Copywriting, Editing, & Creative Portfolio

Need a freelance writer, editor, or creative strategist? Email me.

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SKILLS + EXPERTISE:
Copywriting, editing, digital content development, marketing/branding strategy, concepting + research, video scripts, project management, and teaching

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND:
University of Iowa, Writers’ Workshop, MFA in Poetry
Washington University in St. Louis, BA in English + BFA in Sculpture,

INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE:
Higher education | Science + Industry | Travel + Food Writing | Retail/E-tail | Art + Design | Commercial Real Estate | Manufacturing | Non-profit

FREELANCE WORK:
Washington University in St. Louis, United Van Lines, Build-A-Bear, Soft Surroundings, Brown Shoe, St. Charles Community College, Mayflower, Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, Rockefeller Group, CPI Corp., StoryTrack, Continental Research Corp., Basler Electric, A.G. Edwards, Corporate Express, and independent artists, scholars, and motivational speakers.

RECENT WORK

DIGITAL CONTENT

I am an experienced digital content creator who has built and written webpages for Washington University in St. Louis and Saint Charles Community College, crafted engaging (and funny) travel blogs for Mayflower and United Van Lines, and whipped up punchy product descriptions for e-tailers like shoes.com. I am comfortable working in Drupal, WordPress, and Squarespace, as well as HTML and Markdown, and have an excellent facility with layout + image/graphic needs.

WEB COPY + LAYOUT

Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts, Washington University in St. Louis
I served as lead copywriter and content strategist for these pages on the SFS website, also handling page layout + build. Website designed by Linked by Air.

MOVING GUIDES

I create engaging and informative guides to U.S. cities and states for Mayflower and United Van Lines, giving potential new residents an in-depth look at the local cultural scene.

…California is also known for its bakeries. If you’re in the San Diego area, your new BBFF (that’s your buttery best friend forever) is destined to be Izola. This is where the best croissants in America are born, from the chocolate almond variety that’s prepared with house-made frangipane to the completely unexpected Moroccan black olive croissant, ribboned with Valrhona and earthy, dry-cured delights… 
The paragon of exuberance and the pinnacle of fun, there is simply no place like New Orleans. This bastion of Cajun and Creole culture on the southeastern tip of Louisiana is a city that lives on the edge — embracing life below sea level with wild celebrations like Mardi Gras and an unmatched verve for everyday life…
The birthplace of Frank Sinatra, Bruce Springsteen and Whitney Houston…of the pork roll, the Italian-style hotdog and saltwater taffy…of the Jersey Shore and, um Jersey Shore…of the phonograph, the movie camera and the light bulb. Call it the Diner State, the Turnpike State, the Sandwich State, or the Exit State. Whatever you call it, New Jersey is a state that defies expectations…  
 

With a food scene as deep as the water is wide, Baton Rouge cuisine is anchored by Cajun and Creole staples like gumbo, jambalaya and étouffée, brightened by inventive chefs bringing new life to the local catch. For those who pray to the gods of the beignet, brunch is basically a religion in Baton Rouge. When you need a quick, powdered-sugary fix, our everyday go-to is Coffee Call, where an amaretto royale café au lait and a pile of pillowy dough clouds await you…

EMAIL CAMPAIGNS

I managed all of the Sam Fox School’s email marketing needs, including the weekly e-news and event blasts and undergraduate and graduate recruitment campaigns. To help promote our biggest news stories, I developed specialized communications series like “In Practice,” which gave an in-depth look at the most exciting faculty research each month. This helped support the promotion of new books, exhibitions, and cross-disciplinary collaborations.

E-TAIL

Product descriptions for shoes.com (now Caleres)

Generated up to 80 descriptions of shoes per day, from work boots to stilettos as a copywriter.

Digital ad concept for CPI Corp.

VIDEO SCRIPTS

I have written video scripts for a variety of initiatives: promoting commercial real estate projects, explaining complicated medical conditions and treatments, fundraising for not-for-profits, and pitching/bidding for government and corporate contracts. I am able to translate industry-specific jargon into language that any audience can understand and appreciate.

This documentary-style video explores a rare form of Alzheimer’s disease. Combines voice-over narration with interviews from the team of researchers searching for a cure and a preventative treatment. I served as lead copywriter.
Millstone 8 Video
Crow Holdings Industrial Video
Cranbury Station Park Video

Promotional videos for state-of-the-art industrial/commercial developments. I served as lead copywriter. All projects for StoryTrack.

PRINT COLLATERAL

VIEWBOOKS + BROCHURES

Otherwise: the official magazine of the MFA in Visual Art program
This magazine-inspired program viewbook includes a studio mixtape, faculty trading cards, and a personality quiz…what does your favorite tool, material, or process say about you? Served as lead copywriter and co-creative director. The publication was mailed in a custom envelope with a program patch and trompe l’oeil sticker. Check out the second issue of Otherwise.

The Graphic Vindicator: the official publication of the MFA in Illustration & Visual Culture program .

This newspaper-based program viewbook includes an illustration-themed crossword, two drawing activities, a cheeky Q&A, and other nerdcetera. The publication was mailed with a program patch and sticker, an origami Sam Fox fox, and a pack of colored pencils to complete the exercises within. Served as lead copywriter and co-creative director. Check out the second edition of The Graphic Vindicator.

NEWSLETTERS

Gallery guide, interview, and press release. Client: Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis. I served as copywriter + copyeditor.

Critical essays on artists Beverly Semmes and Paula Wilson. Client: Island Press. Full text through the links.

Exhibition catalog: Ontology of Influence. Served as editor and project manager.

SPECIALTY MATERIALS

2020 Sam Fox School New Year’s card. What can you say at the end of 2020…the worst year ever?! Using still images from a superb student animation, I created the concept and hopeful messaging for this holiday card during demoralizing times.

SOCIAL MEDIA

I launched the Sam Fox School Instagram account in 2016 and served as the school’s social media guru and chief origami fox handler (see below) until my departure in 2022.

Sam…the Sam Fox fox. When our graphic designer was disappointed we could not use her origami fox for the school’s holiday card, I promised her I would still make him a social media star. The unofficial, beloved school mascot, Sam–the Sam Fox fox–is always busy living his best life, studying for classes, squeaking through finals, and taking art- and design-filled adventures in STL and beyond. He’s even been to Europe! See the full Sam Fox fox Insta stories.