FAVORITE PIECES
Here is some of my favorite work, from my time at Reuters, The Baltimore Sun, and The New York Times.
Wrestling diplomacy cuts tension at nuclear talks with Iran - Reuters.com, February 26, 2013
Written with Fredrik Dahl
Tehran’s Azadi Tower, witness to history, victim of neglect - Reuters.com, February 20, 2013
An iconic structure and plaza in Tehran used for both opposition and pro-government demonstrations is suffering from internal water damage due to neglect, a situation which greatly worries the monument’s architect.
Iran nuclear power plant stokes worries closer to home, too - Reuters.com, January 23, 2013
Years of delays at the Bushehr nuclear power plant and a lack of transparency from Iranian officials have raised concerns from local villagers and nearby Arab capitals, though Iran insists there is no need to worry about the plant’s safety.
Iranian students feel the pain as currency collapses - Reuters.com, October 17, 2012
Some of those most directly impacted by this year’s falls in the Iranian rial are those studying abroad, who must pay for their tuition in foreign currencies. Western sanctions, and the abolition of a government policy that helped students meet their needs, have made a foreign degree so expensive as to be nearly impossible.
In conflict with West, Iran stirs war memories at home - Reuters.com, September 5, 2012
Credit: Reuters/Morteza Nikoubazl
Iranian leaders hoping to lift morale amid rising prices, food shortages and threats of attack are drawing on memories of another era when people united against a common foe: Saddam Hussein’s Iraq. But it is an open question whether they can inspire the same solidarity that powered Iran’s massive war effort a generation ago. A version of this story ran in the International Herald Tribune on September 6, 2012.
Iran’s reformists gird for return to political stage - Reuters.com, July 23, 2012
Credit: Reuters/Mick Tsikas
Banished from the political mainstream for three years, Iran’s reformists are making a move to retake the reins of elected power - but face immense challenges.
Iran’s “chicken crisis” is simmering political issue - Reuters.com, July 22, 2012
Iranians react with their characteristic mordant humor to the very serious rise in price of a basic staple, chicken. Written with Marcus George
London TV channel dips a toe into Iran culture war - Reuters.com, April 18, 2012
Photo courtesy of Manoto
Persian-language satellite channel Manoto, based in London, has struck a chord inside Iran with its Western-style reality television shows, gaining millions of fans while also irking Iran’s strict Islamic government. A version of this story also ran in the International Herald Tribune.
Idle staff surf the net in London’s Iranian banks - Reuters.com, December 22, 2011
Credit: Reuters/Luke MacGregor
British employees of the London branches of sanctioned Iranian banks find themselves with very little to do at work, as they can’t take new business but must remain open to service a dwindling number of customers. A version of this story ran in the International Herald Tribune.
From Canton basement, Baltimore’s first winery crafts business plan - The Baltimore Sun, May 23, 2011
Erik Bandzak, a father and teacher, defies the bureaucratic odds to open Baltimore’s first winery. I stumbled upon this story while attending a city zoning board meeting, and followed it for six months before writing the feature.
Maryland transplants seen as helping to drive growth of York County, Pa. - The Baltimore Sun, March 21, 2011
One of several pieces I did while covering the Census beat in Baltimore. This one looked at former Baltimore-area residents who had moved to York, largely for cheaper housing, but still maintained ties to Maryland.
Maryland’s fastest growth creates problems - The Baltimore Sun, February 11, 2011
Credit: Baltimore Sun/Amy Davis
Also a Census data-based story, this one looked at a town in Maryland that had grown 650 percent in a decade. Residents believed they had not gotten the amenities they had been promised when they moved to Clarksburg.
German soldiers on Maryland train spark historical debate - The Baltimore Sun, November 15, 2010
One woman’s unpleasant experience on a train ride with WWII re-enactors wearing Nazi uniforms allowed for some interesting discussion on whether there are some conflicts that are still too fresh for re-enactment.
Last residents’ move from Fairfield completes industrialization of area - The Baltimore Sun, March 10, 2011
Two friends living in a rundown, century-old home with no heating finally leave, at the persuasion of the city of Baltimore, to make room for an industrial hub. I visit them on moving day.
Bookstore in capital seeks its next chapter - The New York Times, June 22, 2010
Famed Washington bookstore and cultural tastemaker Politics and Prose put up for sale by its owners and founders.
