Tag: Freelancing

uwishunu blogging

Uwishunu.com (January 2009 to present): I blog on upcoming events and review concerts, culture, arts and entertainment in Philadelphia for the staple blog on what to do in one of the largest cities in the country. See my posts here, and my profile here.

August 2010 Invoice

  1. Mauckingbird Theatre’s take on ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’

July 2010 Invoice

  1. Hot Air Ballooning with the U.S. Hot Air Balloon Team

June 2010 Invoice

  1. Leaving @ the Wilma Theatre: Madeline Albright Sure Seemed to Enjoy It

April 2010 Invoice

  1. Contemporary Czech classic ‘Leaving’ @ Wilma Theater

March 2010 Invoice

  1. Rooms: A Rock Romance @ the Prince Music Theater

February 2010 Invoice

  1. Romeo and Juliet @ Arden Theater
  2. Review: Romeo and Juliet @ Arden Theater

January 2010 Invoice

  1. Philadelphia and Baltimore Baroque stylings

November 2009 Invoice

  1. A Christmas Carol @ the Walnut Street Theatre
  2. Review: A Christmas Carol @ the Walnut Street Theatre

October 2009 Invoice

  1. Review: Mister, Mister @ Walnut Street Theatre (At $15 rate, as previously assigned)
  2. Waiting for Godot @ Amaryllis Theatre Company

September 2009 Invoice

  1. Little Shop of Horrors @ the Devon Theater
  2. 24-hour bakery and eats @ The Dining Car
  3. Italian brick oven @ the Ashburner Inn
  4. Preview: Mister, Mister @ Walnut Street Theatre
  5. ShareUrMeal Release Party @ the Academic Bistro
  6. Lyric Fest debuts @ Haverford College and First Presbyterian Church
  7. CITYSPACE Artist Installations @ Parkview Condos
  8. Home cooking @ Kenny’s Soul and Seafood Restaurant
  9. Crab Fries @ the original Chickie’s and Pete’s

August 2009 Invoice

  1. First Friday Vegetable Party and Architects @ National Constitution Center
  2. Bowling for Rhinos @ Wynnewood Lanes in Ardmore
  3. RedBull Block to Block race ending @ the Piazza
  4. JL Schnabel and “I am Writing to you with My Eyes” @ Mew Gallery
  5. Adam Holden Rosenberg and Scratch & Paint @ Suite 79
  6. Cruise for the Kids @ Moshulu on Penn’s Landing
  7. Two Together @ Mount Airy Contemporary Artists Space
  8. From Washington to Waterloo @ National Constitution Center
  9. Big changes, opening reception @ James Oliver Gallery

No July 2009 posts

June 2009 invoice

  1. Haunted Poe preview workshop and cabaret @ the Latvian Society
  2. Haunted Poe by Brat Productions in South Philadelphia
  3. La Fête du Savon reception @ Lisa M. Reisman et Cie
  4. Cheese pizza @ Montessini’s in Mayfair
  5. FootPrints Of Life @ Philadelphia Art Museum steps
  6. Fatebook preview show @ Arts Bank

May 2009

  1. SoleFood Restaurant has seafood stimulus @ Loews Hotel
  2. Review of SoleFood Stimulus @ Loews Restaurant
  3. Drexel Fashion Show @ Urban Outfitters in the Naval Yard

April 2009

  1. Story Slam @ Bubble House in University City
  2. New Faces by Philadanco @ the Perelman Theater
  3. Philly-native author Charles D. Ellison signs @ Liberty Place
  4. Introduction to color theory @ the Mew Gallery
  5. Gouache and watercolor painting workshop @ the Mew Gallery
  6. Greeting card painting workshop @ the Mew Gallery
  7. FREE national BarCamp for NewsInnovation @ Temple University
  8. Sigmund Freud and Salvador Dali meet in Hysteria @ the Wilma Theater
  9. Annual alumni reunion @ Eastern State Penitentiary
  10. Rebecca Rothfus @ Pentimenti Gallery in Old City
  11. The 113th annual Devon Horse Show on the Main Line

March 2009 Invoice

  1. The new Pennsylvania Ballet Youtube channel
  2. The Three Monkeys Cafe in Torresdale, Northeast Philadelphia
  3. Ladies in Retirement @ The Stagecrafters Theater in Chestnut Hill
  4. Gino’s Pizza Cafe in Mayfair, Northeast Philadelphia
  5. Fresh Fish 2.0 Ten Minute Play Festival @ Walking Fish Theatre
  6. Art Auction and Raffle @ The South Philly Tap Room
  7. Wow! Superhero Day @ the Penn Museum
  8. Moore College and Wilma Theatre join for Scorched premiere
  9. Mayfair Diner in Mayfair, Northeast Philadelphia
  10. Guinness @ The Bards in Rittenhouse
  11. Yo, Philly, Play Ball @ Saint Malchy Church
  12. Nunsense @ Devon Theater in Mayfair, Northeast Philadelphia
  13. Buy organic T-shirts to support Future Weather film
  14. Smak Parlour in Old City turns four this First Friday
  15. April First Person Arts salon series @ Philadelphia Arts Bank
  16. May First Person Arts salon series @ Philadelphia Arts Bank
  17. Trash and Treasures indoor yard sale @ TONY boutique in Old City

February 2009 Invoice

  1. West Philly Tool Library lends tools to Philadelphia
  2. First Annual Fishtown Shadfest @ Penn Treaty Park
  3. Frank McCourt and the Irish @ the Kimmel Center
  4. The Village @ the Painted Bride
  5. Pennsylvania Ballet Offers Discounted Valentine’s Day Tickets
  6. GW Carver Science Fair. Feb. 24-26
  7. Battleship New Jersey Re-Opens for Guided and Self-Guided Tours on Friday
  8. Hilary Hahn Kimmel Center
  9. Krystian Zimerman Kimmel Center

January 2009 Invoice

  1. Paleopalooza @ The Academy of Natural Sciences
  2. Philly Punk Band Mischief Brew Joins Amebix @ The Troc
  3. TONY ON THIRD shop preview
  4. ACADEMY DARWIN

Stories that never ran: the Philadelphia workplace in five years

More than a year ago, I handled a half dozen interviews and a couple rewrites on a story for the Inquirer that covered what Philadelphia workplaces will look like in the future. As is sometimes the case, it never found its home in print.

The story’s primary timeliness has been lost, but I think it still has merit. So, with permission from my editor, I share it below, in addition to a slew of extras from the heavy lifting of reporting.

It was meant to be a localized version of a Time magazine cover story that caught my attention.

Below, read the story, see portions of my interviews that didn’t make it into the piece and watch some related video news pieces

Continue reading Stories that never ran: the Philadelphia workplace in five years

The Philly Post: City departments that need a Web overhaul

As part of a push for a broader readership, back in March Technically Philly announced a content partnership with Philadelphia magazine and its new daily blog.

Fellow co-founder Brian James Kirk has been writing most of the weekly posts, as he’s still freelancing. But last week, I filled in, penning a short feature on five City of Philadelphia departments that could use a touch of Web openness.

The use of technology to transform government has been a growing municipal interest in city halls across the country.

Here, the City of Philadelphia has announced intentions to release a service-orientated 311 iPhone application, it’s applying for ultra high-speed broadband from Google and it’s in hot pursuit of a funded team of developers and technologists which may someday make our every government transparency dreams come true.

The overtures are there, even if the substance hasn’t yet hit the pavement.

Read the rest here.

Fishtown Spirit: Community meeting coverage of soda tax, I-95 and more

Mayor Nutter Press Aide Katherine Martin addresses the April Fishtown Neighbors Association meeting.

A few times a month, I go out to civic and town watch meetings in a variety of neighborhoods. Yes, I actually find most of them to be fun — local politics on the smallest of scale.

Since moving to Fishtown, I’ve begun going to monthly Fishtown Action and Fishtown Neighbors Meetings and filing reports for the Fishtown Spirit. It’s all within a few blocks of my house and endearing to be sure. Each month, I’ll probably share those two and any other pieces I might have had in the Spirit.

As I wrote after my first piece for my small, local community news weekly, it’s my way of getting to know new people and the issues facing them in a new neighborhood.

I have one on two controversial proposals in today’s issue:

City officials defended two controversial proposals to close a $150 million shortfall in the city’s 2011 budget at last week’s Fishtown Neighbors Association meeting.

During the 90 minute session that saw raised voices and broad criticism of city spending, Deputy Streets Commissioner Carlton Williams addressed a proposed $300 trash collection fee and Mayoral Press Aide Katharine Martin talked about the two-cent-per-ounce sweetened beverage excise tax. Both proposals need City Council approval and remain executive branch proposals that are vying against ongoing deliberations, including suggestions to raise property taxes and tax smokeless tobacco products.

Read the rest here, or below find other pieces I’ve done in the past few months below.

Continue reading Fishtown Spirit: Community meeting coverage of soda tax, I-95 and more

Inquirer: My first couch surfing experience

A full-length travel story of mine focused on the five year anniversary of CouchSurfing.com at first destined for the Philadelphia Inquirer last January never found a home there. After a back and forth, I went another direction and it got a tad stale for the daily’s travel editor.

So, because I’ve shared other stories that didn’t run as planned, I’ll do so today. Additionally, as always, I also like to share some grafs that were reworked and items I cut from my original story, which also can be seen below.

Continue reading Inquirer: My first couch surfing experience

Fishtown Spirit: A neighborhood photographer wants more neighborhood support

A portrait of romance as captured by Keith Angelitis.

My first clip for the Fishtown Spirit ran in last Thursday’s issue, and my second ran yesterday.

Keith Angelitis just started a fire in the front room of his Frankford Avenue studio. He has a jacket on and a ball cap pulled over his ruffled brown hair. Big front windows welcome the sunlight that pours in and fills his 15-foot ceilings.

He is relaxing in a wooden chair, a prominent member of an otherwise sparsely furnished room, warmed by an old wood-burning stove. In the corner is an over-sized closet that Angelitis built during the beginning of his continuous renovation of 2452 Frankford Ave. Read more here.

Below the scoop on why I got involved with the Spirit.

Continue reading Fishtown Spirit: A neighborhood photographer wants more neighborhood support

Stories that never ran: What does a sex columnist look like?

sex-columnist

Sex columnists seem to have something in common.

That was a thought that came to my mind last January, while talking at the beginning of 2009 to friend who wrote a sex column for his college newspaper. None of my existing freelance contacts seemed all that interested in the topic, so I went shopping for someone who was.

I found a buyer in a Web site for sexuality, but I was just developing my freelance career and not yet stern in my not-writing-for-free policy, so I agreed to finish a draft before agreeing to terms.

When it came in, my editor balked, the economy worsened, advertising declined and freelance budgets were continually slashed, and so the story has sat ever since. Today, I share it here: a profile of the mindset of someone who just might be a sex columnist.

Continue reading Stories that never ran: What does a sex columnist look like?

Reporting for Metro Philadelphia

metro-738044

Metro (June 2009 to present): I regularly contribute news stories and short features to the Philadelphia edition of the international newspaper. I also occasionally fill-in for staff reporters. See examples of some of my larger stories here.

January 2010 Invoice

  1. Christopher Wink N Electric Assist Bicycle
  2. Christopher Wink N Bradley Ericson Entrepreneur Q&A 1/4/10

December 2009 Invoice

  1. 12/21/09: 3.5 hours, 1:30 to 5 p.m. (Delilah Winder Taxes 12/22/09) 70
  2. Rosemary Feal MLA 12/22/09
  3. End-of-year Philadelphia Statistics
  4. 12/20/09: 4 hours, 2:30-6:30 p.m. (Fishtown plow streets 12/21/09; Holiday shopping brief 12/21/09; Man on the street snow 12/21/09; City snow removal data 12/21/09) 80

November 2009 Invoice

  1. Christopher Wink N Devon Theater 11/20/09 $125
  2. Christopher Wink N Burholme Blaze 11/23/09 $25
  3. Christopher Wink N Old City shooting brief 11/23/09 $125
  4. Christopher Wink N Thanksgiving Bicyclist 11/30/09 $125

October 2009 Invoice

  1. Christoper Wink N Dressed as Yankees fan 10/23/09 150
  2. Christopher Wink N PPA Parking Wars 10/1/09 150
  3. Christopher Wink N PPA QA 10/5/09 75
  4. Christopher Wink N Buffalo wings 10/15/09 100
  5. Christopher Wink N Geert Wilders 10/20/09 30
  6. Christopher Wink N WS playoff guide-KILL 10/28/09 50
  7. Christopher Wink N Fans in wrong city 10/28/09 250

September 2009 Invoice

  1. 17 hours at $20 =$340 ( Tues 9/8: 8:30-5;30 (9 hours) Wed 9/9: 10:30-6:30 (8 hours)
  2. Michael Vick story 8/9/09 125
  3. Death of American post office 9/2/09 $100
  4. Reporting: Colleges 9/9/09 $25
  5. Mural Arts 9/9/09 $100
  6. Sunday 9/27: 12:30-6= 5.5 X $20 = $110
  7. Monday 9/28: 10:30-7= 8.5 X $20 = $170
  8. Sticky Duct-taped cat 9/30/09 $100
  9. Young and unemployed 9/30/09 $100

August 2009 Invoice

  1. Science Cheerleader 8/20
  2. Babbette
  3. Temple Tuition
  4. Wrongful termination
  5. Plan C

July 2009 Invoice $150

  1. Casino story
  2. Two small items

Stories that never ran: ‘Can the Devon Theater survive in Mayfair?’

Last month, the Devon Theater, a professional production house in a working-class neighborhood of Northeast Philadelphia, canceled the final half of its inaugural season due to state budget constraints.

In going through some documents of mine, I found, perhaps prophetically, a story that never was from back in March when the Devon first reopened. Originally planned for Philadelphia Weekly, its working slug title was ‘Can the Devon survive in Mayfair?’

Perhaps that hope now seems less likely. Below, I share the piece that didn’t run (for a variety of reasons) and some extras from the reporting.

Continue reading Stories that never ran: ‘Can the Devon Theater survive in Mayfair?’

Metro: Snow reporting, records and such

Snow on Gaul
The remains of the second largest snow storm in recorded Philadelphia history on the 600-block of Gaul Street in the Fishtown neighborhood on Sunday, Dec.

Nothing newspapers love more than a big storm. I jumped into the fray with a few items for Metro on the second largest snowfall in recorded Philadelphia history in today’s paper.

The second worst snowstorm in Philadelphia’s recorded history welcomed John Hutchison to Fishtown over the weekend.

Read the rest of the main story here.

With intrepid photographer Rikard Larma, I trekked through the snowy streets of riverward neighborhood Fishtown and then up to some big box stores in Port Richmond.

A few extras below.

Continue reading Metro: Snow reporting, records and such