A year-end reflection. — Oh, Medium. I haven’t been good to you. I’m sorry. As I look back on 2022, I realize that one thing has been missing: You. We started out really strong. That first 6 months or so, from when we met in June 2018 through the beginning of 2019, was hot…

These are some of the amazing tidbits I picked up, all thanks to my freelancing career. — I’m not sure how it happened, but 2021 is nearly over. …

There’s a lot more to it than just writing. — I left my arts fundraising job in 2018 to become a freelance writer. I didn’t know where to begin or what type of writing I wanted to do; I just knew that I needed a change after 13 years as a grant writer. I started by blogging and publishing personal…

These are the newsletters that help me do my job. — One of the biggest challenges of being a freelance writer is figuring out how to do the job. There are no colleagues to chat with at the water cooler. There is no boss to train you. There’s no HR department or employee handbook. You’re on your own, kid. Luckily, there…

How an old Monkees album helped to change my perception of my mother. — Of all the records stacked side by side in our living room, The Monkees’ 1966 eponymous debut was my favorite. Not for the songs, catchy as they were, but for the sleeve. Caressing the LP, slightly scratched from years of repeated playing, the sleeve would have been just another piece…

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. — Life is weird. I recently sat down, as I do every December, to take stock of my year as a writer. I assumed the outcome would be bleak. After all, this has been the year of OMG EVERYTHING IS AWFUL ALL THE TIME. This was the year of COVID-19, of…

And…here we are, right back in the holiday season. It’s weird. I remember writing my annual Holiday Gift Guide last year. And I vaguely remember the start of 2020. But March through, well, today has been a bit of a blur. …

“The Story Behind the Story” is a behind-the-scenes series on the essays and articles I’ve published in various outlets. …

Some tips for getting more out of this site. — It happened again. I just read yet another post about how Medium is a terrible platform, written by a Medium writer and published…on Medium. Why? Seriously, can someone who is unhappy with this site — unhappy enough to whine about it ad nauseam — explain to me why they would…