From essays about the arts to lifestyle articles, from technical website copy to local business profiles, my writing spans diverse subjects, sectors, and audiences. Tailoring words to suit both niche and general audiences, combining content creation with persuasive copywriting, my goal remains the same: to create impactful work that informs, inspires, engages, and drives thoughtful action.
Please review my curated writing journey below and reach out for a free consultation by using the form at the bottom of this page. Whatever your communications needs, I am happy to tell your story in the way that’s right for you.
Meanwhile, learn about my writing background and read testimonials from happy clients who have worked with me. Let’s connect on social media and stay in touch! Below, you’ll find icons linking to my profiles. I look forward to meeting you, and, possibly, collaborating.
SCIENCE AND MEDICINE
UC San Diego Health
I overhauled the design and technical copy for Department of Orthopaedic Surgery’s 80-page website. The comprehensive revision advanced the academic department’s book of business in education, research, and clinical care, including creating a new homepage, pages for the department chair and EDI committee, as well as landing pages for graduate medical education programs (residency and fellowship programs) and the research and clinical care faculty.
CULTURE: Arts and Entertainment
Product Review
Bearing the Weight of the World with “An Elephant Sitting Still”
Review of tragic, four-hour debut film “An Elephant Sitting Still” by Chinese novelist and film director Hu Bo. Published March 2019 by PopMatters.
Extras for an Hour, Voyagers for a Lifetime: “Live Long and Evolve”
Review of book “Live Long and Evolve”: Mohamed A. F. Noor, a biology professor, explains the evolutionary science behind science fiction series Star Trek. Published February 2019 by PopMatters.
Irony Triumphs in Theodor Kallifatides’s “Another Life”
Review of “Another Life”: Theodor Kallifatides eloquently captures the struggles of writing in his memoir, which humanizes with hope and creativity. Published February 2019 by PopMatters.
How “Beauty” Transcends Pore Count
Review of book “Beauty”: Stefan Sagmeister and Jessica Walsh explore the timeless influence of beauty on human behavior, unraveling its evolutionary significance. Published January 2019 by PopMatters.
In and Out of Sound: Exploring “New Bodies” With Unlikely Tangents
Review of album “New Bodies”: “post-everything” band Tangents’ genre-defying approach mixes electronics and rock music to relate to diverse audiences. Published October 2018 by PopMatters.
Sailing the River Styx with Hip-hop Shaman milo
Review of album “budding ornithologists are weary of tired analogies”: rapper milo spins a tangle of pop culture imagery and linguistic depth, drawing inspiration from modernist poets. Published September 2018 by PopMatters.
Press Release
Rise Up’s Moving Call to Action
Promotion for Rise Up, Seattle-based tribute band specializing in music from Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton, the award-winning Broadway musical celebrating Alexander Hamilton. Published April 2019 by Oly Arts.
Rock Party At Capitol Theater
Promotion for Chastity Belt, Seattle-based indie rock band touring in support of their album, “I Used to Spend So Much Time Alone.” Published April 2019 by Oly Arts.
A Gene from a Genome: The Transient Tapes of Muzan Editions
Promotion for Muzan Editions, an electronic music cassette label from Nara, Japan, led by a trio of non-native humanities enthusiasts. Published May 2018 by A Closer Listen.
Pecking at Borders with Corvo Records
Promotion for Corvo Records, Berlin-based music label founded by Wendelin Büchler, devoted to publishing vinyl records that merge visual art with sound art. Published August 2017 by A Closer Listen.
Feature Interview
KEITH ROWE with Todd B. Gruel
Interview with British musician and painter Keith Rowe, dubbed the godfather of electroacoustic improvisation (EAI), in celebration of his 80th birthday. Published June 2020 by The Brooklyn Rail.
Combustible Hope: Critics Simon Reynolds and Darren Ambrose On Mark Fisher’s Works and Philosophy
Interview with journalists Simon Reynolds and Darren Ambrose, offering insights into the posthumous book “k-punk” and the intriguing legacy of British cultural theorist Mark Fisher. Published September 2019 by PopMatters.
The Eternal Snow of Frozen Tears: Saving “Melting Landscapes”
Interview with faculty from Zürich’s Institute of Landscape Architecture, including Christophe Girot, Matthias Vollmer, and Ludwig Berger, showcasing the bond between humanity and nature in multimedia project, “Melting Landscapes”, where climate change is embodied by the sights and sounds of a shifting alpine glacier. Published June 2019 by PopMatters.
Make It Sharp: A Space Beyond Space with Rafael Toral
Interview with Portuguese musician and instrument builder Rafael Toral, exploring his dynamic career and electronic music series, Space Program, in celebration of his 50th birthday. Published December 2017 by Tiny Mix Tapes.
Birdwatching in Levis with John Cage
Interview with New York musician and post-minimalist composer Dan Joseph, delving into his varied connections with technology and time embodied within his body of work. Published March 2018 by A Closer Listen.
Food & Hospitality Journalism
Farm-to-Table Series: Slow Food
Concluding my series, vice-chair of Slow Food Greater Olympia, Emily Dunn-Wilder, discusses fundraising for local food events, advocating for sourcing regional cuisine from local ecosystems, and an approach that emphasizes flexibility over rigid rules. Published March 2016 by Washington Hospitality Association.
Farm-to-Table Series: The Mark
Chef Lisa Owen, owner of The Mark, honors her stepfather whose death from food-related cancer inspired her to tailor her menus around the exclusive use of healthy, organic ingredients. Published March 2016 by Washington Hospitality Association.
Farm-to-Table Series: J. Treacy Kreger
Chef Treacy Kreger, with 30 years of experience, discusses his candidacy for Port Commissioner of District 1, seeking to revitalize local businesses by fostering food-centric partnerships between public and private sectors. Published February 2016 by Washington Hospitality Association.
Farm-to-Table Series: Calliope Farms
Jacob Wilson, co-owner of Calliope Farm, attributes his farm’s success to offering high-quality products, a variety of seeds, and strategic market positioning, especially through direct-to-consumer channels. Published February 2016 by Washington Hospitality Association.
Farm-to-Table Series: Sound Fresh Clams and Oysters
John Adams, owner of Sound Fresh Clams & Oysters, and his wife, Amy Adams, discusses the ambiguity of the farm-to-table movement, addressing how responsibilities are shared among farmers, suppliers, and consumers. Published January 2016 by Washington Hospitality Association.
Farm-to-Table Series: Shepherds Grain
Mike Moran, General Manager of Shepherd’s Grain, discusses efforts to reconnect people with their food source, and highlights the sustainable farming practices, including the no-till method, used by every wheat grower for Shepherd’s Grain. Published January 2016 by Washington Hospitality Association.
Farm-to-Table Series: Heroes at the Supermarket
Introducing my series, I outline the scope and objectives of this journalistic investigation, emphasize my uncertainty about the farm-to-table movement, and discuss some of its advantages and disadvantages. Published January 2016 by Washington Hospitality Association.
Creative Non-fiction
Facing Lorem’s “Adversarial Feelings”
Promotional interview with Italian musician and visual artist Lorem (Francesco D’Abbraccio), exploring his AI-programmed project “Adversarial Feelings,” framed around narrative collaging techniques to simulate AI grappling with its sentience. Published May 2019 by PopMatters.
Ursula K. Le Guin & Todd Barton: “Music and Poetry of the Kesh”
Promotional review of science fiction writer Ursula K. Le Guin’s 50-year body of work, including a canonical album adapting her literature to music, uses a crossword puzzle integrating playful themes from Le Guin’s society-probing work. Published February 2019 by Fluid Radio.
David Velez ~ The Things That Objects Can Tell Us About Ourselves
Promotional review of Colombian sound artist David Velez’s album, “The Things That Objects Can Teach Us About Ourselves,” employing rhymed free verse that mirrors the imaginative leaps used in Velez’s foley-inspired compositions. Published October 2018 by A Closer Listen.
Noon ~ Disquiet
Promotional review of album “Disquiet” by noise rock band Noon, employing a fractured narrative device, blends internal rhymed lines steeped in social critique echoing the discordant atmosphere of “Disquiet”. Published November 2017 by A Closer Listen.
LIFESTYLE: Health & Self-help, Hobbies, Travel
A Curious Case for Cats
Personal essay inspired by my beloved cat, delves into the spiritual aspects of pet stewardship, contrasting cats and dogs while honoring the profound lessons they teach us. Published December 2023 by Todd B. Gruel.
Living in the Presence of Divine Grace
Promotional article highlighting the advantages of the 9-month Ashtavakra Gita course provided by the Art of Living Organization, rooted in Vedantic non-dualistic philosophy. Published November 2023 by Todd B. Gruel.
Love Yourself and Manifest Your Dreams!
Promotional article about lifestyle coaching services offered by Jade Hudek, The 5D Coach, whose work blends scientific research with spiritual wisdom, empowering people to manifest their dreams. Published November 2023 by Todd B. Gruel.
Peace and Plants on Halloween
Personal essay explores challenges and joys of gardening as a fruitful analogy for intentional living, inspired by lessons learned from Walter Andersen Nursery staff. Published October 2023 by Todd B. Gruel.
PERSONAL BRANDING
Fábio Caramuru ~ EcoMúsica Aves
Liner notes commissioned for album “EcoMúsica | Aves”: Brazilian pianist Fábio Caramuru’s 20-track album pays tribute to various bird species native to Japan, inspired by his travels. Published April 2018 by Fluid Radio.
Bicycle Noir: A Love Story on Wheels by Bryan Willis
Playwright Bryan Willis, renowned for his 30 plays, prioritizes connections over fame, evident in his outdoor play, “Bicycle Noir”, encapsulating his commitment to community in his work and life. Published May 2017 by ThurstonTalk.
Three Feet from Gold: Re-examining Homelessness with Arno Matz
Photographer Arno Matz, known for documenting the lives of individuals experiencing homelessness, shares his journey from a troubled past to his current project, Sonder, exploring his personal struggles, and artistic growth. Published October 2017 by ThurstonTalk.
The Midnight Sun: Illuminating Olympia’s Underground Since 1993
Actress Vanessa Postil, manager of Midnight Sun Performance Space, discusses Midnight Sun’s history as a nurturing hub for local performers and events, highlighting its integral role in the community. Published August 2015 by ThurstonTalk.
Capital City Dolls: Pinups for the People, Bodies with a Cause
Capital City Dolls, a local pinup collective fostering positive body image, aims to expand into vaudeville, burlesque, and comedy, embodying empowerment through diverse forms of performance. Published June 2015 by ThurstonTalk.
How Olyphant Found its Trunk
Brothers Nick and J.B. Baldridge, co-owners of art supply store Olyphant, share how their personal journeys and creative backgrounds culminated in the establishment of their store. Published May 2015 by ThurstonTalk.
ION EcoBuilding: Turning a House into a Home
Joseph Becker, owner of sustainable building company ION Ecobuilding, founded a business dedicated to educating the community about alternative methods and materials for enhancing the local environment. Published April 2015 by ThurstonTalk.
Todd B. Gruel 