CURRICULUM VITAE

Writing & Editing Roles

January 2009 –

Q SYNDICATE – EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

Before I became editor of the LGBTQ+ wire service, which was founded in 1995, there were no Meryl Streep or Beyoncé exclusive interviews. But in 2009, I made it my prime objective to spearhead the addition of exclusive celebrity content to the wire service, which serves LGBTQ+ regional press. For the first time, regional LGBTQ+ press was able to access exclusive content with high-profile celebrities through Q. As those interviews took off, I was granted access to even bigger names (among them: Mariah Carey, Britney Spears, Cher, Viola Davis, Lady Gaga, Charlize Theron, Nick Jonas, Gwen Stefani, Dolly Parton and, in a rare interview, Beyoncé). My candid, scoop-producing interviews have achieved frequent mainstream crossover through viral quotes that were picked up by major mainstream media outlets, including Vanity Fair, Billboard, BuzzFeed, E!, Us Weekly, Huffington Post, MTV and USA Today.

February 2021 - Current

PRIDE SOURCE MEDIA GROUP – EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

As editorial director of Pride Source Media Group, I oversee the editorial of three media entities: Q Syndicate, the LGBTQ+ syndicate; Between The Lines newspaper, Pride Source's biweekly print publication, and PrideSource.com, Pride Source's digital platform. While in this role in my first year, BTL's average page count grew over 25 percent, from 28 pages to an average of 40, and our daily web traffic surged. In June 2021, just months after my move into the new role, the company achieved its highest-ever web traffic in the history of its 15-year-old-plus site. In 2020, during the Covid pandemic, I launched Pride Source's first-ever YouTube video channel and booked and interviewed talent such as Leslie Jordan, Dolly Parton, Reba McEntire and Kristen Stewart. My on-camera interview with Kristen Stewart has amassed 185,000 views since it premiered in December 2021.

August 2019 –

THE NEW YORK TIMES – FREELANCER /
FILM CRITIC

I've written a variety of stories for the Times, including an interview with "Desperate Housewives" creator Marc Cherry, who still answered my question on the Felicity Huffman college admissions scandal despite his publicist intercepting and asking him not to. Beyond my Cherry interview, I wrote a personal essay for the Opinions section called "I Love You (But Do You Love Mariah Carey?)" about fandom defining personal identity. Additionally, I wrote "6 Movies That Take Place in a Single Location (Mostly)" for the Arts section. I also regularly contribute film reviews, such as this one on the Kid Cudi-focused documentary "A Man Named Scott."

June 2018 –

VANITY FAIR – FREELANCER

My first VF story was a cold-pitch on a story that I'd already been working on: an interview with François Clemmons of "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood." I did the interview without knowing where I'd place the story, pitched it to VF, and within 24 hours it was published. The headline I wrote, "Mister Rogers’s Gay, Black Friend François Clemmons Wears Tiaras Now," ended up being the story's editor-approved headline. Years later, Clemmons told me that this interview "raised more interest in me" than any other story written about him.

February 2018 –

GQ – FREELANCER

I was one of a handful of LGBTQ+ voices who ushered in a queerer GQ perspective. For its then-newly launched LGBTQ+ section, I wrote many LGBTQ-centric essays and multi-source reported features, including:

• Papa Do Preach: I Am 35 and I Am Not Your Daddy

• How Being (Hot) Gay Insta-Boyfriends Makes You Money

• Is He Gay, or Just Networking?

• What It’s Like to Date Someone Who Looks Remarkably Like You

During the first year I contributed, in 2018, GQ received a GLAAD nomination for Outstanding Magazine Overall Coverage.

December 2015 –

THE DETROIT NEWS – FREELANCER

For the daily Michigan newspaper, I have written feature stories on a variety of topics and subjects, including:

• Aaron Carter forges future after uphill battle

• Native Detroiter Roz Ryan razzle dazzles in 'Chicago'

• Ex-teen pop star JoJo hits replay, embarks on new track
• Detroit native, Oscar nominee Piper Laurie returns

November 2014 – October 2017

ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT – FREELANCER

In addition to pitching and writing a range of entertainment content on tight deadlines, including Q&As, write-thrus, listicles and breaking news, I worked weekend shifts to cover breaking entertainment news with a focus on enhancing my online articles to maximize SEO.