Kristen Hall-Geisler » Portland Monthly

Working on a Comics Story for Portland Monthly

admin — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 16:08:27 +0000

Got another last-minute assignment (actually, two) from Portland Monthly. This one required interviews with Mike Richardson, founder and president of Dark Horse Comics in Milwaukie, and Helen Spalding at the Portland State University library. Both were great interviews, and it reminded me that I needed to pick up my stack of comics in my slot at Bridge City Comics on North Mississippi. Don’t tell Mike, but there weren’t any DH comics in the stack this time.

$4 Gas and Buying Cars

admin — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 18:02:55 +0000

I’m just finishing up the last rounds of edits for an article that will run in the September issue of Portland Monthly. I did a slew of interviews and test drove a Smart ForTwo to gauge the new-car market in Portland, now that gas is so ungodly expensive.

The magazine will hit metro-area newsstands around the first of September; I’ll have a PDF of it up on my Clips page as soon as I’ve got a copy.

Why I Love My Job

admin — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 00:52:21 +0000

I just got back from driving a Maserati, a Dodge Viper, a C63 Mercedes-Benz tuned by AMG, and the Audi S5, among 15 others, through the mountains of Central Oregon. I drove faster and pushed harder through corners than I probably ever have, and the people on the rally were as nice as the cars.

Fellow auto journalists Jeff Zurchmeide and John Vincent put the route together, and it was perfect — right down to the clear, blue skies and 85-degree afternoons. Perfect for driving in the drop-top cars. I was glad that the Maserati rep brought ball caps, though, since I forgot to put sunscreen where I part my hair the first day and burned a pink line right along the top of my head. Cute.

Now I’m back in my office, catching up on emails and making appointments for interviews. I’ve got a story due for Portland Monthly next week that I’m looking forward to writing.

Another article in Portland Monthly

admin — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 18:46:33 +0000

Mudroom section editor Kasey Cordell asked if I could do a 150-word piece on kind of short notice, and I said, “Why not?” I think it turned out well. The photo they used of Gary Mortensen is spectacular, which helps. Find it in the July issue of Portland Monthly in the metro area, or on my clips page.

New topic: National Combat History Archive

admin — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 21:35:00 +0000

I had a quick-turnaround assignment recently from Portland Monthly to do a short, FOB piece on the National Combat History Archive here in the Portland area. The article was only about 150 words long, but I was fascinated by the work these two guys have done in creating the archive of film, digital video, and photographs taken by soldiers. I’m looking to get a longer assignment from another publication. In the meantime, check out the article in the July issue of Portland Monthly, if you’re in the Northwest next month.

Article in Latest Portland Monthly — Thanks to Mrs. Peterson

admin — Mon, 19 May 2008 17:58:18 +0000

My latest piece for Portland Monthly’s Mudroom section is a short one, on Electrathon America, a race for electric vehicles designed and built by high school and community college teams. I started the first draft of the short article during a visit to Mrs. Peterson’s class at Spring Mountain Elementary School. I talked to the kids about being a writer and how many revisions are necessary, and they asked me to demonstrate a first draft — live and in person. I’m glad they did. I think it turned out well — four revisions later.

First article for Portland Monthly

admin — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 18:38:46 +0000

The November issue of Portland Monthly has my piece about the Writers Dojo in Portland, and the trend toward community work spaces for traditionally solitary lines of work, like writing.