Here are several of my writing samples as well as a few articles I’ve edited, from my days as an editor and writer. Many of the articles have been taken down in the 15+ years since I wrote them, so some link to the pre-published final draft. Note: Most (if not all) were published under my maiden name.

Profile/Travel

“East London is a source of tension and wonder.” [PDF], Afar, Premier issue (September 2009). Also appeared in Dwell, September 2009.

“Goteborg.” [PDF] Afar, Premier issue (September 2009).

Infographics

Curious Planet “National Narcissism.” [PDF] Afar, July/August 2010.

Curious Planet “How to Win the World Cup.” [PDF] Afar, May/June 2010.

Curious Planet “Flower Power.” [PDF] Afar, March/April 2010.

Curious Planet “Smoke Signals.” [PDF] Afar, December/January 2010.

Technology

“Online dating adds video, goes local.” [PDF] PCWorld.com, February 12, 2009.

Music

“Get Into a Real Jam: 25 Ways to Enhance Your Jamming Experience.” [PDF] Acoustic Guitar, January 2011.

“San Francisco Bar Succeeds with Live Bluegrass, Singalongs.” [PDF] CMT.com, June 27, 2007.

“Piece by Piece: Learn a Song Faster by Dividing It Into Sections.” [PDF] Play Guitar, Spring 2007.

Food

“What John T. Edge Ate at SF Street Food Fest.” Chow.com, August 22, 2010.

“Is This a Twist-Off: Why don’t more beer bottles have twist-off caps?” Chow.com, June 6, 2007.

“Stinking Drunk: How does a beer get skunky?” Chow.com, May 16, 2007.

“Urinalysis: Does everyone’s pee smell after they eat asparagus?” Chow.com, January 17, 2007.

Business—Management

“ChangeThis: New Ideas on Marketing and Creativity.” BNET, April 9, 2008

“After the Job Posting, Dealing with the Deluge.” BNET, July 3, 2007

“Sticks and Stones: Surviving the Office Bully.” BNET, June 29, 2007

“Collaboration Starts with CEO.” BNET, June 27, 2007

Editing Samples

Prasso, Sheridan. “Real Life in Paradise: Tourism is down, prices are up, social services are disappearing, and the government is bankrupt. Which means it’s a good time to get to know Seychelles.” [PDF] Afar, December/January 2010. afar.com.

• The economy in Seychelles, a vacation spot for wealthy Europeans, depends heavily on the tourism industry. The government also depended heavily on loans from other countries to fund its extensive social programs. Working with Prasso’s initial pitch, I assigned this piece as an on-the-ground look at how the Seychellois were faring in the wake of the financial crisis, which hurt tourism and forced the government to gut many social programs to address the mounting debt. I asked the writer to provide the financial story as a backbone to the piece, and I added additional context on the IMF. Of course, as a travel magazine, we also wanted to entice the reader to visit Seychelles.

Navarro, Lygia. “Mexico’s Soul Food.” [PDF] Afar, May/June 2010. afar.com.

• At the time this article was written, Mexico City was experiencing a renaissance of the country’s heritage foods. I worked with Navarro to effectively weave together stories of a home cook dedicated to promoting traditional techniques and ingredients, farmers reviving sustainable agricultural practices, and restauranteurs highlighting native Mexican dishes to create a complex, accurate, and captivating portrayal of the trend.