I am an award-winning freelance writer and editor in Rochester, NY.

 

 

Background and education

I was born and raised in Rochester, NY, and went from a city grade school to the Brighton Central School District, graduating from Brighton High School in 1971. I studied comparative literature at Indiana University-Bloomington and French at the University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL). In 1978-'79, I was a Ford Fellow in the University of Missouri-Columbia's graduate program in journalism. I wrapped up my BA from the University of Missouri-St. Louis in 2000, at age 47.

I started writing for pay while still in high school; freelanced from 1974-'85 while holding fulltime communications positions with the Urban League of St. Louis, St. Louis Argus newspaper, Washington University's Record newsletter, R&D Mexico magazine, American National Metric Council and (Washington) DC General Hospital. I became a fulltime freelance writer and editor in 1985. I've won awards for my writing and editing from APEX, Editor's Forum and the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC), as well as the Philip M. Stern Award for outstanding service to other freelancers from Washington Independent Writers and Communicator of the Year for my contributions to IABC/DC.

After 30 years in St. Louis, DC and Baltimore, I'm back home in Rochester with - thanks to the wonders of the Internet and the electronic age - a thriving international writing and editing business that includes frequent return trips to the DC/Baltimore area, as well as to NYC and Chicago, to make presentations and attend professional meetings. As a firm believer in the value of networking (I've been called the queen of networking!), I remain an active member of several professional organizations.

Professional activities

Current and recent projects include:

  • writing feature, news and profile articles for special sections of the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle newspaper (on homebuying, gaming sites and a local theater organization); AARP's annual convention publications; the Editorial Eye and Brighton News newsletters; Facilities Manager, apartments.com and Life in the Finger Lakes magazines; and a variety of other association publications, including the magazine of the National Association of Black Accountants;
  • writing, editing and desktop-producing newsletters for the Decorative Arts Society, Baltimore Architecture Foundation, Delaware component of the American Institute of Architects, Editorial Freelancers Association and Rochester chapter of the Association for Women in Communications, and writing and editing content for the employee newsletter of a regional tree-service company;
  • presenting newsletter and freelancing seminars for national membership and trade associations, and for Rochester's Writers and Books;
  • proofreading, copy editing and general editing for B'nai B'rith's international magazine, a law firm with offices around the U.S., Glass Line magazine, a Harvard alumni magazine and other organizations;
  • providing media relations and website updates to the Brighton Schools Alumni Association and Greater St. Louis Association of Black Journalists; and
  • organizing annual conferences and other programs for Communication Central, a professional-development business with a colleague that we launched in 2006.

Contact me today to discuss what I can offer your organization or publication!