Early promotional pic taken in connection with my 2005 book, SHAM. "Go for an approachable vibe," the photog told me. But there's a lot more to this pic and its circumstances, and we'll get to that in due course.
- Books, films and corporate PR and "damage control" at the highest levels.
- Four decades of writing for the premier publications in their respective categories, including Harper's, The New York Times Magazine, Esquire, Playboy, Sports Illustrated, The Wall Street Journal, Quillette, and others.
- 28 years of collegiate teaching experience (now retired).
- A history of increasingly responsible staff positions in editing/publishing.
...AND IN DETAIL
Freelance journalist, Nov. 1981—Present. Have written some 500 cover stories, features, interviews, essays and works of satire (on business, health, sports, politics, music, social policy and entertainment) for publications including Harper’s, The Wall Street Journal, Esquire, The New York Times Magazine, Sports Illustrated, Quillette, Skeptic, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, Men’s Health, Publishers Weekly, Playboy etc.
Chairing journalists' roundtable with Pres. Clinton, 1995:
Elite contract publicist and image consultant with several "best in show" accolades in industry competitions for annual reports and other major corporate documents.
Elite contract publicist and image consultant with several "best in show" accolades in industry competitions for annual reports and other major corporate documents.
At SEC on behalf of major PR client, 201l:
Visiting Professor/Journalism and Media Studies, UNLV Fall 2017-May 2025. Taught intensive class/lab in freelance writing as well as courses in spot/long-form reporting and Media Ethics. Mentored students in job searches as well as in the subtleties and "red flags" of transitioning to the professional media labor force.
Selected as Outstanding Faculty of the Year, UNLV, 2020:
Visiting Professor/Global Studies/Media, Lehigh University
Spring 2012-May 2014. Taught intensive senior-level seminar that examined global truths and challenges through the prism of their presentation and handling in print, broadcast and social media.
Writer-in-Residence, Muhlenberg College, Fall 2002—Spring 2005. Taught courses in first-person nonfiction and magazine writing/editing at this respected, boutique four-year college.
Executive Editor, Men’s Health Books, June 2000—Oct. 2001. Managing a staff of editors, writers and researchers, I oversaw all activity—trade books, mail-order, and special-sales channels—for this top imprint of the nation’s largest privately owned publishing company.
Visiting Professor/Riley Chair in Magazine Journalism, IU-Bloomington, Fall 1996—June 2000. Taught feature/investigative reporting and editing. Contributed to curriculum development, mentored grad students, served as faculty advisor to editors of the school magazine. To my knowledge, I was the only non-tenured faculty member in any discipline nominated as Teacher of the Year during my time at IU.
Publisher, Editor-in-Chief of American Legion Magazine, Dec. 1994—Dec. 1997. As the in-house publication of the well-known veterans-service organization, Legion offered the same fare as any major monthly, covering important events and trends in business, government, sports, healthcare and other issues of interest to a broad audience. During my stewardship the magazine set advertising records that remain in place, while collecting more than a dozen major editorial awards.
Books and other major projects. My controversial exposé on the self-help movement, SHAM: How the Self-Help Movement Made America Helpless, received a significant media reception in June 2005. Included among my hundreds of appearances on radio and television were prime-time segments on CNN, FOX, ABC and MSNBC. was widely (and, for the most part, glowingly) reviewed in The Wall Street Journal, Publishers Weekly, Booklist and elsewhere; excerpts and related articles ran in leading publications worldwide, including a cover story in the London Times. In 2010, working closely with ABC weekend anchor Dan Harris, I developed an hour-long prime-time special on the dangers of self-help. It ran on June 29, 2010, and I was featured extensively "on-cam." My 1987 true-crime on the murder of Texas politician Price Daniel Jr., Deadly Blessing (Morrow, hardcover; St. Martin’s, softback, 1988) became a featured book-club selection. Deadly Blessing was adapted for television by Warner Bros. and debuted on ABC in January 1992 as Bed of Lies. I served as a script consultant on the project. Trade critics hailed my first book, The Newest Profession (William Morrow, 1985), as one of the year’s top sales & marketing titles.
Writer-in-Residence, Muhlenberg College, Fall 2002—Spring 2005. Taught courses in first-person nonfiction and magazine writing/editing at this respected, boutique four-year college.
Executive Editor, Men’s Health Books, June 2000—Oct. 2001. Managing a staff of editors, writers and researchers, I oversaw all activity—trade books, mail-order, and special-sales channels—for this top imprint of the nation’s largest privately owned publishing company.
Visiting Professor/Riley Chair in Magazine Journalism, IU-Bloomington, Fall 1996—June 2000. Taught feature/investigative reporting and editing. Contributed to curriculum development, mentored grad students, served as faculty advisor to editors of the school magazine. To my knowledge, I was the only non-tenured faculty member in any discipline nominated as Teacher of the Year during my time at IU.
Publisher, Editor-in-Chief of American Legion Magazine, Dec. 1994—Dec. 1997. As the in-house publication of the well-known veterans-service organization, Legion offered the same fare as any major monthly, covering important events and trends in business, government, sports, healthcare and other issues of interest to a broad audience. During my stewardship the magazine set advertising records that remain in place, while collecting more than a dozen major editorial awards.
Books and other major projects. My controversial exposé on the self-help movement, SHAM: How the Self-Help Movement Made America Helpless, received a significant media reception in June 2005. Included among my hundreds of appearances on radio and television were prime-time segments on CNN, FOX, ABC and MSNBC. was widely (and, for the most part, glowingly) reviewed in The Wall Street Journal, Publishers Weekly, Booklist and elsewhere; excerpts and related articles ran in leading publications worldwide, including a cover story in the London Times. In 2010, working closely with ABC weekend anchor Dan Harris, I developed an hour-long prime-time special on the dangers of self-help. It ran on June 29, 2010, and I was featured extensively "on-cam." My 1987 true-crime on the murder of Texas politician Price Daniel Jr., Deadly Blessing (Morrow, hardcover; St. Martin’s, softback, 1988) became a featured book-club selection. Deadly Blessing was adapted for television by Warner Bros. and debuted on ABC in January 1992 as Bed of Lies. I served as a script consultant on the project. Trade critics hailed my first book, The Newest Profession (William Morrow, 1985), as one of the year’s top sales & marketing titles.
My movie's poster/ad from TV Guide/other media
