Experienced Freelance Marketing Copywriter
Subject: Experienced Freelance Marketing Copywriter
From: "Barrett Brown" <barriticus@gmail.com>
Date: 8/1/07, 02:21
To: gigs-385184488@craigslist.org

Sirs-


I understand that your company is looking for a copywriter to handle various projects on a freelance basis, and I'd like to be considered. I've performed work under similar arrangements for other ad agencies (including another graphic design firm, Avacata) as well as my own clients, including tech, energy, and real estate firms, and my other freelance work has appeared in dozens of publications ranging from humor mags like National Lampoon and The Onion A.V. Club to B2B and city pubs covering dining, nightlife, and retail.

Along with my resume, I've pasted a series of venue write-ups similar to what you've described in your ad. Please take a look and let me know if you'd be interested in discussing this further.

Thanks,

Barrett Brown

512-560-2302



Terilli's Dallas (1986)

2815 Greenville Avenue

Dallas, Texas

75206

214-827-3993


It would be difficult for any restaurant to exist at Lower Greenville for as long as Terilli's has without giving in to the area's renowned penchant for premeditated casualness, if only a little bit. And after a long struggle against the currents, the eatery still retains a largely classic Italian menu featuring both Northern and Southern dishes. Nonetheless, some Greenville-esque touches seem to have slipped in at some point; the Italchos, an Italian take on the humble nacho and more popularly known as "those pizza nachos they serve at Terilli's" is, ahem, somewhat unorthodox – and thus a big hit around these parts.


Dakota's (1984)

600 N. Akard Street

Dallas, Texas

75201

214-740-4001


Upon Dakota's founding in 1984, the soon-to-be-prominent steak restaurant was immediately forced underground in the face of religious persecution – sort of. The land on which Dakota's was to be established had previously been owned by a local church which had written a clause into the deed forbidding any future tenants from serving alcohol "on the grounds," and so the founders instead built it in a legally distinct "below ground" location. Consequently, the restaurant is accessed by a glass elevator, features a very unique underground courtyard, and, of course, is quite popular for the in-house bar which caused all the trouble in the first place.



The Stoneleigh P (1982)

2926 Maple Avenue

Dallas, Texas

75201

214-871-2346


Over the course of a quarter century, as the area has gradually come into its own as one of the city's most desirable residential neighborhoods for artists, writers, and young professionals in general, the Stoneleigh P has served as the undisputed hangout for those who have come to call Uptown home. As much a bar as it is a restaurant, Stoneleigh offers a largely traditional tavern menu dotted with burgers, sandwiches, nachos, and the like, but which also caters to Uptown tastes in the form of such items as the Pescado Blanco, white fish sauteed in wine and butter and served with either pesto or chipotle sauce.



The Restaurant at The Mansion on Turtle Creek (1980?)

2821 Turtle Creek Boulevard

Dallas, Texas

75219

214-559-2100


If the walls at the Restaurant at The Mansion on Turtle Creek could talk, they'd probably bore you to death with real estate lingo and commodities jargon, such things being the most common topics of conversation on the premises. Rather than talking to the walls, then, visitors are advised to instead focus on the award-winning menu that's brought in so many real estate moguls and commodity traders over the years in the first place; awaiting the diner are such high-end treats as wild river salmon served with braised bok choy, green curry and coconut sauce, and red curry foam.


St. Martin's Wine Bistro (1977)

3020 Greenville Avenue

Dallas, Texas

75206

214-826-0940


Whereas most restaurants pair wine with food, St. Martin's Wine Bistro pairs food with wine – over two hundred varieties are on hand. Consequently, the menu is dominated by steak, seafood, and pasta dishes seemingly chosen for their vino-complementing attributes (fairly representative of these is the Farfalle Pasta, a compilation of shrimp, scallops and crawfish served in a tomato pepper-jack cream); meanwhile, nightly specials help to keep things even more interesting. Similarly, the restaurant space itself complements both food and wine alike by way of an elegant, pre-war interior first built in 1925 and carefully renovated on a few occasions since.


The Grape (1972)

2808 Greenville Avenue

Dallas, Texas

75206

214-828-1981


Over the course of a storied history spanning several decades, The Grape has been the scene of countless first dates - along with countless wedding proposals, countless wedding anniversaries, and countless rare nights out for couples with young children and spotty babysitter access. The menu itself fairly reeks of romance, listing such items of amorousness as steamed Prince Edward Island Mussels prepared with white wine and Warmed Blood Oranges with arugula and toasted hazelnuts. And despite the nuanced offerings to be had here, The Grape features a surprisingly cozy and unpretentious dining room that's as suitable for popping the question as it is for popping out of the house for a casual night out.



The Zodiac at Neiman Marcus (1957?)

1618 Main Street

Dallas, Texas

75201

214-573-5800


Few area eateries can claim the mantle of "Dallas dining staple," and of those that can, few could wear it with the same seeming effortlessness as The Zodiac has done over the course of half a century. Much of the appeal lies in continuity; lunch is still proceeded by the same complimentary combination of chicken broth and a popover with strawberry butter that's been the signature of the restaurant for generations, and quite a few of the more popular entrees have remained virtually unchanged over the same period of time. Nonetheless, the daily chef's tasting menu provides a constant stream of new options for those who wish to explore new territory.



Dunston's Steakhouse (1955)

8526 Harry Hines Boulevard

Dallas, Texas

75235

214-637-3513


The city's most beloved family-operated steakhouse has undergone several innocuous renovations over the years, but in 1998, co-founder and noted prime beef patriarch Gene Dunston went whole hog with a complete reconstruction that left the Harry Hines location with a drastically more elegant, ballroom sort of feel (whereas the second location on Lovers still retains the Johnson-era living room chic that's served it so well over the years). Quite understandably, Dunston's is known for its steaks, but between the epic menu, daily specials, and an expansive salad bar that's decidedly southern in sensibility, the whole spectrum of comfort food culture is covered.



The Old Warsaw (1948)

2610 Maple Avenue

Dallas, Texas

75201

214-528-0032


Set in one of the most ornate dining rooms to be found in Dallas and drawing upon six decades of tradition, The Old Warsaw feels almost like a self-contained universe. A kitchen presided over by some of the city's top chefs skirts modernistic fusion fare in favor of a menu that's simplistic even in its nuances; the diner is confronted with such dishes as milk fed veal chop with woodland mushrooms and creamed spinach, roasted duckling with fresh pears and black currant sauce, and sauteed prime beef stroganoff with fresh lobster and wild rice, while an admirably-stocked, Franco-centric wine cellar provides for perfect pairings and quite a bit of post-entree table lingering.



El Fenix Famous Mexican Restaurant (1918?!)

5622 Lemmon Avenue

Dallas, Texas

75209

214-521-5166


In the best tradition of American success stories, El Fenix was founded by Mexican immigrant Mike Martinez, who worked his way up the ladder from dishwasher to chef's assistant before opening his own restaurant in 1918, thus instigating a culinary empire that's since spread to a dozen locations and helping to launch the Mexican food industry in general. And in the best tradition of no-nonsense, food-centered Mexican eateries, El Fenix offers dozens of dishes that run the gamut from orthodox interior classics to more modernistic Tex-Mex treats, as well as some finely-crafted salads and a few items of purely American origin to boot. Dessert is a much easier decision – ask for the soapapillas with strawberries and whipped cream.


***



BARRETT BROWN________________________________________

512-560-2302 barriticus@gmail.com


COPYWRITER/ FEATURE COLUMNIST/ CONTRIBUTING EDITOR/ BOOK AUTHOR


Published Work/ Freelance Media Experience


The Onion A/V Club


  1. Current, ongoing copywriting for The Onion's features department.


Anglesey Interactive, Inc.


  1. Undertook copywriting of online marketing collateral (web text, press releases, etc.) in support of firm's "Riight.com" integrated search engine in June 2007.


Organic Motion, Inc.


  1. Undertook copywriting of both print and online marketing collateral, general marketing consultation for noted New York tech start-up.



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. Received praise from Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz, Rolling Stone, Skeptic, Air America Radio, Huffington Post, other sources.


Avacata

  1. Occasional freelance work starting in 2007 for Dallas ad agency, researching and creating entertainment/dining/venue blurbs for clients' marketing collateral, including that of 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 publications Pizza Today, Club Systems International, Dallas Market Center, 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 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