Journalism
As a journalist working in Greensboro, North Carolina, I’ve written many articles and op-ed pieces. But out of everything I have written, these pieces stand out as some of my favorite.
And while my initial goal was to be a film journalist/critic, I quickly discovered that many of my best experiences as a writer had nothing to do with movies whatsoever.
Ringmaster: New Book Delves Into WWE’s Vince McMahon’s NC Past, Ties To Conservative Politics
(Triad City Beat, May 18, 2023)
A profile of Vince McMahon biographer Abraham Josephine Riesman and her new book Ringmaster: Vince McMahon and the Unmaking of America, which charts the WWE’s rise to power over the world of professional wrestling as well as his labor abuses and influence on the rhetoric and agenda of conservative politicians in America.
Developing Downtown
(News & Record, April 16, 2012)
Advertorial content commissioned by Downtown Greensboro, Inc. to promote and spark awareness of various development projects that were taking place in Downtown Greensboro. (Click to read more.)
The Tate Street Festival continues to shine as an inviting mix of community and fun
(News & Record, September 14, 2009)
A cover story for News & Record’s GoTriad, which was a deep dive exploration of Tate Street Festival. (Click to read more.)
Will Ferrell
(News & Record, February 22, 2008)
A cover story for News & Record’s GoTriad, wherein I had the opportunity to interview SNL and comedy star Will Ferrell. We talked primarily about his then new movie Semi-Pro, but then also discussed the greater cultural and artistic significance of his work. (Click to read more.)
Why do they race?
(News & Record, August 4, 2009)
For this News & Record/GoTriad cover story, I pushed myself to go way beyond my comfort zone as well as anything I was familiar with. I traveled deep into the winding, small towns of Alamance County to explore the unique car culture of the ‘X-tremes’ racecar drivers, who devote their Friday nights to racing standard automobiles at the ACE Motor Speedway in Altamahaw, NC, all for the hopes of winning a $65 cash prize. (Click to read more.)
Humans vs. Zombies at UNCG
(News & Record, March 1, 2010)
Before zombie mania went full tilt with The Walking Dead, there was Humans vs. Zombies, an intense, fully immersive campus-wide game of tag that made its way to the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) in 2009. Like Wolf Blitzer, I jumped into the fray of this foam dart war zone to meet its players and understand its popularity. A week after this story dropped, UNCG administrators officially cancelled the game after a player climbed on top of a faculty building and had a nervous breakdown. (Click to read more.)
A long time ago….
(Triad City Beat, December 16, 2015)
Leading up to the premiere of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, I re-entered the fray as a features journalist to present a hyper-localized approach to one of the greatest movie franchises of all time. This story serves as an ‘oral history’ of Star Wars, chronicling the many lives of people living in Greensboro and Winston-Salem who were affected by this juggernaut multi-media phenomenon. (Click to read more)
Cool play ideas for kids
(News & Record, June 30, 2009)
About one year into The Great Recession, my editor at the News & Record approached me with the idea to write a cover story about ways parents can spend time with their kids locally, without spending lots of money. I interviewed several local artists, gallery owners, and designers who were all parents, and got a lot of really good ideas. (Click here to read more.)
David Gordon Green celebrates film that started it all
(News & Record, April 1, 2010)
Growing up in small southern towns, I can say that no film really captured how my childhood felt during the summer months better than David Gordon Green’s cinematic debut George Washington. So when I found out Green would be celebrating the film’s 20th anniversary as part of the RiverRun International Film Festival in Winston-Salem, I pushed for the opportunity to write this cover story about how Green was able to make this film in the Triad on a shoestring budget and capture the hearts and minds of audiences and critics all over the world. (Click here to read more.)
A&T dance professors get bodies, minds moving
(News & Record, November 4, 2009)
One of the great things about working with kids is that it’s far easier for them to behave naturally while being observed than it is for adults. And writing this story about a special dance program gave me the opportunity to witness a lot of tiny little moments between the students that reminded me of my own challenges and insecurities that I had when I was a kid. This was probably the easiest and most fun cover story that I ever wrote for News & Record/GoTriad. (Click here to read more.)
Comedy from a nerd’s point of view
(News & Record, March 1, 2010)
Nerd culture was on the cusp of exploding into the mainstream when I discovered a local comedy troupe named Mon Frère, who were writing and performing hilarious sketch comedy shows that focused on comic books, science fiction, fantasy, cartoons, board games, and more. (Click here to read more.)