where I served as editor-in-chief and won an AAN award for Best Arts Feature, off-beat news site Grunge, and The Click, a graduate student publication at New York University.
Exit Music
I interviewed Kirby Hutto, longtime general manager of the Ting Pavilion amphitheater in Charlottesville, Va., on the eve of his retirement.
Art from the Future
Jay Simple brings a new perspective and purpose to The Bridge Progressive Arts Initiative as its executive director.
Who Invented Furby?
I research the conception and design of Furby, a popular robotic toy that could respond vocally to light and sound.
In Charlottesville, Artists Disagree on How—or If—Art Can Heal the City’s Wounds
Two years after a deadly white supremacist rally, local artists talk about its lasting effects on their practices.
Food, Cooking, Culinary History
A mix of food-forward features from C-VILLE Weekly, including a profile on a fine-dining-chef-turned-entrepreneur, and quirky writeups for The Takeout and Food Republic.
A Brunch to Remember
Local chef and entrepreneur Antwon Brinson chats about his experience on HBO's cooking competition show “The Big Brunch.”
The Fast Food Lettuce Controversy That The Internet Will Never Forget
It was my distinct honor to write about the history of the infamous "Burger King foot lettuce" photo.
Here's Why Alton Brown Doesn't Think You Need A Paring Knife
I dig into some of the not-so-solicited advice of chef and TV celebrity Alton Brown, who has some hard opinions on paring knives.
The Confusing History Of Hibachi-Style Restaurants
This explainer for The Takeout clears up a longstanding American mix-up about the term "hibachi."
Video Games
A few of my favorite personal stories and deeply researched articles on games and gaming culture, published in Nintendo Life, Grunge, and C-VILLE Weekly.
What Happened To The Sega Saturn?
Sega's short-lived Saturn was the most unfortunate casualty of the fierce console wars of the 1990s.
During A Mental Health Crisis, It Wasn't Cosy Games That Helped
During a period of depression deep in the pandemic, racing games became my safe haven and empowered me to persevere.
Free play
Pinball and arcade machines are everywhere, if you know where to look. In Charlottesville, I explore all the unlikely spots sporting rare cabinets and beloved classics.
In 2023, Mario Got Weird Again
In the Switch era, Nintendo has loosened the reigns on their carefully groomed company mascot, calling back to an era when Mario was totally unpredictable.
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