Since 2025 I have been working as an independent editor and editorial consultant specializing in writing for a wide audience. In this work, I draw on three decades of experience accumulated by making mistakes and listening to savants at all levels in American journalism, including 20 years at the Washington Post. My great professional love is helping smart people with new ideas craft persuasive arguments that get real traction in the world.
I held a variety of positions at The Post, mostly in Opinions: copy editor, letters editor, op-ed editor, managing opinion editor and finally deputy opinion editor. I came to The Post in 2005 from my hometown paper, the Times Union in Albany, N.Y., where I was copy desk chief for the editorial page and features sections. I began my career reporting and editing for several community and small daily newspapers in the Berkshires and upstate New York. I have a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University at Albany.
Along the way I learned this: You have to do the painful part (writing) to get to the fun part (editing). So I skipped over the painful part. Best move I ever made.
Some other stuff about me: I live in Rockville, Maryland, with my wife, Caitlin. Our son, Tadhg, is a history PhD student in Chicago. That’s them with me above. I was born in Akron, Ohio; spent my grade school years in northern New Jersey; but really am from the village of Voorheesville, New York, outside Albany — my father was a journalist, too, and we moved around as he went from paper to paper.
RE: Akron. I remain a first-rate Cleveland Guardians fan — how many other people can say they were at Municipal Stadium in 1977 when Duane Kuiper hit his only home run? (not many, given attendance in those days) — and a fourth-rate runner and guitar player. I recently commissioned this piece for The Post mainly so I could talk to the guy who created Taylor Guitars. “Friends don’t let friends play Taylor Guitars,” we used to say back in the ‘90s, because to play one is to want one, and none of us had the money.
Some favorite places are the Adirondacks, which inspired what remains my favorite thing I ever published under my byline, and the Catskills, where Caitlin and I plan to retire. Not knocking Washington, but I’m never quite myself till I get north of the Tappan Zee.