Writing Portfolio
Publications & favorite stories from over the years.
Coming to Grips in a Ghost Town
There comes a point when your past begins to be seen solely as experience. The emotional weight isn’t entirely gone, but the punch it packs becomes weaker—the memories starting to carry new significance whether they were painful or proud. For me, that point and process started in the remains of a North Carolina amusement park.
The Cincinnati Neighborhood Guidebook
All together, 33 different authors came together to create “an in-depth look at the City of Seven Hills, written by the people who live and work there every day.” Edited by my friend and colleague, Nick Swartsell, the book features written work from both lifelong residents and transplants.
Fading Ads of Cincinnati
Published in 2015 via The History Press, a look at Cincinnati’s “ghost signs” and the stories they still tell. Tales of “wall dogs,” defunct sports teams, and remnants of bygone eras hidden in plain sight.
Available…
Online via Arcadia Publishing & Amazon
Many Cincinnati-area independent book stores + at The American Sign Museum
Joseph-Beth Booksellers, Barnes & Noble, Target, and Walgreens locations
The Ghost Ship
A vessel that carried Thomas Edison, fought in two World Wars, served as a yacht, set the scene in a Madonna music video, and shuttled tourists around the nation's largest city—all before it found itself left to be forgotten by time and history in murky waters. By far the most popular piece for the former Queen City Discovery site, my story on the ship went on to be profiled globally in print and television.
Toynbee Tiles & House of Hades
Cryptic messages embedded in the streets of major American cities intertwine stories of exploration, introspection, street art, and “various social margins.” A personal favorite.
The House I Grew Up In
For awhile, the subject of "urban exploration" was the main focus of my photographic and written work. Out of all the abandoned places I documented over the years, I knew none as deeply as my own childhood home.
Kings Waffle
A series of articles on my experience as a regular at a suburban diner and the people who made the place what it was.
Cincinnati Refined
Articles commissioned by and authored for the WKRC-TV affiliated CincinnatiRefined.com.
The Future is One of Mighty Ducks T-Shirts and Discmen
Self-published in 2012, this collection of photographs and brief writing served as a retrospective of five formative years as a developing visual artist.
The Extraordinary Story of the Cincinnati Comets
Inspired by the soccer craze sweeping a city and the documentary “Once in a Lifetime: The Extraordinary Story of The New York Cosmos,” this piece delved into the detailed history and exciting story of a mostly forgotten Queen City pro sports team.
Island in a Stream of Runways
Once one of the nation’s busiest airports, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International found itself falling on hard times and a rapidly declining number of flights in the early 2000s. By 2008, an entire concourse (once the home/main hub of airline Comair) and two terminals were abandoned.
Macaron Bar Complements a Revitalized City Identity
Patrick and Nathan brought something more than just a new bar or restaurant to a popular neighborhood—they brought a French delicacy, and with it: a hopeful outlook for the city.
Having Lunch with Nana and Papa
“I tell ya, I’m old. I wear a mask, but I’m not like you,” she says with a New York accent that has persisted longer than her desire for me to have children. “If I get it, I get it. If I die, I die.” This isn’t morbid. This is just Nana.
The Alignment of Cincinnati and Covington
One of the most popular pieces of the former Queen City Discovery site—the streets of two urban cities (separated by a river and state lines) line up perfectly, but the iconic bridge doesn’t.
Northside Applebee’s
A satirical piece profiling a local bar’s Halloween antics.
Tijuana
I spent years rambling around the Midwestern United States by car and train. Then one day, with the help of a local guide, I finally left the country.