About
As a writer, I look to tell stories about popular culture and the arts, covering topics such as jazz, rock, contemporary classical music, food & wine, spirits, as well as collector cars and the people who love them. I have recently completed I KILLED JERZY KOSINSKI, a speculative historical novel based on the final years in the life of the controversial Polish American author and intellectual.
In my marketing practice, I build brands based on bold, forward-looking vision, smart strategy and best-in-class content, marketing and communications. My track record includes successfully positioning established brands and launching high-profile start-ups. I specialize in leveraging audience research to develop and communicate engaging, relevant stories on every media platform and gaining attention and driving action through omni-channel “surround” marketing.
- Content development/storytelling
- Video scriptwriting
- Speechwriting/Ghostwriting
- Editing from concept to completion
- Brand strategy, planning, execution
- Event production/Meeting planning
- Financial management/P&L responsibility
- Team building/talent devcelopment
Bio
Originally from New Jersey (Essex County), I’m a long-time resident of New York City. I’ve lived in other states – Connecticut, Massachusetts, Illinois, California, Alaska – and loved them all. I’ve also lived in Europe but the only other languages I speak besides English are broken French and bad Spanish. I’ve always tried to keep my eyes wide open, seek to broaden my horizons, and sharpen my perceptions in the hope of becoming more aware and empathetic. Like Walt Whitman, I believe we all “contain multitudes” – that is, that a person is comprised of numerous identities, some innate, some inherited, others acquired or adopted over time. In an interview with the NY Times, David Byrne said, “Is there any continuous self? You could say you’ve retained memories from various parts of your life, but memories are very malleable. We reshape them every time we remember them. They’re not fixed. Every self you go through, you dredge something up and make it apply to whoever you are at that moment. It’s a hard thing for us to intuitively accept the idea of ‘self is an illusion.’ It’s very Buddhist, but it’s also increasingly scientific. It’s not just a spiritual concept. It’s also a kind of neural concept.”
My DNA says I’m German-Irish-Italian-Jewish-Moravian-Polish and Latvian. Mix well and shake gently and that makes me American.
I come from a long line of toolmakers and engineers. I ended up a kind of engineer, one who builds media brands. I graduated from Boston College with a dual degree in English and Political Science. I do not have a MBA, but through accumulated experience I’ve gained PhD-level expertise in media economics, content, distribution, audience research, technology, psychology, management, and more. My “professors” have been some of the leading visionaries in the business – Peter Diamandis at CBS Magazines, Bill Kerr at the New York Times Magazine Group, Greg Coleman at Reader’s Digest, Steve Swartz and James B. Stewart at SmartMoney, Kurt Andersen at Inside, David Remnick at The New Yorker, Jack Griffin and Lauren Wiener at Meredith, Dave Moore at 24/7 Media, Andrea Breanna (née Paul Berry) at RebelMouse, to name a few. I’m always trying to learn more.
I run in Central Park every morning regardless of the weather. I cook dinner almost every night, having taught myself the basics mostly by reading Pierre Franey. I enjoy wine and spirits and write about both. A music lover, I have written about old and new jazz, blues, rock, R&B, ambient, contemporary classical, and chamber. I play bass in a couple of “covers” bands for kicks. I practice yoga and meditation and try to do both daily.
For a few years, I’ve been working on a novel called I KILLED JERZY KOSINSKI, a story about a young man coming of age in a world of bunk and BS. Attempting long-form fiction had been brewing inside me for many years and one day I was seized by an idea that felt relevant to our time. Whether JERZY is ever published by a commercial publisher is neither here nor there; it’s a story I had to write. I agree with Jennifer Finney Boylan, who said, “writing is a form of activism. In some ways, it’s the most powerful form of activism. Hearts are opened. Minds are changed by the power of storytelling.
Partners/Strategic Alliances
Articles/Reviews
Collier AutoMedia at Revs Institute