Tracy Hopkins

Brooklyn, NY USA
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Professional Experience

An experienced and versatile freelance writer, I've covered a variety of topics and events--including Fashion Week in New York City and a Poker Stars tourney in the Bahamas. I pride myself on my tenacious reporting skills, witty writing style and ability to meet deadlines. In all of my work, I strive to inform, entertain and inspire.

Expertise

Content Editor (online)
15 Years
Reporter
22 Years
Writer
22 Years

Specialty

Fashion
7 Years
Entertainment
22 Years
Women's Issues
20 Years

Industries


Magazine - Large Consumer/National magazines
20 Years
Newspaper - Local/Regional
9 Years
Online/new media
15 Years

Total Media Industry Experience

23 Years

Media Client List (# assignments last 2 yrs)

SheKnows.com (reaches nearly 17 million women) (10+), Everything She Wants.net (10+), Dance Media/Dance Retailer News (6-10), Essence Magazine (3-5), amNewYork (3-5)

Corporate Client List (# assignments last 2 yrs)

Coburn Communication (PR copywriting (10+), Institute for Integrative Nutrition/Wellness Today (6-10), Prose Media (6-10)

Other Work History

Current Work History: Freelance Writer and Proofreader for Dance Media. Lifestyle & Fashion Blog Editor, Everything She Wants.net Contributing Writer, SheKnows.com Previous Work History: Web Content Editor for Barnes & Noble.com, where I edited several music/DVD content pages using a content management system; managed freelance writers; interviewed popular recording artists; and wrote and edited CD reviews. Freelance Copywriter for Coburn Communication. Freelance Blog Editor for Hot Mama Daily, b5media's daily beauty and fashion blog for women of color. The blog attracted about 25,000 readers each month. Freelance Restaurant Listings Top Editor for New York Magazine's website, NYMag.com. Freelance Stringer for People Magazine. Freelance Fact-Checker for Brides, Entertainment Weekly, Essence, Latina, Vibe and Ladies Home Journal magazines.

Computer Skills

CMS, Word, Excel, light HTML, basic training in Adobe InDesign and Photoshop

Equipment

Mac laptop, digital camera, audio recorder

Awards

Sigma Delta Chil Journalism Award, 1991

Associations

National Association of Black Journalists, Avant Guild

Showcase

Healthy travel

Tips from Canyon Ranch Miami on how to transform your home into a relaxing spa retreat.
A fitness retreat at Red Mountain Resort.
Feature on taking a yoga retreat to Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health.

Health

Natural remedies and solutions for spring allergies.
How reality TV programs like "The Real Housewives" franchise can positively and negatively influence women's health.
This health feature weighs the pros and cons of detox diets.
Are you suffering from fatigue? Here are expert tips on what's causing your energy drain and how to resolve it.
This health feature explores the ancient Indian practice of Ayurveda, which recommends diet and lifestyle based on your constitution or dosha.
7 Tips for health, happiness and longevity from Houston-based cardiologist, Dr. Kara Davis.
Detox diets that incorporate whole foods, Chinese herbal teas, fresh and organic juices and probiotics.

Travel

A roundup of volunteer vacations in the U.S. and abroad.
I spent a fun weekend tasting wine along the UnCork York Wine Trail. Besides sipping vino, there's also lots for spa enthusiasts and nature-lovers to do.
This was the first time I was able to experience my hometown of Baltimore as a tourist. And I found that Charm City has a lot to offer for a weekend getaway from New York City.
What to do and see this summer in D.C.
Classic Christmas markets in Europe are the highlight of the holiday season.
Travel feature on my week-long stay in a Tuscan villa, visiting several cities in Tuscany, and a rocky boat ride in Cinque Terre.
This is a travel feature on my weekend trip to Minnesota. I went to see Prince perform and discovered much more.
An insider travel feature on places to eat, shop, play and stay in Chicago.
Hotels, restaurants and attractions on a summer getaway to Washington, D.C.
Here's a roundup feature of hip hotels and eateries and sightseeing attractions in Vancouver.
An insider travel feature on places to eat, shop, play and stay in Chicago.
This is a travel feature on activities to do in and around Maui's Kaanapali Beach Resort.
Tips for how to plan a safe Mexico vacation.
I love shopping at flea markets, so here are a few of the hippest ones across the U.S.

Brooklyn

I love shopping and I love Fort Greene. So this was a fun story to write.
A profile on the popularity and growth of the Brooklyn Flea.
A profile on By Brooklyn shop owner Gaia DiLoreto.
As a Brooklyn resident, I'm on the pulse of things to do and see in the borough. This feature offers suggestions for cheap and free family fun in Brooklyn.
This is one of my favorite features. The Brooklyn neighborhood of Bedford-Stuyvesant often gets a bad rap in the news, but I got the chance to explore the historic neighborhood's burgeoning shops and speak with positive shop owners and local shoppers. So this feature is about more than shopping --

Entertainment

I came across this inspired feature on female club dancers that I wrote for The Sun-Sentinel Newspaper during my internship on the features desk in 1991.
Obviously, Carmen Electra's marriage to rocker Dave Navarro wasn't amazing since it didn't last. But in 2005, the petite beauty granted me an exclusive interview for People Magazine during an event in Atlantic City.
I covered the women in poker angle of the Poker Stars' Caribbean Adventure tournament at the Atlantis Resort in Paradise Island, Bahamas.
I wrote profiles of music performers at the 2014 NOJF and roundups of things to do and see while visiting New Orleans for the jazz fest.
I wrote a profile on R&B diva Faith Evans that details the highlights of her career, her personal trials, and her dramatic weight loss. I also interviewed the singer's personal trainer for a sidebar on how to get a fit body like Faith.
Part of my coverage of this season's ABC's "The Bachelor" for YourTango.com.
A profile of "Rent" co-stars-cum-best friends Rosario Dawson and Tracie Thoms.
Q&A with actor Robert Christopher Riley.
A roundup of new reality TV shows featuring African-Americans.
music festivals, spring music festivals, summer music festivals, Essence Music Festival, New Orleans Jazz Festival, Firefly music festival, Montreal Jazz Festival, live music

Fashion

Interviews with Payless designers Christian Siriano, Isabel Toledo, and Lela Rose.
What could be better than free clothes? I became a clothing swap addict after I wrote this article.
This is a roundup of destinations and landmarks visited by Season Two Project Runway contestants.
The animal print trend in women's fashion is still going strong. I interviewed Lucky editor Hope Greenberg and got her tips on what's hot and what's not.
I'm an expert on street style, flea markets, thrift and bargain stores and clothing swaps. This is my latest feature on the latest in New York City street shopping.
Eddie Mullon and his software firm, Fashion GPS, are helping some of the biggest names in the industry cut through the chaos of Fashion Week.
Coverage of New York Fashion Week/Spring 2011
Coverage of New York Fashion Week/Spring 2011.
Inspired by Anya Hindmarch's "I Am Not a Plastic Bag" tote, this is a style trend story about the popularity of using non-plastic bags for grocery shopping.

Pets

Roundup of healthy and eco-friendly stocking stuffers for dogs and cats.

Food

A roundup of a few of the best restaurants in Philadelphia.
Inside Rachael Ray's magazine test kitchen.
New and tried-and-true places to eat in Times Square.
Roundup of spots in NYC to get beer cocktails.
I visited Toronto during the Luminato Festival of the Arts and sampled many of the multicultural city's culinary delights. Here's my foodie roundup.
Bars and restaurants where New Yorkers can celebrate Mardi Gras 2014.

Music Writing

In spring 2005, I interviewed Omarion -- former lead singer for boy band B2K -- about his solo debut album for the Associated Press. Omarion was a charmer and I can understand why tween girls go crazy for him.
Between 1997 and 2008, I wrote 10 "Next" profiles on breaking R&B and pop music artists. Some of those artists never broke or even produced more than one album. But each artist I interviewed captivated me in some way. And one young lady named Pink -- whom I interviewed in Las Vegas prior to the r
This is a profile of recording artist Mario, who scored a hit song this year with the ballad "Let Me Love You." Mario, a fellow Baltimore native, is a talented and driven young man.
My EW review of Mary J's "My Life" disc. In hindsight, the album is better than the B grade I gave it.
This is a Q&A I did with R&B songbird, Amerie, who had one of the biggest hits of summer 2005 with "1 Thing." We had an interesting chat about her interracial background and comparisons to Beyonce.
I had the pleasure of interviewing this talented singer/songwriter prior to the U.S. release of her debut album, "Joyful." Ayo is definitely an artist to watch.
Although you wouldn't know it from my review (scroll down and it's beneath the Barry Manilow review), I'm a Heather Headley fan. I loved several songs from her debut disc, and I like the lead single from her sophomore album. However, I think her vocals are better suited for Broadway.

Lifestyle

One of many dance retailer spotlights I've written for Dance Retailer News.
This is a roundup of hot dance classes in New York City.
How to dress to get a job and advance in your career.
I had the pleasure to profile Tremaine Wright, a University of Chicago law school grad and owner of the Common Grounds coffee shop in the Bed-Stuy section of Brooklyn. Her commitment to her community is admirable.
For this relationship feature, I interviewed several couples for their tips on how to make love last.
In New York City, $100 doesn't go far. But I accepted the Daily News challenge and lived on $100 for a week. This article shows how I spent it.

Weddings

I went to the annual "Running of the brides" sale at Filene's Basement in NYC partly out of curiosity, and partly with hopes of finding the perfect wedding dress.
I wrote this service wedding/travel feature about my vow renewal in Las Vegas.
Read how I planned my wedding for under $5K.

Press coverage

My blog, Everything She Wants, was featured on Gorkana Group.
I'm a budget shopping and budget bride consultant, and I was interviewed by the U.K. blog Made Peachy about how I planned my NYC wedding for under $5K.

Plastic Surgery

The death of rapper Kanye West's mother due to complications from plastic surgery raised awareness in the African-American community about the dangers of cosmetic procedures. I wrote a sidebar on questions to ask your plastic surgeon before you go under the knife.

Fitness

My interview with former "Bachelorette" Jillian Harris on how she stays healthy and stress-free.
Boxing tips for women.

Editorials

I wrote this essay a couple days after the 9/11 terrorist attack. Rarely have I written an essay or feature and didn't care about publication or compensation. But I had something to say and I'm grateful to NYCStories.com for providing an outlet for my thoughts.
A blog post analyzing the public's obsession with cat-fights and arguments played out on reality TV in general and specifically on the hit VH1 show Basketball Wives.
My review of the wonderful Broadway musical "Memphis."

Blog Posts

Beauty

How to cleanse and moisturize your face with oil-based products.
Profile on celeb hair stylist Hadiiya Barbel, who has customized wigs for talk show host Wendy Williams, rapper Sandy "Pepa" Denton, and comedian Niecy Nash.

Blogs

As founder and editor of this popular fashion, beauty and lifestyle blog, I often spotlight indie designers, charitable and affordable shopping trends and natural beauty products. As a brand ambassador, I've worked with Nivea, e.l.f. and Whole Body by Whole Foods, and I'm seeking new opportunities.
This is a video cast companion to my bargain shopping blog, Tracy's Pop & Shop. In the video, I take you to a clothing swap, where you bring clothes to give away and come back with a new wardrobe for free!

Press releases

From press releases to product descriptions and bios, I'm a skilled PR copywriter. This is a press release I wrote on healthy living pioneer Marilyn Diamond's "Fit for Life" fitness book and television special.

Artist bios

Whatever your content needs are, I'm skilled at writing bios, product descriptions, press releases and news releases. This is example of a recording artist bio I wrote for the duo known as Little Jackie.

General

My review of The Hard Nut at BAM. If you're a fan of the classic Nutcracker ballet, you will have mixed feelings about Mark Morris' irreverent take on the story. Ultimately, it's more style over substance and lacks any meaningful impact.
Retailer Spotlight on Ballerina Boutique in Colorado Springs.
Popular bars in Greenpoint, Brooklyn including The Moonlight Mile and The Habitat.
Review of a performance during Alvin Ailey Dance Theater's 45th annual season at New York City Center.