grab a coffee and a syllabus

I first knew I was a writer when I wrote a "novel" in my third-grade agenda book.  And though my thematics no longer center on ghosts and dinosaurs, my love for writing is no less now than it was when I choose the margins of an agenda book over the latest "Saved by the Bell" episodes.

I dabbled in journalism during high school with an internship at the local paper and several published clips of my own (including a front page feature).  During college, I briefly worked on the school paper, writing profile articles and a large feature or two.  However, I thought I wanted to go the academic route and with two majors and several leadership positions taking much of my time, journalism slid to the side.

Planning to be a professor, I meticulously mapped out my academic path.  Get paid (very little) to think?  Good deal.  Difficult?  Sure.  Bleak job prospects?  Understood.  Dissertation?  Bring it on.

So I thought.

But half-way through my M.A. in English at NYU, I have to admit that I may have been wrong.  The hurdles of the academic route don't actually bother me.  But I also love writing that extends beyond the academy.  I love to be out in the public, I love to meet people and hear their stories, and I love to write and to share those stories with the wider public.  I love to report.

Perhaps I'll share more at a later date, but my creative writing, my brief reporting stints, and my academic studies seem to be converging – making me an informed writer who is now ready to report and revealing to me how journalism and I just might fit.

So now what?  I'm 26 years old, married, and already in debt from my English M.A.  I'm well on my way to an English Ph.D, not an internship at the New York Times.  I have a blog – grass in the concrete jungle – but no recent newspaper clips.

Should I get a graduate degree in journalism?  Should I look the career in the eye and run the other way?  Should I go out on my own and jump in the job market as is?

Enter dolano j-school – where you get to follow along as I figure it out and learn the ins and outs of journalism.


I'm meeting with journalists, professors, and journalism students across NYC and beyond.  I've got eight basic questions for each of them:

1.  Why and how did you become a journalist?

2.  What are the best and worst aspects of the job that a newbie needs to know?

3.  What characteristics make the difference between a good and a great journalist?

4.  What are some issues at the industry-wide level that need attention for the good of the industry's future?  What changes do you suggest?

5.  In what situations would you advise getting a graduate degree in journalism and why?

6.  What resources (websites, workshops, books, etc.) do you find most significant and helpful for your career and continuing education?

7.  What qualities in journalism schools or training workshops do you think offer the best preparation for today's market?

8.  Do you have any comments concerning the fine print (job security, pay, benefits, schedule, scale of publication, freelancing, etc.)?


As I try to learn from the best, I'll share it with you.  Got suggestions, answers, or contacts of your own?  Send them my way!