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Breaking into Arts and Entertainment Journalism

Writing about pop culture for newspapers and magazines

Course is closed.
Breaking into Arts and Entertainment Journalism

WHEN
Tuesday, February 20
7-10 pm

WHERE
Harvard-Epworth United Methodist Church
1555 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
212-929-2588

PRICE
$65 ($50 for )
more info

Course Details

Boston may be not be as sexy as New York or LA when it comes to film, TV celebrities, or avant-garde art. But the Hub features a vibrant arts and cultural scene: The area colleges ensure that countless intellectuals and authors make an appearances here; the museums and music are always top notch; and the arts sections of the city's newspapers and weeklies are the vital conduits of information for Boston's arts-hungry inhabitants.

Arts and culture writing includes reviews, features, profiles, Q&As, opinion pieces, or in-depth analyses of trends and ideas. From profiles of today's emerging movie directors and local film festivals to nasty literary feuds and pop culture trends, the field of arts and culture journalism is one of the most fertile for freelancers. Boston makes a good base to land freelance gigs with local outlets, but also with the national press.

In this seminar, you'll learn:

  • How to research, pitch, write, and publish your arts articles
  • How to get on press release mailing lists and trawl the Web for scoops
  • How to use (but not be too swayed) by press materials and celebrity hype
  • How to time your pitches to releases of books, movies, plays, etc.
  • How to rework/resell your stories to maximize your hard work and research
  • The secrets of writing an arts story, from choosing the best quotes to conducting interviews

Instructor Bio

Ethan Gilsdorf's Courses

No courses available at this time.

Ethan Gilsdorf
Ethan Gilsdorf is a seasoned arts, culture, and travel writer. He writes for The New York Times arts and travel sections and covers movies, books, theater, food, and pop culture trends for the Boston Globe, San Francisco Chronicle, and Christian Science Monitor. His travel stories have appeared in National Geographic Traveler, The Washington Post, and in various in-flight magazines and guidebooks. He lived in Paris for five years, working as food critic for Time Out and hotel expert for Fodor's Paris. He also appears as a regular travel video host for boston.com's explorenewengland.com. A published poet and creative writing teacher, he is also East Coast correspondent of The Common Review. More at: (http://www.ethangilsdorf.com).

Testimonials


Ethan has an ability to make even dry facts entertaining. I found his seminar to be well-structured, informative and interesting, his teaching style honest and straightforward. His myriad experiences, handouts, and anecdotes made for a rewarding introduction to the field. -- Jessica Lee

"Ethan's practical teaching style made writing seem very accessible. He had us brainstorm story ideas from a press release to illustrate many of his points. He covered a wide range of material that was useful for both new and seasoned freelancers, and the packet of resources and story examples he provided will be invaluable." -- Julia Maranan

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