I'm WriterJax, I'll be your blogger today.

A few bits about me:

* I love vintage clothes, antique books, The Police (the band, not the institution), popping wine corks, cooking, baking, photography, running, kayaking, and dancing badly (because I can't dance well).

* I have a BA in English and an MS in organization development (so now, not only can I quote Shakespeare, but also balance my checkbook. Nearly all of the time).

* I've played the violin for 26 years and have been singing, either for cash or at least in front of crowds, for 12. Back in the day, my former band Singer Bad Dancer appeared on Mtv (once, for 30 seconds, and it was audio only) and contributed a tune to the independent film Nowheresville. If you search for the band on YouTube, you can find clippage. Today, I largely supply background tracks and background noise at the odd event here and there.

* I can't cook Indian food. It is beyond me.

* I live to write and I write to live -- most specifically, as a journalist covering business, travel, culture, and the arts. I also moonlight as a publicist here and there, and I'll shamelessly make you look at my recent work. To quote Arlo Guthrie, I'm not proud, or tired.

* I started an online community called Thirty-something Bloggers in 2007. It's one of the best things I've ever done.

...and The Jump? What's that all About?

* This blog is a collection of things I see and hear while on the beat, as well as news bits and musings on all things I find relevant or just neat-o. Its original name was just WriterJax - a spin-off from my AIM screenname - and was very writing-centric.

* Over the years, this blog has morphed from personal journal to essays to strictly professional to a mix of all of the above. As I continue to find my voice, it's still changing and growing.

* I renamed it The Jump in 2008 to symbolize three things: first,jumping into the unknown, for which I seem to have a propensity; second, the changing face of my blog itself, as it becomes more general interest; and three, a nod to a common term in journalism. The jump is that little bit of story that carries over to a new page in a newspaper or magazine. The rest of the story, if you will.

* I blog about my clients who are ok with it occasionally, and I write about my job and my assignments with my employer's blessing. I don't blog about my co-workers, my office, internal meetings, or any intra-office gripes. (I enjoy my home and would like to retain the ability to pay the mortgage).

For the Recruiters and Glossies Beating Down my Door!

* My freelance work (photography and writing) has appeared in New York Resident Magazine, GoNomad.com, The Women's Times, JohnnyJet.com, The Rainbow Times, The Valley Advocate, The Hartford Advocate, All About Town, U.S. College Hockey Magazine,the Commercial and Industrial Photographers of New England Journal, The Healthcare News, The Union News, the Cape Cod Chronicle, among other outlets.

Last Updated: 11 July 2008