PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Independent journalist writing about food, wine, fashion, music, travel, people and culture for The Oregonian’s Ultimate Northwest magazine, Northwest Palate, Culinate.com, Institute of Food Technologists, Concertonet.com, NorthwestReverb.blogspot.com, Willamette Week, Oregonian’s New Home Monthly and Urban Options, Explore the Pearl, The Vancouver Columbian’s Home & Life Style, Home Box Office, Reading Local Portland, Seattle Magazine, Oregon School Employees Association, Edible Portland, USA Today, Fresh Ideas/Indulge, Dailyyonder.com.
Writing teacher: Eastern Oregon Writer-in-Residence for 2009. Taught creative writing throughout Harney and Malheur counties. Worked in rural schools, libraries, churches, workshops, a correctional institution, and a community college with home-schoolers, adults and kids. Received rave evaluations from students and handlers. Funded by Fishtrap, an Oregon writing community, as well as by the Harney Basin Writers, businesses and individuals. For a glance at my young writers’ work, see Students’ Work under the Teaching tab.
As a member of Portland-based Wordstock writers (formerly Community of Writers), teaches Oregon public school students in sentence fluency, poetry, word fun, essay-writing and newspaper-making. Conducts private tutoring and workshops to help students write college essays, improve his or her writing, work creatively, and revel in the fun of the necessary life skill. See Teaching tab for more information.
Food and wine writer/columnist (1990–present): Wrote weekly food and wine column, “On the Table” (most read column in 2006 Beldon survey), for The Columbian daily newspaper, Vancouver, Wash. Produced regular features and covered food and wine news. Edited The Columbian’s food section, 1992-2004. Continue to write food features and profiles for a number of publications.
Restaurant reviewer (1993–present): Introduced restaurant reviews to the newspaper features lineup, added health-inspection scores, developed
Lunch Spot and Dishin’ columns; reviewed restaurants in Portland, Ore. and Vancouver, Wash. for The Columbian. Reviewed for San Diego Union-Tribune in 1997. Reviewed for Willamette Week in Portland, Ore., 2006-7. Wrote monthly restaurant profiles for Oregonian’s Downtown Monthly (2007-08) and produce restaurant features for a number of publications.
Style writer (1992–present): Wrote weekly Chic Talk off-beat fashion column for Life cover of The Columbian, plus regular fashion, art, style, design and architecture centerpiece stories. Continue to cover style for several publications.
Opera writer and music reviewer (1999–present): Covered and
reviewed the Portland Opera and the Vancouver Children’s Opera.
Developed additional music beats on jazz and classical music, covered
arts events and news (199-2006). Continue to review the Seattle and Portland operas for concertonet.com, based in Paris, France. Review classical music for NorthwestReverb.blogspot.com, a classical music blog/site based in Portland, Ore., and write occasional jazz features for Oregonian publications.
Features writer (1987–present): Write feature stories covering
art, fashion, architecture, travel, living, current events, agriculture, consumer and health issues, local history and lifestyle trends.
Poet: Wrote and published Saturday Afternoons, a poetry anthology with three other writers, Clotheslines Press, 2009.
Photographer: Display photos at Portland galleries and businesses. Laundry, San Felipe, is book cover for poetry anthology, Saturday Afternoons (2009).
EDUCATION
Master of Arts 1984 University of Oregon, School of Journalism
Eugene, Ore. Teaching assistant, photojournalism.
Bachelor of Arts 1975 Centre College Danville, Ky. Magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Penn., 1971- 1972
Workshops and further learning: National Endowment for the Arts and Columbia University School of Journalism, Lewis & Clark Northwest Writing institute, Fishtrap, Writers Dojo, Port Townsend Writers Conference at Centrum, Santa Fe Photographic Workshops
Professional Affiliations
Wordstock, formerly Community of Writers
Member since 2007
Portland Culinary Alliance
Member since 1992
Association of Food Journalists
- Member since 1992
- Regional board member, 2003-2005
- Co-chair with three others of the AFJ national conference, 1998
- Awards chairman 2005-6
- Freelancer board representative, 2006-2007
James Beard Society
- Pacific Northwest committee member, 1998-99
- Judge for best food and wine publications, 2008-09
Grants
National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship-Columbia University School of Journalism, New York City, 2005
One of 22 journalists chosen for a 14-day course of study with
world-class musicians, educators, editors, and composers; grant worth $8,800.
Peggy Daum Memorial Fund Scholarship, 1998
Association of Food Journalists
Grant to study at Greystone Culinary Institute of America,
St. Helena, Calif.
Lila Wallace Readers Digest Foundation Grant, 1983
Newspaper Awards
Second Place, Food Column Writing, 2005
Association of Food Journalists
Category: North American newspapers with 150,000 or fewer readers.
Third Place, Health Writing, 2004
Society of Professional Journalists
Not Just Your Daughter’s Problem (Exposing middle-aged anorexia.)
Category: Pacific Northwest, mid-sized dailies.
First place, Short Feature, 2004
Society of Professional Journalists
Cool Hand Hillary (Hillary Clinton signs her books in Portland –and fast!)
Category: Pacific Northwest, mid-sized dailies
Honorable Mention, Arts Reporting, 2004
Society of Professional Journalists
Unbreakable (Internationally renowned Washington glass-maker David Garcia.)
Category: Pacific Northwest, mid-sized dailies.
Honorable Mention, Lifestyle Reporting, 2004
Society of Professional Journalists
Coatless (Kids don’t like to wear them.)
Category: Pacific Northwest, mid-sized dailies.
Third place, Food Columns, 2003
Association of Food Journalists
Category: North American newspapers with 150,000 or fewer readers.
Honorable Mention, Lifestyle Reporting, 2003
Society of Professional Journalists
Match Play (A chronicle of how to get a date when you’re older than 40.)
Category: Pacific Northwest, mid-sized dailies.
First place, General Excellence in Missouri Lifestyle
Journalism Awards, 2002
Best feature section in the country in 50,000–100,000 circulation.
Third place, short feature, 2002
Society of Professional Journalists
Oh Say Can You Sing (County fair contest singing the national anthem.)
Category: Pacific Northwest, dailies larger than 50,000.
Third place, Food/wine Feature Writing
Association of Food Journalists
Vino for Vegans (Matching wine with vegan cuisine.)
Category: North American papers under 200,000.
First place, feature reporting, 2001
Society of Professional Journalists
Groceries Go Gamma (Challenges of irradiating food.)
Category: Pacific Northwest, papers larger than 50,000.
Third place, Three-part series, 1998
Association of Food Journalists
Cutting a Deal with Thinness (Series on eating disorders.)
Category: North American newspapers under 200,000.
Honorable mention, Three-part series, 1998
Society of Professional Journalists
Cutting a Deal with Thinness (Series on eating disorders.)
Category: Pacific Northwest, dailies over 50,000.
First Place, $2,000 Award
1995 William Harvey National Award for Medical Writing
Cutting through the Fat (Three-part series about children, obesity and cholesterol.)
Category: All-circulation contest.
Second place, Best Series, 1994
Association of Food Journalists
Eastern Washington wine country (Series on wineries, winemakers and terroir.)
Category: Newspapers under 200,000.
First Place, Food News Reporting, 1993
Association of Food Journalists
Open Up to the Oyster (Everything you want to know about Washington coast oysters.)
Category: Newsapers under 200,000.
First Place, Nestle Nutrition, 1992
Food Allergies: Chasing down the Facts
Category: National award for papers 25,000-150,000.
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