Close Personal Friend

 

 

Close Personal Friend

started life as a xeroxed – but nicely designed, I like to think – DIY publication that I sent to publicists, editors and friends back in the dark days before email (yeah, it's that old!)  and the glorious, time-wasting Internet. It was a way to share my tearsheets and opinions with music biz people and music-loving friends and keep my name alive as a freelance writer.

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With the ascent of the wide world of webbing in the last century, I developed CPF as a web site, of which this is the most recent (2020) reboot. If you’d like to visit the original version and its archives, which include many Washington Post articles, a resume and photo gallery, here ya go!

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And for those of you who'd like an old-fashioned resume of my so-called career, here's the l elevator pitch -  Emmy and Peabody award-winning writer, editor, producer and photographer, with

extensive experience in broadcast television, radio, magazine, book and web publishing - and some details...

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CURRENT PROJECTS

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• Writer/producer of short films and multi-media projects for  Jim Richards Productions. Clients include American Institute of Architects, Radio and Television News Directors Foundation, and National Association of Minority Media Executives

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PREVIOUS PROJECTS (PARTIAL LIST)

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NEWSPAPER

• Washington Post. Regular contributor of biweekly “Live!” music and arts preview column for regional editions in two DC-area counties. (2004-2009)
   

NEW MEDIA

•  Music columnist for AXS.com (previously known examiner.com) 

•  “Kinetic City Super Crew” –  writer for children’s educational Web site   www.kineticcity.com

• Challenger Center for Space Science Education – rewrote content for site relaunch: www.challenger.org

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RADIO

• “Kinetic City Super Crew” – writer, editor and vocal contributor to nationally syndicated weekly half-hour comedy adventure  series. PEABODY AWARD Radio Broadcast Excellence

• International Radio Festival “New Waves” – segment producer/script consultant to syndicated  weekly music/variety series for teenagers

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TELEVISION

• “It Had To Be You” – Executive Story Editor for CBS Network sitcom starring Faye Dunaway,

       Robert Uhrich

• “The Trouble With Larry” – Story Editor for CBS sitcom starring Bronson Pinchot, Courtney Cox

• “Hot Hero Sandwich” Staff Writer, NBC comedy/variety series for teenagers. EMMY AWARD, Television Writing for children

• Children’s Television Workshop, International division – Script Writer for “The Electric Company” for Arabic audiences

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FILM

• “Nitelife” – Script consultant, original independent film feature.

• “The Family That Plays Together “ – Author, original script

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BOOKS (Sole author):

• Snow Problem: The Case of the Mushing Madness, Kinetic City Super Crew series, McGraw-Hill

• Metal Heads: The Case of the Rival Robots, Kinetic City Super Crew series, McGraw-Hill

• Ask Kermit About Space, Walden/Henson Associates

• Bruce Springsteen, Ballantine Books

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BOOKS (Contributor):

• Jim Henson’s Bedtime Stories series, Henson/Field Publications

• Muppets! Muppets! Muppets!, Muppet Press/Derrydale

• Rolling Stone Year in Review, Charles Scribner’s Sons

• The Rock Yearbook, Virgin Books

 

MAGAZINES

Columns:

• Muppet  Contributing editor, music columnist,  entertainment features

• United Features Syndicate – Weekly syndicated rock music and  cable TV columnist

• Video – Contributing editor, Kidvid columnist, reviews, features

Free-lance feature articles:

• Arts and culture for the aging – official magazine of the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association

• Music and pop culture – Interview, Musician, The New York Times, ReAct, Redbook, Rolling Stone

• Children’s entertainment: – Barbie, Parenting, Scholastic, Action, Sesame Street, Sports Illustrated for Kids

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PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL

• Newspaper Association of America: Scripts for promotional  films for NAA convention events.

• Athena Awards ceremonies (best newspaper advertising) and Edgie Awards (best newspaper web sites): script consultant

• NBC’s The Source (rock radio) Network, Westwood One Radio Network.  Promotional brochures and newsletters.

• Elektra Records: Script Writer for short promotional films for industry conventions, radio and print advertising copy.

• Columbia Records, Virgin Records, Charisma Records: Promotional ad copy for new albums, artist biographies.
   

EDUCATION

B.A., Dramatic Literature, New York University

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