1998 - present        self employed       Chapel Hill, NC

Independent freelance writer

n     Freelance writer for consumer technology, new business, and pop culture publications, including MIT Technology Review, PC World, Paste magazine, Electronic Gaming Monthly, CNN.com, CNET.com, Family PC, GameSpot, Business 2.0, Family Circle and Hard Learner magazine. I've written three cover stories for PC World, and a special report that was reprinted in Newsweek.

n     Editor and writer at PopMatters.com, where I write features and reviews for the TV/Film, Books and Multimedia sections, along with a monthly humor column.

n     Writer and game designer for Wizards of the Coast, publishers of the Dungeons & Dragons and Star Wars role-playing games.

n     Author of the book "Deal Me In: Online Cardrooms, TV Tournaments and The New Poker" (Wiley, Nov. 2004), and co-author of the D&D sourcebook "Secrets of Sarlona" (Wizards of the Coast, 2007)

2002 - present        UNC-CH         Chapel Hill, NC

Writer/Designer

n     I am currently working full time with the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill as a writer and graphic designer in the Music Department. I write and design all department publications, including concert programs, posters, ads, press releases, event calendars, newsletters and other promotional materials. I also maintain the department Web site, act as public relations liaison, and serve as the administrative support person for our musical performance faculty.

1998-2000       Topica.com   San Francisco, CA

Contributing Writer      

n     I previously authored several newsletters for TipWorld.com, an Internet publishing company (now folded into Topica.com). I've written TipWorld newsletters on science and technology trivia, Internet auction tips, science fiction trivia, and Hollywood gossip.

 1996-1998      PC World Magazine             San Francisco, CA

Staff Editor         

n     I was hired at PC World through their Flugelman fellowship program, which aims to bring writers from other fields into consumer technology. I came on full time after the fellowship as a reporter and writer for PC World Online. For two years, I wrote daily consumer technology news stories for the Web site as well as features and columns for the print magazine.

1994-1996       'U' The National College Magazine    Los Angeles, CA

Associate Editor/Columnist

n     I was one of four graduating college seniors awarded the 'U' Magazine fellowship, a national scholarship program for college journalists. (Now defunct, 'U' Magazine was an entertainment/lifestyle publication distributed to U.S. colleges and universities with a circulation of 1.2 million.) I was hired as an associate editor after the fellowship and wrote monthly music reviews and a humor column.

1989 - 1994                                        Michigan State University                                        East Lansing, MI

B.A. English (writing) with cognates in film, theater and religious studies

n     Editor and columnist, student newspaper

n     Winner of ASMSU student screenwriting grant

n     Undergraduate TA in Mythology/Religious Studies

Deal Me In: Online Cardrooms, TV Tournaments and The New Poker

Wiley/Sybex, Nov. 2004, ISBN: 0-7821-4364-4

http://www.sybex.com/sybexbooks.nsf/booklist/4364

Da Vinci Turns Two: The Fiction of Historical Accuracy

PopMatters.com

http://www.popmatters.com/books/features/050412-davincicode.shtml

Sold! How to Win at Web Auctions

PC World/Newsweek

http://www.pcworld.com/howto/article/0,aid,11503,00.asp

Interactive Gaming Grows Up

MIT Technology Review

http://www.technologyreview.com/articles/mcdonald031601.asp

New Web Survival Guide

PC World

http://www.pcworld.com/features/article/0,aid,68775,00.asp

Novel Idea

Business 2.0

http://www.business2.com/articles/mag/0,1640,13298,FF.html

History of Video Game Music

Gamespot.com

http://gamespot.com/gamespot/features/video/vg_music/

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, You?

MIT Technology Review

http://www.technologyreview.com/articles/mcdonald090701.asp

Sarah Zupko                 Editor-in-Chief, PopMatters

editor@popmatter.com

Paul Heltzel                   Editor, National Public Radio & NPR.org

paul_heltzel@mindspring.com

Harry McCracken        Editor-in-Chief, PC World magazine

harry_mccracken@pcworld.com