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Published Work

The Basque Nation On-Screen

May 21, 2012
Published Work
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I just finished a beast (in length at least) of a book copyediting job for the Center for Basque Studies at the University of Nevada, Reno: The Basque Nation On-Screen: Cinema, Nationalism, and Political Violence by Santiago de Pablo, 548 pages in its manuscript form. A film study of how Basque culture and politics are conveyed on-screen, the book is a great read into fact, fiction, and myth in Basque Country history, particularly the period involving the democratic transition after Franco’s death and the various components of Basque Nationalism, especially ETA violence.

It’s amazing how much goes into the making of a film, and this book goes to show how, especially when politics are involved, films can take on all new meanings depending on the audience and the year they are viewed. Though many of the discussed films were box-office failures, I’ve marked a few for my Netflix queue.

_____smith goes AdventureSmith

May 14, 2012
General Me-ness, Published Work
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It’s official. I start at AdventureSmith Explorations today as their new content & office manager! I’m excited to be back on a team, especially one that has such an exciting expertise: adventure travel. Maintaining and refreshing the AdventureSmith website is one of my primary tasks, so I’ll be deep in the SEO/web copy trenches again. While this is going to mean way less freelance work, I’ll still keep this blog updated with my side contract work, life, travel, crafting, and accomplishments at AdventureSmith. I’ve got quite a few editing gigs still in the queue this month, so it’s going to be a busy yet fun one!

talkin’ trash

May 10, 2012
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A fun little proofreading project I did for Sierra Nevada Ad Partners (SNAP) last month has hit the streets. I love the design on this as it makes reading about trash collection and recycling entertaining. The center spread (top left) was like proofreading a maze. Find it in your mailbox if you’re a Truckee resident.

writing about architecture and design

April 2, 2012
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I have a new set of stories out in Tahoe Quarterly‘s 2012 Mountain Home issue. Turn to pages 104 and 126 to see the articles I tackled on a Northstar remodel for a bachelor and his sons, “Y Chromos-Home,” and a remote, new build that is so inviting that Tony Bennett sang at its owners’ Christmas Party, “You’re Welcome.”

My favorite finds in the issue? Hirshy the acrylic deer head on page 100; the cozy bunk quarters on page 102; finally seeing inside Crystal Bay’s glass house on page 64; and spotting the ad I wrote back in my TQ editorial days (Lake Views Delivered) on page 145.

back from chicago, playing catch-up

March 7, 2012
Published Work
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I’ve had a busy and exciting past month. Work-wise, I’ve been using every corner of the old brain: copyediting for Clear Capital; writing ads for Smith + Jones; doing SEO work for Wolfsmith Media, Bona Fide Books, and Balance Bodyworks Tahoe in-home massage; copyediting a short story anthology and a current research book on violence and the media for the Center for Basque Studies; writing and proofreading for Moonshine Ink; proofreading for Tahoe Quarterly; continuing to manage the Tahoe Mountain Sports blog… wow, I’m dizzy just writing all that!

And to top of the madness, I had the privilege of joining the Bona Fide Books crew for the AWP annual publishing conference in Chicago. What a trip! We lived it up, and I plan to soon post a few topic-specific roundups, including my trip to the Art Institute, my Chicago dining recommendations, and of course the lowdown on AWP. I took the stormy Chicago skyline photo above from our hotel room at the Palmer House Hilton.

you’re now reading the words of the POET LAUREATE of Wildflour

February 21, 2012
General Me-ness, Published Work
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I never thought I’d say this, but I’m a poet laureate. Of Wildflour Baking Company in Squaw Valley. Oh yes, it’s quite the honor, and I have the credentials to prove it (photo evidence above). Not sure what sorts of poems I’ll be required to write for the bakery, but I’m happy to do so! I won the Wildflour Favorite (adult) category in their annual Valentine’s poetry competition—not the grand prize (of a full season’s cookie pass), but somehow they deemed me worthy of poet laureate status.

Without further ado, I present to you my winning poem:

‘Tahoe Blues’ copyediting

February 9, 2012
Published Work
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I’m working on a few copyediting projects right now, including a research series text on violence and communication for the Center for Basque Studies, but my favorite work—if I can even call it that—is editing the Tahoe Blues collection for Bona Fide Books. Due on shelves in June, the collection pairs fiction, nonfiction, and a few poems, all under 500 words in length, in one volume. The stories are fascinating so far. I’m about halfway through the 60 pieces.

I took the above photo on a lunch break today. Being able to experience this lake daily, and reading all the different points of view in Tahoe Blues, makes me remember just how lucky I am to live here.

support your local farmer!

January 30, 2012
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There’s nothing I love more than working (editing) for someone I admire. I first met Gary Romano of Sierra Valley Farms in 2008, at the Tahoe City farmers market where I snapped his picture for an article in Tahoe Quarterly. I’ve bought his organic spinach for years. As luck would have it, our paths crossed again this month when he hired me to edit his book, Suicide with a Butter Knife. The books tells of his metamorphosis: from a childhood of flower farming and ranching, to a career in Parks and Recreation, and then back to farming. He presents the problems stacked up against small farms (under 200 acres) today, and some solutions to bring us back to the healthy eating and living that comes when we have thriving local farms providing most of our food. Such a great, inspiring read! It’s currently pending publication, but I’ll keep you posted on its progress. In the meantime, check out his video produced by UC Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Thanks for doing what you do, Gary!

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