I’m an award-winning freelance travel and outdoor (e.g., fly fishing/wingshooting) writer, focusing on destination and experiential pieces for newspapers, magazines, and online outlets. Over the last seven years, I’ve won 14 excellence-in-craft awards for my writing from state, regional, and national writers organizations. I’m a member in good standing with OWAA, AGLOW, and POMA. Prior to retiring from a career in national security (Navy, Department of Defense, Capitol Hill, State Department, and CIA), I also wrote for the New York Post (for 10 years) and Boston Herald (for 14 years) as a freelance op-ed columnist on foreign policy in the post-9/11 period. During my career in foreign policy, I published some 500 pieces in more than 100 different newspapers, magazines, journals, and blogs, and made more than 4,000 appearances on US local, regional, and national and international TV and radio. I also received an award from the Navy League for my work in defense media. I’m a retired Navy Commander and a graduate of the US Naval Academy (BS), Johns Hopkins University (MA), Georgetown (Doctorate), the Defense Language Institute (Honor graduate in Russian), and the Naval War College.
What got you into travel journalism?
I’m relatively new to the travel writing field. I started in journalism as a freelance foreign policy columnist for the NY Post and Boston Herald a number of years ago while working in a DC think tank. I then started doing some outdoor writing on my hobbies, which I expanded into destination writing. In fact, I’m just back from fly fishing trips to Argentina and Canada.
What’s the most challenging part of being a travel journalist?
Deciding what of all the things you learned you should tell the reader–and stay within your word limit!
What is the most rewarding aspect of travel journalism?
The things you learn and the people you meet.
What is something you wish people knew about travel journalism?
It can be very hard work–and even dangerous.
How have your cross-cultural experiences shaped your point of view of the world?
I spent a career in the foreign policy field (Navy, State Department, Defense, Capitol Hill, and CIA), so I’ve always been interested in the world beyond the United States. I’ve been to 65 countries–mostly on official business. I really prefer the slower pace of travel writing to negotiating an international agreement during a crisis!
What have you enjoyed most about being a NATJA member?
Improving my craft as a travel writer and better understanding the field overall.
