WRITING
For the last two decades my personal essay, narrative, and travel writing has appeared in blogs, online publications, and print. I've also written and edited TV series scripts, and copywritten for international brands. Below is a selection of various styles.
ONLINE PUBLICATIONS
50 years ago, a Californian saved 70,000 acres of redwoods. Now he wants to photograph the park he helped preserve
[Branded Article | Upworthy]
Ask about Dave Van de Mark in the communities bordering Redwood National & State Parks, and many people will tell you that the seventy-nine-year-old photographer is a living legend. In June of 1963, as a fresh-faced twenty-year-old, Dave traveled from Southern California to work at a sawmill in Humboldt County. That summer dramatically changed his life and set Dave on a path that helped establish one of America's most beloved national parks...
This Star Athlete Proves Anything Is Possible
[Article | GoFundMe]
‘Be greater than the obstacles you face,’ urges Zion Clark on his website.
For the twenty-four year old from Massillon, Ohio, the biggest obstacle he faced was due to a rare congenital disorder known as Caudal Regression Syndrome. It is characterized by abnormal development of the lower part of the spine which resulted in Zion being born without legs and a portion of his hips...
[Personal Essay | Matador Network]
Refugees, Pacifists, Terrorists, Citizens: Reminders of the Doukhobor Experience
Ten months after Russian author Leo Tolstoy delivered his letter on behalf of my ancestors, the first of four ships carrying the Orthodox Church dissenters set sail for Halifax, Nova Scotia from the Russian Black Sea port of Batum. Over a month later they arrived carrying high hopes of at last realizing a communal utopia in a welcoming country. By 1902, 8000 Doukhobor refugees were in Canada, making it the largest single mass migration in the country’s history. But, even the best laid plans can go sideways...
Officer, Slum-Dweller, Thief
[Narrative | Nowhere Magazine]
Navigating the swarm of commuters in downtown Nairobi is never graceful. It requires the agile footwork of a boxer: toe-step, pivot, side-step, collide. You try not to knock shoulders, because you never know whose shoulder you’ll knock–pregnant lady, street hawker, thief. I was in a hurry that day, on my way to a meeting, and the sidewalk shuffle was becoming a drag. Like others hoping to make headway I dropped down onto Moi Avenue, into the thick of Nairobi’s notoriously chaotic traffic...
In Israeli Cities, Experience Modernity, History, and Conflict In One Trip
[Travel | Matador Network]
I was about to devour one of the great joys of Israel, its breakfast, when the tour guide, Ofer, broke the news. Rockets launched from Gaza the night before had struck the south. We were in the tree-lined tea house gazebo of the Port and Blue Hotel in Tel Aviv. Guests at nearby tables murmured about the unfortunate news. I put my fork down. Clearly the shakshouka, fresh hummus, and Israeli salad could wait. I turned to Ofer. A smiling Israeli Jewish man in his 60s with a calm, slightly raspy voice, he had the comforting demeanor of a wise uncle...
9 Things Canadians Can Learn From Costa Rica
[Branded Travel | Visit Costa Rica]
On my first trip to Costa Rica, I couldn’t understand why my surf instructor kept saying “Pura Vida” every time I thanked him for teaching me the various methods of how not to drown. I wondered how exactly “pure life” translated into “you’re welcome.” Then I started to notice the saying everywhere I looked — on t-shirts, in TV adverts, as part of the names of surf shops, real estate agencies, hotels, skate parks. Pura Vida everything, everywhere, all the time.
Beats Per Minute: a former drummer for Canadian indie pop duo, Tegan and Sara, shares his story of rock’n’roll, wanderlust, and a brother’s devastating choice
[Personal Essay | Blank Spaces Magazine]
"Found it," Tom says, waving a white cassette tape in the air.
I jump off the desk and hop onto the throne behind my brother's new Slingerland drum kit–his pride and joy. Its blue-sparkle finish twinkles where touched by beams of sunlight. I'm infatuated with the instrument like it's the cute new girl on the first day of school. I wanna kiss her. I wanna make a beat...
TELEVISION
BulletPoints: Red Bull TV daily magazine-style series showcasing the best of what's happening in the world of Red Bull
[Script Writer, 300+ episodes]
Hey, this is BulletPoints. Here's what's happening in our world and new on our channel, right now...
What gets the top kiteboarders excited about their sport? We find out. And we explain why these guys are putting their fingers in their ears... We start off in Washington state, with a legend. Let It Ride tells the story of Craig Kelly. With his natural ability to find the perfect lines and ride a hill the way it was meant to be ridden, Craig became one of the most influential snowboarders of all time...
Mission to the Edge of Space: The inside story of Red Bull Stratos: two-hour documentary about Felix Baumgartner's historic jump
[Script Writer/Editor]
ABC OF... : Red Bull TV series presenting viewers a crash course in action sports
[Script Writer/Editor, 7 episodes]
Millions of years of rushing water shaping the landscape: rivers carving valleys, cutting canyons into the Earth. This same water charging through precise, man-made features designed to emulate nature's raw power. Both are perfect playgrounds for elite kayakers, the brave warriors of the water...
I AM... : Red Bull TV series that asks, what makes a sports star tick?
[Script Editor, 7 episodes]
Bullit: The Documentary: Red Bull TV series introducing evolutionary people and offering visual inspiration
[Script Writer, 16 episodes]
Forty-nine miles off the coast of Valencia Spain is the picturesque Mediterranean island of Ibiza. Fittingly named after the Phoenician god of music, today Ibiza has become the dance music mecca of the world. Since the 1980s club-goers and DJs from around the globe have descended on clubs like Space, for hot, decadent fun. It’s here that DJs can make a name for themselves, and partygoers can dance away their troubles for days on end...
A History Of... : Red Bull TV series exploring the origins of Red Bull sports events
[Script Writer/Editor, 6 episodes]
1520 Sedgwick Avenue, the Bronx, 1973: the birthplace of hip-hop. Today the world's best B-Boys battle each other in one place, at one time. This, is Red Bull BC One...
Red Bull BC One is the most prestigious one-on-one, B-Boy competition on the planet...
WEBSITE CONTENT
Fairmont Waterfront Vancouver
[Copywriter]
Located on the city’s dynamic harbourfront, Fairmont Waterfront is a world class luxury hotel in Vancouver, and proudly embraces a sustainable philosophy. We offer upscale comfort, personalized service, and unparalleled West Coast views, with easy access to everything that makes Vancouver spectacular. All this… and we like to have a little fun, too.
Mountain Trek Fitness Lodge
[Blog | Newsletter | Copywriter]
Springtime is one of the most beautiful seasons in southern British Columbia. The snow has melted and the rains have subsided leaving the hills and valleys a lush, luminous green. It’s here that our spacious timber frame lodge is located– a hidden Shangri-La, nestled above the pristine, 60 mile-long Kootenay Lake, a short drive from the historic town of Nelson.