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Welcome

I'm a former newspaper reporter who still likes to recount what I've recently seen. I'll leave fiction writing to others. My take is the wry side of real life, exploring, observing, weighing in.

Here on my personal site, I’m sharing essays, blog posts and photos too, most shot on the street with my iPhone. I like the small things that can sometimes tell a bigger story. Or at least that ought to be good for a laugh.

In my professional life, I’m focused on consulting opportunities in Communications and PR, handling media outreach and content. More on LinkedIn and in my bio.

 

Featured Writing

Writing
The Uncomfy Couch, a New York Times Rites of Passage Essay
The Uncomfy Couch, a New York Times Rites of Passage Essay

My personal essay in the New York Times Rites of Passage column published July 25, 2019

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Replaceable You
Replaceable You

I see now that my first writing job would be an ideal candidate for AI obliteration. Its personal moments, expendable.

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Sweet 15 - A Hound's Farewell
Sweet 15 - A Hound's Farewell

I have decided to treat my dog like a celebrity.

Taking full consideration of Roxy’s greatness, and of her failing senses and joints, I am writing her obituary in advance.

It’s a eulogy, really. And it’s written in these the true dog days of August 2018, when I can be more lucid than I am likely to be when I need this - for real- on (insert date) January 11, 2019 which is now, of course, today.

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Getting a Handle on @joanatstake

I'm no heretic and I certainly don't know any saints. So why joanatstake? A burning love for wordplay, I suppose. It felt like the right name to let creative sparks fly. Plus, it seemed like there was a lot “at stake” when I first built my social media cred; you don’t have to be a digital native to claim a little territory.