Jake Lemkowitz

Philadelphia, PA USA
http://cargocollective.com/jakelemkowitz
5 Years Experience

Professional Experience

I have interviewed Knicks and eaten brains in the name of a good story. I also eat deadlines for breakfast. As a freelance writer, I specialize in offbeat articles about food/travel/sports/culture. I have an MFA in Creative Writing (Fiction), and I am based in my hometown of Brooklyn, NY.

Expertise

Editor 3 YearsFact-Checker 3 YearsWriter 5 Years

Specialty

Sports & Recreation 5 YearsFiction 5 YearsFood 5 Years

Industries

Magazine - Large Consumer/National magazines 2 YearsAcademia Teaching 2 YearsOnline/new media 4 Years

Media Client List (# assignments last 2 yrs)

  • Bread City Basketball (10+)
  • USA Today (10+)
  • Music Under Fire (3-5)
  • Publishers Weekly (3-5)
  • The Brooklyn Review (1-2)
  • The Norman Einsteins (1-2)
  • The Onion A.V. Club (1-2)
  • Title Magazine (1-2)
  • New York Magazine (1-2)
  • Forbes Travel Guides (1-2)
  • Frank151 Magazine (1-2)

Corporate Client List (# assignments last 2 yrs)

  • Jack Spade (10+)
  • Brook Furniture Retail (6-10)

Awards

2006 Diane Vreuls Fiction Prize 2005 Oberlin Alumni Ficiton Award

Other Work History

I was the Assistant Editor for HOOP, the official magazine of the NBA, before going to graduate school and teaching English. I have ghostwritten successful book proposals, proofread encyclopedias, maintained multiple sports/culture blogs, pulled weeds as a farmhand, and I currently tend bar part time.

Computer Skills

I'm highly literate with a Mac, and I blog with the best using both Tumblr and Wordpress. Also handy with Microsoft Office and Adobe suites.

Equipment

My trusty MacBook.

Work Permits & Visas

US citizen.

Sports

Revolt of Orlando
(Norman Einstein's Sports & Rocket Science Monthly 6/1/2009)
Examining the Orlando Magic's upset of the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the media's hopes for a Kobe vs. Lebron showdown, through the lens of French Renaissance Painting and ESPN.
Unbreaka-Bull
(HOOP Magazine 8/1/2007)
The true story of Michael Jordan's "flu game" in Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals.
Jai Alai
(Frank151 4/1/2007)
Jai Alai was once Miami's most iconic sport. Now it's all-but-gone. Nevertheless, as long as Jai Alai exists, it's still fast, Basque, and dangerous.
Step Back
(HOOP Magazine 9/1/2007)
The story of the 1994 NBA Finals in a single photograph.
Navajo Swastika Basketball
(Bread City Basketball 8/1/2009)
A brief investigation of American Indian basketball and the existence of the swastika in traditional Navajo culture.
Japanese Prison Camp Basketball
(Bread City Basketball 8/1/2007)
A brief look at the role of basketball in the Japanese-American prison camps, with art by the author.
Sprint Football
(Touchdown Illustrated 10/1/2007)
The Collegiate Sprint Football League offers smash-mouth college pigskin, with one major difference from the NCAA: you must weigh less than 172 pounds to play.

Fiction

Where You From
(Free Darko 8/1/2007)
A love story about basketball and New York City.
John James Audubon Catalog Entries
("John James Audubon" by Olivia Verdugo 2/1/2010)
These seven fictional entries were written for the catalog of a multi-media exhibition-in- a-box by Olivia Verdugo. The exhibit featured artwork and writing inspired by the life and legend of John James Audubon.
The Farthest You'll Ever Hit
(Two Adventures 8/1/2008)
A short story about a boy on an island who naturally decides to steal an antique gun and shoot his dog, but then everything goes wrong. And there is baseball.

Food

Kava Culture
(Frank151 Magazine 10/1/2008)
A semi-gonzo profile of kava, the traditional South Pacific drink that is also a mild hallucinogen when taken in large quantities.
Grill This?!
(Your Life: Guide to Men's Health 9/1/2011)
Discover the incredible versatility of your grill with recipe ideas that push the boundaries of typical backyard fare.
Old School Food
(Green Living 10/1/2011)
The Hibernating Gourmet
(Journal For Proper Thought 9/1/2006)
The North American Black Bear, his diet, and the sandwich he inspired.
The Story Behind The Recipe
(Women's Health 5/5/2012)
Two bloggers share the stories behind two of their most memorable meals.
No Stove, No Problem
(Outdoor Living 4/7/2012)
The lighter the pack, the greater the adventure. How to backpack without a stove, and still eat like a king on the trail.

Culture

Four Masks
(Frank151 6/5/2012)
From ancient Greek theatre to Occupy Wall Street, a selective history of the mask.
Joe Buck
(Frank151 7/1/2009)
How Joe Buck made it from Queens to Japan as the artist behind one of hip hop's most iconic album covers.
Movie Review: Touki Bouki
(Title Magazine 1/23/2012)
Put French New Wave filmmaking techniques, nonlinear West African storytelling, and post-colonial politics together in a blender: The result is Touki Bouki.
The Vice Squad
(Frank151 Magazine 4/1/2007)
The brief history of how a television show changed architecture, fashion, and the city of Miami.
Music Video Review: "Purple Swag"
(9/6/2011)
Review of ASAP Rocky's video for "Purple Swag."
Liberty Vintage Motorcycles
(Title Magazine 12/26/2011)
The motorcycle as art and object of obsession in a Philadelphia garage.
The Petropolitans
(Hasbro 4/1/2011)
Proposal for an avant-garde collection of New York City animal action figures, created on spec for Hasbro.

Travel

Underground Eats
(The USA Today Guide to New York City 11/1/2011)
The best of subterranean Chinese street food dining in Flushing, Queens.
Times Square for Natives
(USA Today Guide to New York City 11/1/2011)
A definitive guide to Times Square for people who hate Times Square.
Offseason Vacation
(Go Escape Magazine 12/6/2011)
Summering can be so crass. Wintering is much more civilized.
Headhouse 24/7
(USA Today Guide to Philadelphia 12/1/2011)
An all-week guide to Philadelphia's South Street Headhouse District.
Eat Your Way Through Providence
(New York Magazine Online 2/24/2012)
A guide to the Ocean State's capital city for food-obsessed travelers.