Writing Samples
I write copy, creative non-fiction, fiction, ghost blog posts, and more -- with no additional fee for using the royal "we"! Plenty of Oxford commas thrown in for good measure, too.
Fiction/Screenplays
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The Last of the Gentlemen Magicians, A Novella
Excerpt The drum roll came loud and steady as the audience sat waiting for the final flourish, the big hurrah. Ogden smiled slyly at them teasing that he might let them in on his secret. Sawing a woman in half is a standard trick that many magicians before Ogden had performed, but the honest effort and joy in his own performance made him seem somehow more dazzling. His assistant, Paloma, wiggled her toes as her feet poked out of the end of the wooden box she had been placed in only moments ago. A magician’s assistant job was to smile, engage the audience, and above all be a protector of secrets. Ogden and Paloma both trusted and respected each other, traits which made them a good match. Continue... |
Laundromat, Short Film
Excerpt 1. EXT. STREET - NIGHT TIME - Laundromat exterior - WS A WOMAN is seen walking across the interior of an old laundromat. Empty rolling baskets are strewn about. Camera slides right to reveal a BOY standing outside the laundromat. BOY What it is that makes us human? What defines who we are? Is it your family? Job? Religion? Or something simpler than all that? What sets us apart from the beasts of the night that could destroy you and not give it a second thought? Could it also be the same thing that saves you? Boy walks off scene. Continue... |
Non-Fiction
Making a House a Home: Black Queer History+ Erasure in House Music
An online museum written in conjuncture with an academic paper of the same name for Johns Hopkins University.
Continue...
An online museum written in conjuncture with an academic paper of the same name for Johns Hopkins University.
Continue...
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Plustastic!
Gapers Block Online Publication Back in the late-70s, there was a stuffed animal factory on Western Avenue just down the street from where I lived. One evening, the factory went up in flames. For a 4-year-old, seeing plushy poodles and elephants burnt to a crisp was quite the traumatic event. Continue... |
The Writing Process
Gapers Block Online Publication This article was supposed to be about the Chicago Cubs. This article was begun on Saturday, May 31, after witnessing 16 innings of the best damn ball game ever. This article was to be a funny and touching voyage from my childhood passion for the Cubs to my newfound adult romance with them. That article was not written. This one takes its place instead. Continue... |
Enjoying the Family Dinner Table
Apartment Therapy Family
I can probably count the number of times my family ate dinner together, when I was growing up. Most likely it was during a holiday, or someone's birthday. With two working parents, much older siblings and various schedules to keep track of, it was difficult to get us all together to enjoy the family dinner table. The concept was completely foreign to us.
Once our son was born, my husband (having also grown up in similar circumstances) felt just as strongly as I did that every meal in our home should be a family dinner. For some, eating meals together may seem like such a little thing but to us the idea of all three of us (parent, parent, child) sitting together, sharing and preparing a meal seemed very magical and important.
Continue...
Apartment Therapy Family
I can probably count the number of times my family ate dinner together, when I was growing up. Most likely it was during a holiday, or someone's birthday. With two working parents, much older siblings and various schedules to keep track of, it was difficult to get us all together to enjoy the family dinner table. The concept was completely foreign to us.
Once our son was born, my husband (having also grown up in similar circumstances) felt just as strongly as I did that every meal in our home should be a family dinner. For some, eating meals together may seem like such a little thing but to us the idea of all three of us (parent, parent, child) sitting together, sharing and preparing a meal seemed very magical and important.
Continue...
Copywriting
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Hold Me and Never Let Me Go
For the Hold Me Bear Baby T-Shirt by Imps & Elfs You keep hearing from everyone how quickly your little girl will grow up – but somehow, you don’t quite believe them. Until that morning, when you were making your first blessed pot of coffee, not fully awake after another sleepless baby night, did you notice that your baby girl was sitting in her high chair looking right at you…and she was smiling. She lifted her arms straight into the air and gave you that endlessly adorable “hold me” look. Wasn’t she just born? Wasn’t she just a helpless teeny peanut in your arms? When did this self-awareness and appreciation for you finally kick in? The "Hold Me" Bear Baby T-Shirt by Imps & Elfs seems to be custom made just for your girl, doesn’t it? A quirky little water colored bear print adorns the front of the shirt, asking to be held – a fitting T-shirt for your little bear. The look of the T-shirt is made complete with adorable front pockets. And imagine how much more snuggly she’ll be in this T-shirt made with 95% organic cotton. Perfect for holding, and being held! So you forget about the coffee and go ahead and pick her up from the high chair, twirl her around and hold her tightly. And it is at that moment that you realize, time is fleeting and soon you’ll be the one asking her for the hugs as she rushes out the door to meet with her friends. For now you can go ahead and hold her, and never let her go. |
You’ve Never Met a Stripe You Didn’t Like
For the Organic Striped Baby Shirt by Imps & Elfs You have always had a thing for stripes, it’s true. Whether your love had its origins with Italian gondoliers, French sailors, chic New Wave actresses or that shy goth boy you had a major crush on in high school, you will never know for certain. All you know is that you have never met a stripe you didn’t like, and in your heart you are certain that there is a special place in fashion heaven for the striped shirt. Now that you’re a parent, you think you may have passed the striped gene onto your son, what with his fascination for Beetlejuice and barber shop poles. So it’s no surprise that you dress your baby boy in Imps & Elfs organic striped baby t-shirt. This gorgeous piece is complex simplicity at its best. A classic staple for even the youngest wardrobe, this shirt is one that will never go out of style. Easy to dress up (just add a crisp denim jacket, loafers and a cool scarf, très chic!) and just as easy to wear for everyday outings. This iconic piece is certain to become a favorite. Made with cuddly soft organic cotton, how could it not? So go ahead and relish your mutual love for all things striped: shirts, zebras, skunks. It’s O.K., you’ll always be in style. |
Fast as You Can
Organic Cotton Romper by Imps & Elfs
He is fast. Oh, so fast but you’re faster – or so you’d like to think. As you slowly approach your baby boy, much like a lioness would approach its prey. You hope you don’t make too much noise, or startle him driving him to flee in an immediate reaction of self-preservation. Only, wait a second, what exactly is he preserving? All you want to do is change his diaper. Still, as he sits on the living room floor, quietly playing with his blocks the National Geographic nature special song and dance continues. Step by step, you draw nearer and near. Closer and closer still…until you step on his favorite rubber duck that betrays you with a loud squawk. He sees you, jumps up and runs away faster than you knew his little chubby legs could carry him.
It’s a good thing he is wearing his Organic Cotton Baby Romper in Grey by Imps & Elfs. This is one wardrobe staple you can’t get enough of. Not only is this romper as stylish as it is darling (you even take him to the grocery store and coffee shop in it), it’s also so very helpful in that moment when you finally catch your little imp and have a moment to change his diaper. The practical snap crotch closure makes for easy diaper retrieval, so you are in and out quick as a wink.
Mom: 1, Baby Boy: 0. Still, you wonder where he gets that stealthy speed from? It must genetics, of course! Clearly he gets it from you.
Organic Cotton Romper by Imps & Elfs
He is fast. Oh, so fast but you’re faster – or so you’d like to think. As you slowly approach your baby boy, much like a lioness would approach its prey. You hope you don’t make too much noise, or startle him driving him to flee in an immediate reaction of self-preservation. Only, wait a second, what exactly is he preserving? All you want to do is change his diaper. Still, as he sits on the living room floor, quietly playing with his blocks the National Geographic nature special song and dance continues. Step by step, you draw nearer and near. Closer and closer still…until you step on his favorite rubber duck that betrays you with a loud squawk. He sees you, jumps up and runs away faster than you knew his little chubby legs could carry him.
It’s a good thing he is wearing his Organic Cotton Baby Romper in Grey by Imps & Elfs. This is one wardrobe staple you can’t get enough of. Not only is this romper as stylish as it is darling (you even take him to the grocery store and coffee shop in it), it’s also so very helpful in that moment when you finally catch your little imp and have a moment to change his diaper. The practical snap crotch closure makes for easy diaper retrieval, so you are in and out quick as a wink.
Mom: 1, Baby Boy: 0. Still, you wonder where he gets that stealthy speed from? It must genetics, of course! Clearly he gets it from you.