Experienced Freelance Copywriter
Subject: Experienced Freelance Copywriter
From: "Barrett Brown" <barriticus@gmail.com>
Date: 6/15/07, 19:22
To: creative@singleboundcreative.com

Howdy-

I understand that you're looking for a freelance copywriter to handle a variety of online marketing collateral, and I'd like to be considered. I have seven years of experience as a copywriter for both online and print outlets (including America Online, The Onion A.V. Club, and several smaller companies and sole proprietorships) as well as a couple of marketing and ad firms, my freelance articles have appeared in dozens of publications, and I have a fairly above-layman background in biology, much of which was gleaned from research I performed in preparation for my book Flock of Dodos: Behind Modern Creationism, Intelligent Design, and The Easter Bunny, which was released last March to praise from Harvard legal scholar Alan Dershowitz, Rolling Stone , Air America Radio, and other sources. In fact, there was a nice little article about me in Skeptic a few weeks ago. My mother was so proud.

I've pasted a resume and a few old samples into the body of this e-mail below (unfortunately, some of my more recent technical stuff is still under an NDA until September). Please take a look and let me know if you'd be interested in discussing this further.

Thanks,

Barrett Brown
3419 Westminster Avenue
Suite 25
Dallas, Texas
75205
512-560-2302
barriticus@aol.com
http://barrettbrown.blogspot.com


BARRETT BROWN_______________________________________­­____
3506 Manchaca Rd. #221 Austin, TX 78704
512-560-2302 barriticus@aol.com

COPYWRITER/ FEATURE COLUMNIST/ CONTRIBUTING EDITOR/ BOOK AUTHOR

Published Work/ Freelance Media Experience

Sterling and Ross Publishers
  1. Nonfiction book "Flock of Dodos: Behind Modern Creationism, Intelligent Design, and the Easter Bunny", political humor, authored in 2006, released in March 2007.

The Onion A/V Club

  1. Current, ongoing copywriting for Austin regional weekly version of The Onion.

Avacata
  1. Current, ongoing copywriting in 2007 for Dallas ad agency, researching and creating entertainment/dining/venue blurbs for clients' marketing collateral, including luxury resort real estate firm.

National Lampoon
  1. Occasional contributor; past features included "Pick-Up Lines That Don't Seem to Work," "Craig's Conspiracy Corner," "A Guide to Dealing with Housecats," more.

Evote.com
  1. Weekly columnist for political analysis site from October 2004 to November 2005
  2. Features included - - "JohnKerry.com is Web-Tastic!" "Politicos Should Heed the Perry Incident," "Hot Senate Races," "Hot House Races," "109th Congress - What They Really Wanted for Christmas," "Political New Year's Resolutions," "State of the Union 2005: Dreams and Ironies" "The Long Kiss Goodnight," "The Strange Case of Jeff Gannon," "Libby Indicted, Dems Excited," "The Best Little Decoy in Texas," "Faith of Our Fathers: A Mildly Mean-Spirited Review," "McClellan is No Fleischer," "A Response to Our Catholic Readers," "The Known Unknown," "Dr. Frist Prescribes Himself a Dose of Moderation," "Meet John Roberts," "2008 Preview," Roberts Confirmation Hearings Largely Bloodless," more.

AOL CityGuide
  1. Web content writer from Summer 2000 to December 2003 – Researched/ created content coverage of event and entertainment venues. Served as regional correspondent for Dallas, Austin, New Orleans, Houston and Little Rock markets.

Additional magazine work
  1. Ongoing, have contributed feature articles from serious political commentary to humor pieces to children's recreational activity coverage to fine dining overviews for outlets including business-to-business publication Pizza Today, D.C.-based public policy journal Toward Freedom, London-based public policy journal Free Life, humor magazine Jest, parenting publication Dallas Child, men's magazines Oui and Hustler, literary journal Swans, dozens more.


Additional writing projects
  1. Have written shopping/entertainment guides for Dallas Market Center publication Destination Dallas, created marketing copy for Verizon via Dallas ad agency Sullivan-Perkins, produced website copy for design firm NPCreate.com, provided public relations pieces for Texas energy company EBS and Dallas real estate firm Dunhill Partners, more.

Education
1999 - 2003 University of Texas at Austin, College of Communications


Go Go Gadget Retailer!

Nothing sets the summer heart aflutter like that perfectly stylish, ever-so-necessary electronics accessory – and that goes double if you're the one selling it. But with fashionable designers increasingly jumping into a product genre that not so long ago was dominated by geek chic, as opposed to chic chic, retailers are facing a similar increase in mind-boggling stocking decisions – and that goes double for those whose fashion sense may have frozen in time in 1986. Never fret; we'll bring you up to speed on the things everyone needs.


The girl-friendly gadget community is all abuzz about the Lexie Barnes 2007 Echo line of laptop carriers – not so much due to the water-resistant fabric and extra pockets perfect for power cords and old-fashioned reading material; rather, it's the neo-retro (yeah, you heard us) design scheme that has everyone excited.

http://www.lexiebarnes.com/


Well, it's finally happened - someone's gone and blinged out the mouse. The culprit in this case is British design firm The Crystal Chick, whose 2007 lineup includes a three-button optical laptop mini-mouse that's encrusted with swarovski crystals and available in clear, topaz, rose, and sapphire color schemes. Will wonders never cease?

http://www.thecrystalchick.co.uk


For those whose tastes don't quite run to the jewel-encrusted, Otterbox is set to release a decidedly utilitarian see-through Blackberry case that allows for total functionality while protecting the device from liquid, dust, crushings, and other hazards of the modern workplace. It's a must-have for today's busy klutz-on-the-go.

http://www.otterbox.com

Billing its product line as being "For People Who Hate Wallets," Jimi seeks to serve as savior to portable game enthusiasts with its Jimi Game Shell, a shockproof, liquid-resistant polypropylene case that keeps Nintendo DS and PSP game cards safe from the elements (not to mention their owners).

http://thejimi.com

From Goal Line to Bottom Line

Though the practice is by no means limited to the U.S., brand licensing is still largely associated with American culture, despite having since caught on with a vengeance in Japan, Western Europe, and elsewhere. This view of branding as a peculiarly American cultural development is reasonable - it was in the U.S. that the practice first originated, after all, and it was the U.S. commercial establishment that gradually built the concept into something of a fine art, and an extraordinarily profitable one at that.

Much of the same can be said about college athletics. Though organized sporting as a function of higher education is neither an American invention nor even a recent one, modern American culture has given the institution a degree of attention – and cash – not seen anywhere else in the world. And so it's hardly surprising that the practice of licensing, when combined with the public's relatively high interest in college athletics, has proven to be among retail's most reliable options for improving the bottom line, often outperforming even national athletic merchandise in terms of growth. And industry analysts see no reason why these numbers should drop anytime soon:


From the standpoint of the individual retailer, carrying licensed collegiate merchandise makes even more strategic sense when one considers the mutually beneficial partnership that now exists between licensing firms and sellers on the one hand and licensing firms and colleges on the other. For instance, though industry heavyweight Collegiate Licensing Company identifies certain product categories as top sellers on a nationwide basis, CLC also takes pains to provide each retailer with an unusually high degree of support with regards to maximizing sales based on regional factors. This assistance comes in the form of demographic and sales trend info, collaboration on specified promotional efforts for particular territories, register-to-win promotions, sales incentive contests for employees, and direct marketing campaigns, among other things, all of which can be of particular benefit to those retailers who may otherwise lack the resources to implement such techniques with equal precision and expertise.

Bearing all that in mind, it's little wonder that retailers of all sizes have gotten into the game.

The Onion A.V. Club Restaurant Write-Ups

Nuevo Leon Mexican Restaurant

Seeing as how one can hardly swing a cat these days without hitting one of the dozens of flashy Tex-Mex joints that have popped up over the last decade or so, it's a nice change of pace to hit up a venerable old Mex-Mex restaurant where a cat is a gato and a margarita is a bargain. For more than a quarter-century, the family-owned, family-targeted Nuevo Leon has dealt in straightforward Mexican comida with a few surprises here and there – the Chile Con Queso, for instance, is enhanced with guacamole and taco meat, which would obviously disqualify it from the Chile Con Queso Olympics but constitutes a nice touch nonetheless. Great For: Meeting eligible mariachis. Entrees: $5 - 10 (1501 East Sixth, 479-0097)

Donn's Texas BBQ

In accordance with the unwritten constitution under which all Lone Star State barbecue restaurants must operate under pain of public ostracism and eventual bankruptcy, Donn's Texas BBQ is housed in the most rustic setting possible – in this case, a big ol' red barn – and deals out simple southwestern staples at reasonable prices (and which are more reasonable still when one buys in bulk). Chopped beef, cole slaw, potato salad, and the obligatory banana pudding dessert all make the menu, as do several somewhat more surprising items like chicken fajita tacos. Aficionados of the distinctly southern sunrise should be happy with the gravy-heavy breakfast menu. Great For: Fattening up for winter. Entrees: $6 – 10 (7001 Oak Meadow, 288-4060)

Eddie V's

Having racked up several instances of unreserved-yet-fully-deserved praise from Bon Appetit, Wine Spectator, and other recognized arbiters of the international gourmet community, Eddie V's has earned the unofficial status of "best seafood restaurant in Central Texas," which isn't quite as prestigious as being the best seafood restaurant in, say, Sicily, but which is still pretty damned impressive – and even aside from the duly noted oceanic edibles, the restaurant also doubles as a steakhouse to boot. If you happen to be running a state anti-corruption probe, this would probably be a good place in which to bug a few tables; between its steak-and-seafood emphasis and snazzy downtown digs just a couple of blocks away from the Capitol, Eddie V's has become a major haunt of state legislators and, consequently, lobbyists. Great For: Buying votes. Entrees: $20 - 38 (301 East Fifth, 472-1860)

El Sol y La Luna

The menu at El Sol y La Luna basically constitutes a longitudinal line that starts off at Tex-Mex, runs down to border cuisine, then on to Mexican interior fare, and finally reaches its terminus among the admirably exotic offerings of Central American cookery, although the line gets kind of squiggly at a few points, such as when smoked salmon served with cream cheese, wheat crackers, and capers inexplicably shows up on the appetizer menu; occasional incongruity aside, the general all-inclusiveness should please both the cautious connoisseur of the quesadilla and the intrepid enthusiast of wacky Mayan dishes that no one's ever heard of. The owners, as one might gather, are inclined towards the eclectic, and the restaurant hosts some unusually unusual live music performances. Great For: Learning geography. Entrees: $3 - 10 (1224 South Congress, 444-7770)

Epoch Coffee

Like all truly great coffee shops, Epoch Coffee sports a large, horrifying sign on its roof – this one depicts the head of what appears to be some sort of Olmec warrior deity, and can inspire no other emotion in any thinking, feeling person than that of vague apprehension, although the effect starts to break down when you get inside and everybody's drinking Italian soda. Beyond that particular item, Epoch deals in the usual coffee shop fare, including espresso and several variations thereof, scones, and all-natural juice, with the resident soup being particularly well-regarded among the sort of people who eat soup at coffee shops. Outside, the covered porch staves off rain, shine, and debilitating laptop monitor glare, thus making life that much more pleasant. Great For: Writing poetry about how much you like soup. Entrees: $2 – 6 (221 West North Loop, 454-3762)

Guero's Taco Bar

Since making the move from East Oltorf to South Congress in 1994, Guero's has managed to claw its way to the uppermost levels of the touristy avenue's people-watching hierarchy, now facing real competition only from Jo's Coffee down the street; the restaurant's sidewalk patio, combined with the sidewalk-adjacent courtyard area, ensures the continuation of this hard-fought dominance for, perhaps, all eternity. Inside, the largely interior Mexican menu is supplemented by an expansive self-serve salsa bar and a ponderous preponderance of high-end margaritas that would leave even the most accomplished alcoholic scratching his or her head in indecision. Guero's also serves as a pretty nifty live music venue, hosting local and touring music acts on weekends and weekdays alike. Great For: Getting drunk without people staring at you. Entrees: $6 - 14 (1412 South Congress, 447-7688)

III Forks

Though clearly out of step with the modern Texas ethos, III Forks hearkens back to a more elegant epoch of state history, before oil was struck and people started burying Cadillacs and getting indicted for real estate fraud; the interior is done up in such things as black mahogany and Michaelangelo Italian marble, as opposed to, say, cowhide and second wives. And though the menu is heavily skewed towards steak, you'll also find rack of lamb, veal rib chops, and other things that might not be served all that often at one's anarcho-syndicalist vegan co-op. Beyond the dining rooms, a downright purty piano bar vies with a well-stocked walk-in wine chamber for your after-dinner attentions. Great For: Lingering among tasteful surroundings. Entrees: $20 - 50 (111 Lavaca, 474-1776)

Kenichi Austin

Its moniker derived from that of improbably-named chef-founder Kenichi Kanada, Kenichi Austin is the second of four Kenichi locations - none of which, incidentally, are found in Canada, but each of which, not-so-incidentally, has maintained its wild popularity in the years since each respective founding. In accordance with the high-concept, sushi-oriented fare around which the menu is largely centered, the restaurant itself is done up in the sort of Yakuza-Bladerunner chic common to most hip, urban Japanese joints; likewise, both preparation and presentation of the food itself is subject to the high degree of nuance that one rightfully expects from such places. Great For: People who like their meal to be prettier than their date. Entrees: $10 - 70 (419 Colorado, 320-8883)

Roaring Fork Bistro and Saloon

Housed on the first floor of downtown's storied InterContinental Stephen F. Austin hotel, Roaring Fork bills itself as embodying "the spirit of the American West," and, with the notable exception that the restaurant was not stolen from Mexico, this promise is fulfilled insomuch as that undue stuffiness is disregarded in favor of pioneering grub. Thus it is that the menu sports such culinary improbabilities as the New Mexico Fondue Pot (with lamb chops, butternut squash, and chile-pecan bread) and the Ahi Tuna Tartare Tacquito dish (with sesame, chives, avocado, and wasabi crème fraiche). Nor do such things simply sound good on paper; the Roaring Fork's no-holds-barred offerings have won collective acclaim from Gourmet and Wine Spectator. Great For: Western fusion enthusiasts. Entrees: $8 - 30 (701 Congress Avenue, 583-000)

Ruth's Chris
Steak House

Although it hasn't been around nearly as long as many other revered staples of Austin dining, and is in fact simply one link in a hundred-location chain founded in New Orleans, Ruth's Chris has managed to accrue some large degree of local status by virtue of its prime location right smack dab among several of the city's better hotels, a status which has in turn made it an ephemeral haunt of visiting celebrities, newly-affluent bond traders, and the like. Stereotypical steak aficionados such as those are notorious culinary gossips, and they wouldn't be dropping in if Ruth's red meat of residence wasn't worth the inevitable heart attacks, which, in fact, they are. Great For: Fascists who know good steak. Entrees: $40 - 80 (107 West Sixth, 477-7884)


Starlite

With its cadre of cutesy cocktails bearing names like Lithuanian Rose, Lil' Cheetah, and - best of all – Raspberry Mule, Starlite successfully caters to the tastes of those loft-happy neo-downtowners who have been pouring into the area over the last few years. Aside from serving as an outpost of posh pick-me-ups on the less-frequented end of Sixth Street, Starlite also holds its own as a dinner destination by way of such intricate offerings as Warm Long Island Calamari and Citrus Salad decked out in golden pear tomatoes, sea beans, and sesame citrus vinaigrette. Likewise, hungry neighborhood rummies have made the place a prominent spot for Mimosa-fueled weekend brunches. Great For: Avoiding drunken revelers, aside from the ones you arrived with. Entrees: $7 - 31 (407 Colorado, 374-9012)

Texas French Bread

Those who find the java served at some of the hipper local coffee shops to be somewhat lacking in nuance should be well-pleased with the various roasts served at Texas French Bread, the several locations of which generally skimp on the sort of atmosphere that would inspire one to linger but nonetheless appeal to those with a penchant for quick-and-easy bistro fare. Aside from its obvious status as a bakery, Texas French Bread also caters to the supposed-to-be-at-work crowd with customizable box lunches; these can include intricate sandwiches (made up of Focaccia, pimento cheese, and all that), similarly fussed-over salads, and other cute things to eat. You've also got to love a place that will deliver lemonade and roasted coffee by the gallon. Great For: Getting a swell lunch without undue dilly-dallying. Entrees: $5 - 10 (2900 Rio Grande, 499-0544; 3213 Red River, 478-8794; 1722 South Congress, 440-1122)

Trudy's Tex-Mex

Maintaining popularity with the fickle UT crowd is tough enough when you're situated right across from campus; the original Trudy's location on 30th has managed to do so from a bit over six blocks away and with little direct visibility from Guadalupe. Much of this unlikely success draws from the attached lounge, which, beyond constituting the swankiest bar for miles around, is in fact the only bar for miles around that could possibly be described as "swanky" at all, insomuch as that it possesses both black leather booths and hard liquor. Among the latter, the Mexican martinis are a particular draw, and margarita-centered drink specials abound throughout the week. Great For: Bargain drinking without hitting the dives. Entrees: $7 - 9 (409 West 30th, 477-2935; 4141 Capitol of Texas Highway South, 326-9899; 8820 Burnet, 454-1474 )

The Belmont

The Belmont would have easily won some high degree of attention simply by virtue of its well-conceived comfort food/Italian fusion fare (including things like cornmeal-fried calamari with caper aioli, shrimp and grits with tomatillo sauce, and of course, butternut squash ravioli with brown butter), but what really turns the upscale Sixth Street restaurant into a swarming weekend nightspot is an ultra-intricate drink selection made up of such unfortunate rarities as the Pomegranate Martini and Barbados Punch, both of which are composed of too many wacky ingredients to list here. Show up in your best dressy-casual attire, and prepare to be jostled by drunk law students; even with a couple of patios, Belmont starts to overflow on Saturday nights. Great For: Getting free legal advice. Entrees: $8 - 25 (305 West Sixth, 457-0300)

Bess Bistro

If there's one thing that Austin needs more of – and, in fact, there are several things - it's underground restaurants accessible only by little stairways, marked only by red awnings, and housed in buildings that used to be something but which are now something else entirely. Helping to fill that unfortunate gap is Bess Bistro, which operates by way of a mostly Atlantic menu (shepherd's pie and fish and chips on the English side, macaroni and cheese and meatloaf on the American, and, oh, hey, here's some baba ghanouj just to shake things up) and does so in a nicely conversation-conducive atmosphere. And though not particularly long or drawn from any particularly vintage stocks, Bess Bistro's wine list is particularly splendid nonetheless, and clearly the result of an expert's touch. Great For: Hiding. Entrees: $16 - 30 (500 West Sixth, 477-2377)

Rio Rita

As the Great 21st Century East Austin Hipster Migration continues apace ("Go East, Young Emo!") and elderly Hispanics consequently find their old hangouts overtaken, Rio Rita is among the latest
neighborhood node to succumb to caffeine and irony; suffice to say that it now has its own MySpace page (on which the inanimate structure accurately describes itself as "Mild-mannered coffee shop by day, swanky lounge by night") and is fast becoming an integral part of the local singer-songwriter circuit, a nifty spot to take in the occasional gospel brunch, and the site of such things as collective arts-and-crafts sessions. Great For: Mixing beer and coffee, getting hit on. Entrees: $3 - 7 (1308 East Sixth, 478-3934)

Uchi

Like many commercial enterprises in the area, South Lamar's most prominent spot for sushi is set in a refurbished home – a really, really refurbished home which manages to exude that peculiar brand of sleekness to which most American sushi bars aspire. Despite the preponderance of stylistic flourishes, Uchi is decidedly food-centered at its heart, even to the extent that the daily menu is posted to the restaurant's website every day before opening time rolls around (a fine thing indeed for the sort of ultra-foodie who would actually check such things before arriving), and the permanent menu alone is about twice as long as that of many local competitors. Uchi also makes for a swell watering hole, stocking obscure Japanese beers as well as a selection of sake with wacky names like Demon Slayer. Great For: Entertaining visiting sushi snobs. Entrees: $4 - 30 (801 South Lamar, 916-4808)

Vespaio

The only real problem with Vespaio is that, by this point, everyone knows about it, and hour-long waits are neither uncommon on weekends nor unheard of on weekdays. But though this may be a drawback to those hoping to catch an after-dinner movie or some such, it shouldn't (and doesn't) deter most diners, as Vespaio also happens to maintain one hell of a fun bar in which to wait for one's table. And then, of course, there's the reason one wanted that table in the first place, which is the restaurant's well-executed, moderately unorthodox Italian – reform Italian, actually, the kind that eats shellfish and only goes to temple on the High Holy Days. Great For: When you're not in a hurry. Entrees: $15 - 35 (1610 South Congress, 441-6100)

Wahoo's Fish Taco

If one is aware that Wahoo's was founded by three beach bum brothers named Wing, Ed, and Mingo, nothing else about the establishment should be much of a surprise, other than the fact that it carries both Chardonnay and Merlot. Like most of Austin's tech workers, the chain hails from California, and like most of Austin's casual seafood restaurants, the interior style is located somewhere between bodacious and audacious. Nonetheless, Wahoo's sets itself apart with a menu drawing from Mexican, Brazilian, and Asian sensibilities, offering up imaginative teriyaki bowls, nifty sandwiches, and a signature burrito stuffed with ahi rice, beans, and a dozen or so other things. Great For: Pretending you live near a real ocean. Entrees: $4 - 10 (509 Rio Grande, 476-3474)