Write on, write now!
If good enough isn’t good enough for you, you've come to the right place.
We offer professional, American English writing and editing services with the style, wit and
imagination of a native-speaker.
Image gets you in the game. Constant, quality content keeps you there.
What makes us different – and makes you stand out from the competition – is our
commitment to creativity, excellence and reliability.
Whether you need a static statement for credibility or dynamic content that keeps your clients and
customers coming back for more, we’re prepared to exceed your expectations … because good enough isn't.
If you like what you see, please contact us. Consultations and unsolicited advice are always free.
- Blah, blah, blog
- Mortal Coil Shuffle
- Why I hate "the homeless"
- Choose your groove
- Give us shelter
- We need ADUs, not excuses
- Myth of the accidental overdose
- Invisible People
- Close encounter with a porcupine
- Write to Be Read
- Code compliance cop-out
- Forgive Me Not
- The Art of Social Justice
- Paul Emery
- My Brief Criminal Career
Write on, write now!
If good enough isn’t good enough for you,
you've come to the right place.
We offer professional, American English writing
and editing services with the style, wit and
imagination of a native-speaker.
Image gets you in the game. Constant, quality
content keeps you there.
What makes us different – and makes you stand out from the
competition – is our commitment to creativity, excellence and
reliability.
Whether you need a static statement for credibility or dynamic
content that keeps your clients and customers coming back for
more, we’re prepared to exceed your expectations … because
good enough isn't.
If you like what you see, please contact us. Consultations and
unsolicited advice are always free.
Tom Durkin
multimedia writer-editor-photographer
Nothing is more inspirational than a deadline.
From screenplays to technical white papers, general news reporting to deep legislative-legal analysis,
op-eds to feature articles, press releases to personality profiles, copy writing to copy editing,
ghostwriting to my latest resume, my career has been a peripatetic journey through many genres,
media and styles.
I was already an internationally published author when I met Tom, but I am better writer now
than before because of his input. - Joseph Harrington, Eye of Evil (St. Martin’s Press), Profiles in Murder
(Dell), Justice Denied (Plenum), Death of an Angel (Quantum), An Execution’s Odyssey (Pegasus Books)
Over the many years, with occasional day-job excursions into social work and manual labor, I’ve
discovered that I can write (or edit) pretty much anything you need - even if I’ve never done it before.
Some of the best writing I’ve done has been from cold assignments on subjects I didn’t know anything
about. Some of my other best writings have been the culmination of years of deep research and
primary source investigative reporting.
As for editing, I can help you with your fiction or non-fiction work - and guarantee it will be presented
in compelling, professional English.
Tom is a wonderful editor and loves to seek out the human interest element even in the most
technical stories. He gives terrific feedback and excels at follow-up and project management.
- Charmaine Cooper Hussain, Editor/Writer and AP Style Trainer for Communicators
Just for street creds, I was almost kicked out of high school for writing for an underground newspaper
in Salina, Kansas - but I managed to graduate with honors from UCLA with a BA in Psychology and
and MFA in TV/Film. And later on, I put in another three semesters of postgraduate studies in creative
writing, computer science, and tennis at Sonoma State University before I ran out of scholarship
money.
Over this long strange trip, I’ve worked at or for such companies as The Burbank Studios, MGM,
Paramount Pictures, KXTV, Raytheon, Sacramento Business Journal, The Bureau of National Affairs,
Xilinx Inc., Innovative Integration, Gold Country Media, Swift Communications, and Invisible People,
among many others.
Tom is a journalist very dedicated to his craft. He treats his subjects with utmost respect, and
works tirelessly to give a balanced account to his readers. He is the writer you would want by your
side covering any story. - Akim Aginsky, photojournalist, Fifthframe Photography
As a columnist, Tom thinks and writes like a flamethrower - Don Rogers, Editor, The Aspen Times
While there is a certain romance to the term “freelance writer,” it doesn’t mean I work for free. I’m
happy to consult with you for free, but a deposit is always required for work to begin. What I charge
depends entirely on the project. I offer highly competitive market rates.I don’t do quick and dirty
work, because good enough isn’t.
About the cat: The Cheshire Cat is my spirit guide. Hover your mouse over him, he might have
something to say (maybe not on your cell phone).
The original artwork is stained glass made for me by Jane Roth Costanzo, a talented artist and the
mother of our son. Whenever I see the sliver of the waxing or waning moon (his teeth in Disney’s Alice
in Wonderland), I am reminded to lighten up and not take things so seriously, especially myself.
About this website: Best viewed on a computer. May not display properly on a phone or tablet.
Tom is kick-ass writer! I needed to tell the story of my father’s death. My notes were chaotic and
made no sense. Tom was sensitive to my feelings and remained objective. He carefully wrote the
story using my voice. I love the work he did. – Mario Chacon, San Diego
You are here.
- Blah, blah, blog
- Mortal Coil Shuffle
- Why I hate "the homeless"
- Choose your groove
- Give us shelter
- We need ADUs, not excuses
- Myth of the accidental overdose
- Invisible People
- Close encounter with a porcupine
- Write to Be Read
- Code compliance cop-out
- Forgive Me Not
- The Art of Social Justice
- Paul Emery
- My Brief Criminal Career
Entertainment
Melissa Etheridge: not in Kansas anymore - First and foremost, Melissa Etheridge is a performer. For her solo “This Is M.E.” tour, the rock star is showing off her lead guitar chops.
Live from Nevada City, It’s the Geezer Gig! - “Party like an animal and be home in
bed by 10.” Proving you’re never too old to rock’n’roll, Bob Woods and friends tear
it up in a world-wide webcast by KVMR community radio from the Crazy Horse
Saloon in Nevada City, California.
Easy reading is damn hard writing.
- Maya Angelou
What follows are links to samples of my writing from very asssorted genres. I will rotate articles from time to time. Some of the links will take you off-site. Please don’t forget to come back. To see almost everything I’ve published in the last 10 years, please go to my page on Muck Rack.News Reporting
Native Americans locked out of their cemetery - This was the beginning of a strange tale of covert racism, white guilt, intertribal tensions, and bureaucratic gridlock. The cemetery was quickly reopened, but the underlying issues were still unresolved when I left the the newspaper. Raid on a pot farm - It can take a long time for law enforcement officers to trust a reporter. While it’s easy enough to get a press relations ride-along in a patrol car, it’s not so easy when guns and deep undercover officers are involved.
Investigative Reporting
I’ve investigated street drugs, alleged prostitution, illegal marijuana grows and crooked contractors, but the most enterprising investigation I’ve ever done was to find out who ran a secret satirical e-zine that was amusing and annoying prominent citizens. It took me months to pierce their veil of secrecy: The Nevada County Scooper sheds light on “issues of the day” through satire.Creative Nonfiction
Sometimes you get an assignment that is so weird that you have to take a weird angle to do justice to the subject. As my publisher Gil Gordon noted in his introduction to A Tale of Two Commuters, the topic was, on the face of it, totally crackpot - until I put a face on it. Close Encounter with a Porcupine - Some stories just write themselves. And this story is true. I don’t think I actually hit the porcupine but I must have nicked it. The story is really about how I learned to hit a drop-dead deadline.Technical Writing
SETI Researchers Sift Interstellar Static for Signs of Life - Soft-core technical writing for executives and non-engineers. Digital Radio Receiver System - Technical marketing to engineers. SMAC TM - Applied as a New Gigabit Ethernet Protocol - Hard-core technical writing for engineers.Copywriting
I wrote this a long time ago. It was my philosophy then, and it still is.Editorial/Op-Ed
Confessions of an Oxytocin Junkie - Is the pandemic causing us to lose the human touch? What’s Wrong with Women’s Rights? - Her body. Not your choice.Marketing
In 2017, One Source-Empowering Caregivers was a new nonprofit that needed to establish its service to the community, so I put them on the front page: Caring for the Caregiver. For the next two years, I maintained their dynamic presence in print and social media. The contract concluded with a creative training and recruitment documentary called It Takes a Village.Legal and Legislative Analysis
CTA v Gould I - Pre-verdict analysis of a multi-year, multi-million dollar lawsuit by the California Teachers Association against the State of California over the misappropriation of funds from Proposition 98 lottery income designated for education. There was a gag order, but I found deep- throat sources on both sides. CTA v Gould II - Post-verdict analysis. CTA won. Most papers reported a $373 million settlement, but that was only the first payout. The actual settlement was $1.76 billion. Most papers didn’t get that. Workers Compensation Fraud: Crime and Punishent - Tired of watching workers comp stakeholders blaming each other fraud, I decided to examine how each stakeholder group defrauds the system, feeding on the injuries of workers.
Personality Profiles
Julie Baker took a “funky little performing arts center” in Grass Valley, California, and turned The Center for the Arts into a nationally known venue for A-list performers and stars in niche genres. After eight years, she stepped down to start her own arts and entertainment company.
Ghostwriting
In my capacity as managing editor of Xcell Journal, it was my occasional privilege to interview Wim Roelandts, the CEO of Xilinx Inc., and write his column. Here’s what he had to say about How to Survive a Recession and Gain Market Leadership.
Peer Counseling
Handbook for Peer Counselors - Since there was no “textbook,” I wrote one.
Good writing
is rewriting.
- Blah, blah, blog
- Mortal Coil Shuffle
- Why I hate "the homeless"
- Choose your groove
- Give us shelter
- We need ADUs, not excuses
- Myth of the accidental overdose
- Invisible People
- Close encounter with a porcupine
- Write to Be Read
- Code compliance cop-out
- Forgive Me Not
- The Art of Social Justice
- Paul Emery
- My Brief Criminal Career
Entertainment
Melissa Etheridge: not in Kansas anymore - First and foremost, Melissa Etheridge is a performer. For her solo “This Is M.E.” tour, the rock star is showing off her lead guitar chops.
Live from Nevada City, It’s the Geezer Gig! - “Party like an
animal and be home in bed by 10.” Proving you’re never
too old to rock’n’roll, Bob Woods and friends
tear it up in a world-wide webcast by KVMR
community radio from the Crazy Horse Saloon
in Nevada City, California.
Easy reading is damn hard writing.
- Maya Angelou
What follows are links to samples of my writing from very asssorted genres. I will rotate articles from time to time. Some of the links will take you off-site. Please don’t forget to come back. To see almost everything I’ve published in the last 10 years, please go to my page on Muck Rack.News Reporting
Native Americans locked out of their cemetery - This was the beginning of a strange tale of covert racism, white guilt, intertribal tensions, and bureaucratic gridlock. The cemetery was quickly reopened, but the underlying issues were still unresolved when I left the the newspaper. Raid on a pot farm - It can take a long time for law enforcement officers to trust a reporter. While it’s easy enough to get a press relations ride-along in a patrol car, it’s not so easy when guns and deep undercover officers are involved.
Investigative Reporting
I’ve investigated street drugs, alleged prostitution, illegal marijuana grows and crooked contractors, but the most enterprising investigation I’ve ever done was to find out who ran a secret satirical e-zine that was amusing and annoying prominent citizens. It took me months to pierce their veil of secrecy: The Nevada County Scooper sheds light on “issues of the day” through satire.Creative Nonfiction
Sometimes you get an assignment that is so weird that you have to take a weird angle to do justice to the subject. As my publisher Gil Gordon noted in his introduction to A Tale of Two Commuters, the topic was, on the face of it, totally crackpot - until I put a face on it. Close Encounter with a Porcupine - Some stories just write themselves. And this story is true. I don’t think I actually hit the porcupine but I must have nicked it. The story is really about how I learned to hit a drop-dead deadline.Technical Writing
SETI Researchers Sift Interstellar Static for Signs of Life - Soft-core technical writing for executives and non-engineers. Digital Radio Receiver System - Technical marketing to engineers.
SMAC
TM
- Applied as a New Gigabit Ethernet Protocol -
Hard-core technical writing for engineers.
Ghostwriting
In my capacity as managing editor of Xcell Journal, it was
my occasional privilege to interview Wim Roelandts, the
CEO of Xilinx Inc., and write his column. Here’s what he
had to say about How to Survive a Recession and Gain
Market Leadership.
Copywriting
Durkin Gibbs & Associates - I wrote
this about 35 years ago. It was my
philosophy then, and it still is.
Marketing
In 2017, One Source-Empowering Caregivers was a new nonprofit that needed to establish its service to the community, so I put them on the front page: Caring for the Caregiver. For the next two years, I maintained their dynamic presence in print and social media. The contract concluded with a creative training and recruitment documentary called It Takes a Village.Legal and Legislative Analysis
CTA v Gould I - Pre-verdict analysis of a multi-year, multi- million dollar lawsuit by the California Teachers Association against the State of California over the misappropriation of funds from Proposition 98 lottery income designated for education. There was a gag order, but I found deep-throat sources on both sides. CTA v Gould II - Post-verdict analysis. CTA won. Most papers reported a $373 million settlement, but that was only the first payout. The actual settlement was $1.76 billion. Most papers didn’t get that. Workers Compensation Fraud: Crime and Punishent - Tired of watching workers comp stakeholders blaming each other fraud, I decided to examine how each stakeholder group defrauds the system, feeding on the injuries of workers.
Personality Profiles
Julie Baker took a “funky little performing arts center” in Grass Valley, California, and turned The Center for the Arts into a nationally known venue for A-list performers and stars in niche genres. After eight years, she stepped down to start her own arts and entertainment company.
Tom Durkin
multimedia writer-editor-photographer
Good writing
is rewriting.
Death Herself
Linda
Juliet
Lilja
Click thumbnails to enlarge. Click again to reduce.
Mark
Bernie
Susan
Bob Woods
Keller
Kelly
It’s one thing to make a picture of what a person looks like, it’s
another thing to make a portrait of who they are. - Paul Caponigro
Click on images to enlarge; click again to close. Use arrow keys to move from picture to picture.
I specialize in candid portraits, event photography, photojournalism, digital manipulations and
whatever else looks interesting.
This is my portrait page. Other pages with other subjects are in the works. Meanwhile, see a
disorganized collection of my best photography at https://www.viewbug.com/member/tomdurkin
I also do photographics for fun.
Kintsugi Heart
Here’s looking
at you, Kid.
- Blah, blah, blog
- Mortal Coil Shuffle
- Why I hate "the homeless"
- Choose your groove
- Give us shelter
- We need ADUs, not excuses
- Myth of the accidental overdose
- Invisible People
- Close encounter with a porcupine
- Write to Be Read
- Code compliance cop-out
- Forgive Me Not
- The Art of Social Justice
- Paul Emery
- My Brief Criminal Career
Death
Herself
Linda
Juliet
Lilja
Click thumbnails to enlarge. Click again to reduce.
Mark
Bernie
Susan
Bob Woods
Keller
Kelly
It’s one thing to make a picture of what a
person looks like, it’s another thing to
make a portrait of who they are. - Paul
Caponigro
Click on images to enlarge; click again to close. Use arrow
keys to move from picture to picture.
I specialize in candid portraits, event photography,
photojournalism, digital manipulations and whatever else
looks interesting.
This is my portrait page. Other pages with other subjects
are in the works. Meanwhile, see a disorganized collection
of my best photography at
https://www.viewbug.com/member/tomdurkin
I also do photographics for fun.
Tom Durkin
multimedia writer-editor-photographer
Kintsugi Heart
Here’s
looking
at you,
Kid.
And you still can hear me singin' to the people who don't listen
To the things that I am sayin', prayin' someone's gonna hear.
- Kris Kristofferson
Blah blah blog. Does anybody read these things?
Conventional wisdom says I should have a blog, but that doesn’t mean I have to be conventional.
When I have something to say, I’ll say it. I promise to keep these entries short and to a really
sharp point. I won’t waste your time.
Mortal Coil Shuffle - how we die
Why I hate “the homeless” - it’s not what you think
Choose your groove - a commencement curse
Give us shelter - the myth of affordable housing
We Need ADUs Not Excuses - government inaction
The Myth of the Accidental Overdose - the real victims of the opioid crisis
Lived Experience - Invisible People: Autobiographical stories about being homeless published by
InvisiblePeople.tv, a national, homeless advocacy website. We are changing the face of
homelessness.
Close encounter with a porcupine - or how to write on deadline
Write to Be Read - look easy to read, be easy to read
Forgive Me Not - some things are unforgivable
The Eclectic Collection
After being an occasional contributor to The Union newspaper for several years, in February 2021, I was given the opportunity to write my own column every other week. Some of my better columns are collected here. 2/17/21 - Stop the steal of our flag 1/5/22 - Jan. 6, a day of infamy 8/31/23 - My brief criminal career Sierra Roots/No Place to Go Project The columns are written as part of my duties as creative director of the Sierra Roots/No Place to Go Project, which is funded by the Upstate California Creative Corps, a program of the California Arts Council. 9/14/23 - The Art of Social Justice
Yeah, I wrote it.
- Blah, blah, blog
- Mortal Coil Shuffle
- Why I hate "the homeless"
- Choose your groove
- Give us shelter
- We need ADUs, not excuses
- Myth of the accidental overdose
- Invisible People
- Close encounter with a porcupine
- Write to Be Read
- Code compliance cop-out
- Forgive Me Not
- The Art of Social Justice
- Paul Emery
- My Brief Criminal Career
And you still can hear me singin' to the
people who don't listen
To the things that I am sayin', prayin'
someone's gonna hear.
- Kris Kristofferson
Blah blah blog. Does anybody read these things?
Conventional wisdom says I should have a blog, but that
doesn’t mean I have to be conventional. When I have
something to say, I’ll say it. I promise to keep these entries
short and to a really sharp point. I won’t waste your time.
Mortal Coil Shuffle - how we die
Why I hate “the homeless” - it’s not what you think
Choose your groove - a commencement curse
Give us shelter - the myth of affordable housing
We Need ADUs Not Excuses - government inaction
The Myth of the Accidental Overdose - the real victims of
the opioid crisis
Lived Experience - Invisible People: These are stories
published by InvisiblePeople.tv, a national, homeless
advocacy website. We are changing the face of
homelessness.
One Minute to Deadline - or, Close Encounter with a
Porcupine
Write to Be Read - be easy to read, look easy to read
Forgive Me Not - some things are unforgiveable
My Brief Criminal Career
Tom Durkin
multimedia writer-editor-photographer
Yeah, I
wrote it.
Please write me with your suggestions, questions, blessings and/or
death threats. Please include the word “INQUIRY” (yes, ALL CAPS)
in the subject. I have a very aggressive spam filter and equally
protective privacy policy (your information is safe with me).
Talk to me.
- Blah, blah, blog
- Mortal Coil Shuffle
- Why I hate "the homeless"
- Choose your groove
- Give us shelter
- We need ADUs, not excuses
- Myth of the accidental overdose
- Invisible People
- Close encounter with a porcupine
- Write to Be Read
- Code compliance cop-out
- Forgive Me Not
- The Art of Social Justice
- Paul Emery
- My Brief Criminal Career
Please write me with your suggestions,
questions, blessings and/or death threats.
Please include the word “INQUIRY” (yes,
ALL CAPS) in the subject. I have a very
aggressive spam filter and equally
protective privacy policy (your
information is safe with me).
Tom Durkin
multimedia writer-editor-photographer
Homelessness
is not a crime..
- Blah, blah, blog
- Mortal Coil Shuffle
- Why I hate "the homeless"
- Choose your groove
- Give us shelter
- We need ADUs, not excuses
- Myth of the accidental overdose
- Invisible People
- Close encounter with a porcupine
- Write to Be Read
- Code compliance cop-out
- Forgive Me Not
- The Art of Social Justice
- Paul Emery
- My Brief Criminal Career
Tom Durkin
multimedia writer-editor-photographer
Homelessness
is not a crime..
We’re all mad
as hell here.
- Blah, blah, blog
- Mortal Coil Shuffle
- Why I hate "the homeless"
- Choose your groove
- Give us shelter
- We need ADUs, not excuses
- Myth of the accidental overdose
- Invisible People
- Close encounter with a porcupine
- Write to Be Read
- Code compliance cop-out
- Forgive Me Not
- The Art of Social Justice
- Paul Emery
- My Brief Criminal Career
Tom Durkin
multimedia writer-editor-photographer
We’re
all mad
as hell
here.
Mortal coil shuffle
Blessings on the caregivers in assisted living, long-term care, and ultimately, the tender refuge of hospice. These people and the organizations they work for provide a wonderful service for people who are dying what doctors call a natural death. But a natural death is not for everybody. While it is true some people die peacefully in their sleep or just drop dead, all too often, a natural death is a painful, prolonged process involving increasing physical and psychological deterioration, loss of bodily functions, and total forfeiture of your personal dignity. A natural death often involves seeing the faces of your friends and family wracked with the pain of conflicted emotions and obligations as they suffer along with you. A natural death often means spending all your money, and possibly that of your loved ones, on medical expenses necessary to keep you alive as long and as comfortable as possible until you are sick enough to refuse life support or have it removed. This is when hospice can assist in limiting the duration of suffering. And if your sole concern, or the concerns of your loved ones, is to keep you alive as long as humanly (or financially) possible by any means necessary regardless of the cost and agony, then you may have an unnaturally prolonged natural death. Finally, if you want to be surrounded by people watching you as you die, a natural death is for you. IF, however, the process of a long-term natural death sounds like hell on earth, there is an alternative: suicide. Polite, proper people prefer call it by its euphemisms – aid-in-dying, physician-assisted-death, euthanasia … Some good-hearted people have introduced legislation in California that would allow terminally ill patients to beg for their deaths. This legislation involves a whole lot indignity, paperwork, and no doubt fees, to petition a "death panel" to receive the permission and the means put yourself out of your misery. Ever notice how many people just skip the paperwork? A few years ago, The Union ran a piece on a terminally ill man who simply walked into his garden one afternoon and shot himself, so as not to mess up the house or distress his wife. Although she knew he was going do it, he just didn't tell her when. As much as she loved him, she accepted his right to make his own decision. You don't need state-sanctioned permission to kill yourself. You just need the motivation and the method(s). And the guts. It's not easy to kill yourself, either psychologically or physically. That's why many people fail at suicide. They lacked the will and/or the way. That's why you might need a physician to give you the peaceful, unconscious death you want. Or you could just look up on the Internet how to off yourself painlessly and gracefully. Done right, it could even look "natural," but that often requires help. If people who love you help you commit suicide, the trick is to not let anybody get implicated in your "murder." Which brings me back to the point: Not all of us want our loved ones standing around watching us die. I personally don't want the last, and perhaps most lasting memory, people have of me is me dying. To me, dying is a very personal, private thing. Not all of us want an expensive, lingering, humiliating, drugged-out death. Not all of us want our friends and family agonizing along with us over how long it's taking us to die. Not all of us want to spend our grandchildren's college education for the sake of eking a few more months of low- quality "life." Some of us just want to die peacefully and alone in our own time, for our own reasons, and in our own way. Without government permission or interference. * * * I know I'll get hate mail, maybe even some death threats, on this, but please remember: This is not an attack on end-of-life care. It's the right thing for a lot of people. I'm just saying there's an alternative for a lot of other people. In an earlier draft of this piece, several people were upset that I criticized end-of-life care. They had glowing things to say about hospice care – but almost to a man and a woman, they said they personally had no intention of going out naturally themselves. What's that tell you? Originally published in The Union newspaper in Grass Valley, Calif. 2/23/15. * * Photos were not published in the paper.
Live and let die.
- Blah, blah, blog
- Mortal Coil Shuffle
- Why I hate "the homeless"
- Choose your groove
- Give us shelter
- We need ADUs, not excuses
- Myth of the accidental overdose
- Invisible People
- Close encounter with a porcupine
- Write to Be Read
- Code compliance cop-out
- Forgive Me Not
- The Art of Social Justice
- Paul Emery
- My Brief Criminal Career
Mortal coil shuffle
Blessings on the caregivers in assisted living, long-term care, and ultimately, the tender refuge of hospice. These people and the organizations they work for provide a wonderful service for people who are dying what doctors call a natural death. But a natural death is not for everybody. While it is true some people die peacefully in their sleep or just drop dead, all too often, a natural death is a painful, prolonged process involving increasing physical and psychological deterioration, loss of bodily functions, and total forfeiture of your personal dignity. A natural death often involves seeing the faces of your friends and family wracked with the pain of conflicted emotions and obligations as they suffer along with you. A natural death often means spending all your money, and possibly that of your loved ones, on medical expenses necessary to keep you alive as long and as comfortable as possible until you are sick enough to refuse life support or have it removed. This is when hospice can assist in limiting the duration of suffering. And if your sole concern, or the concerns of your loved ones, is to keep you alive as long as humanly (or financially) possible by any means necessary regardless of the cost and agony, then you may have an unnaturally prolonged natural death. Finally, if you want to be surrounded by people watching you as you die, a natural death is for you. IF, however, the process of a long-term natural death sounds like hell on earth, there is an alternative: suicide. Polite, proper people prefer call it by its euphemisms – aid- in-dying, physician-assisted-death, euthanasia … Some good-hearted people have introduced legislation in California that would allow terminally ill patients to beg for their deaths. This legislation involves a whole lot indignity, paperwork, and no doubt fees, to petition a "death panel" to receive the permission and the means put yourself out of your misery. Ever notice how many people just skip the paperwork? A few years ago, The Union ran a piece on a terminally ill man who simply walked into his garden one afternoon and shot himself, so as not to mess up the house or distress his wife. Although she knew he was going do it, he just didn't tell her when. As much as she loved him, she accepted his right to make his own decision. You don't need state-sanctioned permission to kill yourself. You just need the motivation and the method(s). And the guts. It's not easy to kill yourself, either psychologically or physically. That's why many people fail at suicide. They lacked the will and/or the way. That's why you might need a physician to give you the peaceful, unconscious death you want. Or you could just look up on the Internet how to off yourself painlessly and gracefully. Done right, it could even look "natural," but that often requires help. If people who love you help you commit suicide, the trick is to not let anybody get implicated in your "murder." Which brings me back to the point: Not all of us want our loved ones standing around watching us die. I personally don't want the last, and perhaps most lasting memory, people have of me is me dying. To me, dying is a very personal, private thing. Not all of us want an expensive, lingering, humiliating, drugged-out death. Not all of us want our friends and family agonizing along with us over how long it's taking us to die. Not all of us want to spend our grandchildren's college education for the sake of eking a few more months of low- quality "life." Some of us just want to die peacefully and alone in our own time, for our own reasons, and in our own way.
Tom Durkin
multimedia writer-editor-photographer
Live and
let die.
Eclectic
These pictures are from my first photography show in March 2018 at Cooper’s Ale Works
in Nevada City California, USA. They were presented as wall art printed on metal in sizes
ranging from 12”x12” to 2’x3’.
Sold!
- Blah, blah, blog
- Mortal Coil Shuffle
- Why I hate "the homeless"
- Choose your groove
- Give us shelter
- We need ADUs, not excuses
- Myth of the accidental overdose
- Invisible People
- Close encounter with a porcupine
- Write to Be Read
- Code compliance cop-out
- Forgive Me Not
- The Art of Social Justice
- Paul Emery
- My Brief Criminal Career
Eclectic
These pictures are from my first photography show in March 2018 at Cooper’s Ale Works
in Nevada City California, USA. They were presented as wall art printed on metal in sizes
ranging from 12”x12” to 2’x3’.
Tom Durkin
multimedia writer-editor-photographer
See what
others don’t.
It’s the thought that counts ...
I don’t claim to be a graphic designer. This is a handmade website. Here, I just like to play with words and pictures. Click on these “photographics” to enlarge them. Click again to shrink them.
Memes are us.
- Blah, blah, blog
- Mortal Coil Shuffle
- Why I hate "the homeless"
- Choose your groove
- Give us shelter
- We need ADUs, not excuses
- Myth of the accidental overdose
- Invisible People
- Close encounter with a porcupine
- Write to Be Read
- Code compliance cop-out
- Forgive Me Not
- The Art of Social Justice
- Paul Emery
- My Brief Criminal Career
It’s the thought that counts ...
I don’t claim to be a graphic designer. This is a handmade website. Here, I just like to play with words and pictures. Click on these “photographics” to enlarge them. Click again to shrink them.
Tom Durkin
multimedia writer-editor-photographer
Choose your groove carefully
“You’re going to live your life in a rut, so choose your rut carefully.” – Dr. Bill WTF?! Is that your best advice to graduating high school students? This is the season of tediously platitudinous commencement speeches. Designed to inspire, they rarely do. Mostly, they’re just boring with a few good jokes. Some commencement speeches, however, can be downright dangerous, like, “You’re going to live your life in a rut, so choose your rut carefully.” This depressing, uninspiring speech made me angry and defiant. And it affected me deeply, negatively influencing a large part of my life. It was 1965, and I was graduating from high school in Salina, Kansas. The only thing that stood between me and grand new life at UCLA was a high school diploma – and the only way to get that diploma was to show up for the damn commencement ceremonies. “Dr. Bill’s” little homily was an anathema to me. For most of my life, I’ve refused to be trapped in a rut. And as a consequence, I’ve learned that living a rut-less life makes for a bumpy ride. And people get hurt. People I love. Despite my aversion to ruts, I did try out a few, and some were very nice; others, not so much. What I learned from life down in the ruts is that it’s pretty much impossible to live your life in a rut even if you want to. Ruts turn into quagmires, they split apart, or progress just paves them over. Deaths, divorces, and disasters happen. Cancer, domestic violence, and bad craziness wreck your rut. People get fired, laid off, quit or watch helplessly as their jobs just disappear, like making buggy whips or writing for a living. So, Dr. Bill not only gave bad advice, he was wrong. To promise that life would be great if you just chose the right rut was a cruel lie. Even more so today than 50 years ago, your chances of living in a lifelong rut are about negative zero. Do I have a better commencement advice than Dr. Bill? Yeah: Don't listen to your commencement speech. No, that's not fair. I've heard some commencement speeches are actually good, and they're on YouTube. Hell, maybe my two college commencement speeches were better. I don't know. I eschewed attendance. My problem is that I was blessed with a particularly bad commencement sermon. Yes, "blessed," and yes, "sermon." Dr. Bill wasn’t really a doctor, just an Ed.D. and D.D. – a teacher and a minister who cursed a bunch of impressionable teenagers with a soul-killing malediction. I can't blame Dr. Bill for all the mistakes I've made in my life, although his ill-begotten counsel informed a lot of my bad decisions. . Lately, however, a song by country music outlaw Ray Wylie Hubbard has offered me an antidotal solace to Dr. Bill’s commencement jinx. Quoting blues singer Howlin’ Wolf, Wylie sings, “Get out of your rut and get in the groove.” Yeah, that’s advice I can live with! My groove is writing, and I really don’t care what rut I’m in as long as I get to write about it. I still detest Dr. Bill. He's probably dead now. I hope they buried him in a deep, narrow rut and paved it over. May he spend eternity in that rut, without even enough room to spin in his grave at my words. Tom Durkin - 6/16/16
Groovy.
- Blah, blah, blog
- Mortal Coil Shuffle
- Why I hate "the homeless"
- Choose your groove
- Give us shelter
- We need ADUs, not excuses
- Myth of the accidental overdose
- Invisible People
- Close encounter with a porcupine
- Write to Be Read
- Code compliance cop-out
- Forgive Me Not
- The Art of Social Justice
- Paul Emery
- My Brief Criminal Career
Choose your groove carefully
“You’re going to live your life in a rut, so choose your rut carefully.” – Dr. Bill WTF?! Is that your best advice to graduating high school students? This is the season of tediously platitudinous commencement speeches. Designed to inspire, they rarely do. Mostly, they’re just boring with a few good jokes. Some commencement speeches, however, can be downright dangerous, like, “You’re going to live your life in a rut, so choose your rut carefully.” This depressing, uninspiring speech made me angry and defiant. And it affected me deeply, negatively influencing a large part of my life. It was 1965, and I was graduating from high school in Salina, Kansas. The only thing that stood between me and grand new life at UCLA was a high school diploma – and the only way to get that diploma was to show up for the damn commencement ceremonies. “Dr. Bill’s” little homily was an anathema to me. For most of my life, I’ve refused to be trapped in a rut. And as a consequence, I’ve learned that living a rut-less life makes for a bumpy ride. And people get hurt. People I love. Despite my aversion to ruts, I did try out a few, and some were very nice; others, not so much. What I learned from life down in the ruts is that it’s pretty much impossible to live your life in a rut even if you want to. Ruts turn into quagmires, they split apart, or progress just paves them over. Deaths, divorces, and disasters happen. Cancer, domestic violence, and bad craziness wreck your rut. People get fired, laid off, quit or watch helplessly as their jobs just disappear, like making buggy whips or writing for a living. So, Dr. Bill not only gave bad advice, he was wrong. To promise that life would be great if you just chose the right rut was a cruel lie. Even more so today than 50 years ago, your chances of living in a lifelong rut are about negative zero. Do I have a better commencement advice than Dr. Bill? Yeah: Don't listen to your commencement speech. No, that's not fair. I've heard some commencement speeches are actually good, and they're on YouTube. Hell, maybe my two college commencement speeches were better. I don't know. I eschewed attendance. My problem is that I was blessed with a particularly bad commencement sermon. Yes, "blessed," and yes, "sermon." Dr. Bill wasn’t really a doctor, just an Ed.D. and D.D. – a teacher and a minister who cursed a bunch of impressionable teenagers with a soul-killing malediction. I can't blame Dr. Bill for all the mistakes I've made in my life, although his ill-begotten counsel informed a lot of my bad decisions. . Lately, however, a song by country music outlaw Ray Wylie Hubbard has offered me an antidotal solace to Dr. Bill’s commencement jinx. Quoting blues singer Howlin’ Wolf, Wylie sings, “Get out of your rut and get in the groove.”
Tom Durkin
multimedia writer-editor-photographer
Tom Durkin
111 Bank St.,#189
Grass Valley, CA 95945
530 559-3199
tdurkin@vfr.net
tomdurkin-media.net
project.sierra-roots.org
Summary of Qualifications
Professional, native command of written and spoken American English. Experienced journalist,
skilled interviewer of SMEs (including ESL), internet research. Areas of writing/editing expertise
include government, education, legal, technical and cold research-and-write. Mastery of MS Word;
familiar with Excel, PowerPoint, Google Docs and SaaS. Web content development and
management. Obsessive attention to detail without losing big picture. AP, CMOS. WSJ, NYT, APA
and in-house styles. Self-starting independent worker; fast learner; inclusive leader and
collaborative team player; mentor; excellent customer/client service.
Staff Experience
Creative Director - Sierra Roots/No Place to Go Project (7/23 - current)
Legal content editor - Virtuoso Content LLC (1.5 years)
Reporter/columnist, Editorial Board - The Union (2/21 - current)
Staff monitor and marketing – Hospitality House (4 years)
Managing Editor – Xcell Journal, Xilinx Inc. (3 years)
Senior Technical Editor – Raytheon Engineering Services Co. (0.5 year)
News and Features Editor – Robot Science & Technology (0.75year)
Editor/Legal Reporter – The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc. (3 years)
Copy Editor/Reporter – The Sacramento Business Journal (1.5 years)
Reporter/editor – Colfax Record (1 year)
Reporter/Editor/Photographer – Auburn Journal (4 years)
Reporter – KAHI radio (0.5 year)
Assistant Promotion Director – KXTV, Channel 10 (3 years)
Freelance & Contract
Screenplays, documentaries, videos, nonprofit marketing, grant writing and administration,
corporate and education newsletters, newspaper and magazine features, event photography, web
content and management, political campaigns, op-eds and advocacy
Academic Education
Postgraduate Studies: Creative Writing, Psychology and Computer Science – Sonoma State
University, Rohnert Park, California
MFA, Theater Arts (TV/Film) – UCLA, James P. Pendleton Foundation Award
BA, Psychology – UCLA, cum laude
In-Service and Continuing Education
Continuing education credits in English and journalism, computer applications, education and
training, leadership, interpersonal skills, and time/work management. Committed to lifelong
learning.
Professional Awards
Emmy nomination (regional)
Sigma Delta Chi (California)
National Newspaper Association
California Newspaper Association
California State Fair Media Awards (2)
Sacramento Advertising Club (6)
Academic Awards
Phi Beta Kappa
UC Regents Scholar
James P. Pendleton Grant
National Science Foundation Grant
Volunteer Experience
Nevada County Continuum of Care
One Source – Empowering Caregivers
Hospitality House Community Shelter
Sacramento Single Fathers Group
Do It Now Foundation
Committee to Bridge the Gap
Social Media
Facebook: tom.durkin3
LinkedIn: tomdurkin3
Twitter: @tjd69
Instagram: durkin_tom
YouTube: /user/durkindurkin/videos
This is the
short version.
- Blah, blah, blog
- Mortal Coil Shuffle
- Why I hate "the homeless"
- Choose your groove
- Give us shelter
- We need ADUs, not excuses
- Myth of the accidental overdose
- Invisible People
- Close encounter with a porcupine
- Write to Be Read
- Code compliance cop-out
- Forgive Me Not
- The Art of Social Justice
- Paul Emery
- My Brief Criminal Career
Tom Durkin
multimedia writer-editor-photographer
Master template
Put speech bubble in “mushrooms” layer
DO NOT USE, MAKE A COPY
Tom Durkin
Grass Valley, CA 95945
530 559-3199
tdurkin@vfr.net
tomdurkin-media.net
project.sierra-roots.org
Remote Writer-Editor
Summary of Qualifications
Staff Experience
Creative Director, Sierra Roots/No Place to Go Project - Sierra Roots
News & Opinion Columnist/Editorial Board - The Union
Managing Editor – Xcell Journal, Xilinx Inc.
Senior Technical Editor – Raytheon Engineering Services Co.
News and Features Editor – Robot Science & Technology
Editor/Legal Reporter – The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc.
Copy Editor/Reporter – The Sacramento Business Journal
Editor – Colfax Record
Reporter/Editor/Photographer – Auburn Journal
Reporter – KAHI radio
Assistant Promotion Director – KXTV, Channel 10
Freelance & Contract
Academic Education
Postgraduate Studies: Creative Writing, Psychology and Computer Science – Sonoma State
University, California
MFA, Theater Arts (TV/Film) – UCLA, James P. Pendleton Foundation Award
BA, Psychology – UCLA, cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, Regents Scholar, National Science Foundation
In-Service and Continuing Education
Continuing education credits in English and journalism, computer applications, education and
training, leadership and time/work management. Committed to lifelong learning.
Awards
Volunteer Experience
Nevada County Continuum of Care
One Source - Empowering Caregivers
Hospitality House Community Shelter
Ø
Professional, native command of English
Ø
Journalism, features
Ø
Legal and technical writing/editing
Ø
Essays and opinion
Ø
Film & video scripts
Ø
AP, CMOS, WSJ, NYT, APA, etc.
Ø
MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint
Ø
Corel PaintShop Pro (photo editing)
Ø
Adobe, VideoStudio & Debut (video)
Ø
Zoom & Skype
Ø
Social media - see end of doc
Ø
Photography/videography
Web content
Ø
Invisible People.tv
Ø
Sierra Commons
Ø
One Source-Empowering Caregivers
Ø
Fleming LTD Telework Consulting
Ø
International Police Association
Newspapers
Ø
Sacramento Bee, Neighbors
Ø
Sacramento News & Review
Ø
The Union
Ø
Nevada City Advocate
Ø
Smart News
Ø
Auburn Journal
Ø
Colfax Record
Corporate communications
Ø
Virtuoso Content LLC
Ø
California Employee Relations Report
Ø
BNA Workers Compensation Report
Ø
California Education Funding Alert
Ø
Telecommuting Review
Education newsletters
Ø
Placer Union High School District
Ø
Roseville Joint Union H.S. District
Ø
Mid-Placer Transportation District
Books (contributing writer/editor)
Ø
Chicken Soup for the Single's Soul
Ø
Cyberscribes: The New Journalists
Ø
E-commerce User Experience
Magazines
Ø
Xcell Journal
Ø
Robot Science & Technology
Ø
Sierra Living
Ø
Voyance & Psychologie
Marketing for nonprofits
Ø
Sierra Commons
Ø
One Source-Empowering Caregivers
Ø
Nugget Fringe Theater Festival
Ø
Hospitality House
Ø
Sacramento Single Fathers
Political media management, winning
Ø
Nevada County Cannabis Alliance
Ø
Placer County Supervisor
Ø
Auburn City Council
Ø
Placer County Judge
Ø
Auburn City Hall revenue bond
Ø
7 Habits of Highly Effective People
Ø
Citizens Academy, Nevada County
Ø
Business Ignitor, Sierra Commons
Ø
Facilitative Leadership
Ø
Teacher Power!
Ø
Conflict Resolution &Confrontation Skills
Ø
Active Listening
Ø
Creative Problem-Solving
Ø
Peer Counseling
Ø
Drug abuse and suicide intervention
Ø
Parent Effectiveness Training
Ø
Transactional Analysis
Ø
Emmy nomination (regional)
Ø
Sigma Delta Chi (California)
Ø
National Newspaper Association
Ø
California Newspaper Association
Ø
California State Fair Media Awards (2)
Ø
Sacramento Advertising Club (6)
Videos
Who Cares about Drug Abuse?
Eye on the Deaf
The W.O.W. Movie
Litton Industries: Glass-Blowing Lathe
It Takes a Village
Harry Harpoon: Lost Party Tapes
Creative Services Agency
Durkin Gibbs & Associates
Photography
Concerts, events, fine art
Screenwriter/script analyst
The Burbank Studios
MGM
Paramount
Ziegler-Ross Literary Agency
Ø
Ø
Ø
Ø
Ø
Ø
Ø
Ø
Ø
Ø
Ø
Ø
Social Media
Do It Now Foundation
Sacramento Single Fathers Support Group
Committee to Bridge the Gap
Been there,
done that.
- Blah, blah, blog
- Mortal Coil Shuffle
- Why I hate "the homeless"
- Choose your groove
- Give us shelter
- We need ADUs, not excuses
- Myth of the accidental overdose
- Invisible People
- Close encounter with a porcupine
- Write to Be Read
- Code compliance cop-out
- Forgive Me Not
- The Art of Social Justice
- Paul Emery
- My Brief Criminal Career
Tom Durkin
Grass Valley, CA 95945
530 559-3199
tdurkin@vfr.net
tomdurkin-media.net
project.sierra-roots.org
Remote Writer-Editor
Summary of Qualifications
Staff Experience
Creative Director, Sierra Roots/No Place to Go
Project - Sierra Roots
News & Opinion Columnist/Editorial Board - The
Union
Managing Editor – Xcell Journal, Xilinx Inc.
Senior Technical Editor – Raytheon Engineering
Services Co.
News and Features Editor – Robot Science &
Technology
Editor/Legal Reporter – The Bureau of National
Affairs, Inc.
Copy Editor/Reporter – The Sacramento
Business Journal
Editor – Colfax Record
Reporter/Editor/Photographer – Auburn Journal
Reporter – KAHI radio
Assistant Promotion Director – KXTV, Channel
10
Freelance & Contract
Academic Education
Postgraduate Studies: Creative Writing, Psychology and
Computer Science – Sonoma State University, California
MFA, Theater Arts (TV/Film) – UCLA, James P. Pendleton
Foundation Award
BA, Psychology – UCLA, cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa,
Regents Scholar, National Science Foundation
In-Service and Continuing Education
Continuing education credits in English and journalism,
computer applications, education and training, leadership
and time/work management. Committed to lifelong
learning.
Awards
Volunteer Experience
Nevada County Continuum of Care
One Source - Empowering Caregivers
Hospitality House Community Shelter
Ø
Professional, native command of English
Ø
Journalism, features
Ø
Legal and technical writing/editing
Ø
Essays and opinion
Ø
Film & video scripts
Ø
AP, CMOS, WSJ, NYT, APA, etc.
Ø
MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint
Ø
Corel PaintShop Pro (photo editing)
Ø
Adobe, VideoStudio & Debut (video)
Ø
Zoom & Skype
Ø
Social media - see end of doc
Ø
Photography/videography
Web content
Ø
Invisible People.tv
Ø
Sierra Commons
Ø
One Source-Empowering Caregivers
Ø
Fleming LTD Telework Consulting
Ø
International Police Association
Newspapers
Ø
Sacramento Bee, Neighbors
Ø
Sacramento News & Review
Ø
The Union
Ø
Nevada City Advocate
Ø
Smart News
Ø
Auburn Journal
Ø
Colfax Record
Corporate communications
Ø
Virtuoso Content LLC
Ø
California Employee Relations Report
Ø
BNA Workers Compensation Report
Ø
California Education Funding Alert
Ø
Telecommuting Review
Education newsletters
Ø
Placer Union High School District
Ø
Roseville Joint Union H.S. District
Ø
Mid-Placer Transportation District
Books (contributing writer/editor)
Ø
Chicken Soup for the Single's Soul
Ø
Cyberscribes: The New Journalists
Ø
E-commerce User Experience
Magazines
Ø
Xcell Journal
Ø
Robot Science & Technology
Ø
Sierra Living
Ø
Voyance & Psychologie
Marketing for nonprofits
Ø
Sierra Commons
Ø
One Source-Empowering Caregivers
Ø
Nugget Fringe Theater Festival
Ø
Hospitality House
Ø
Sacramento Single Fathers
Political media management, winning
Ø
Nevada County Cannabis Alliance
Ø
Placer County Supervisor
Ø
Auburn City Council
Ø
Placer County Judge
Ø
Auburn City Hall revenue bond
Ø
7 Habits of Highly Effective People
Ø
Citizens Academy, Nevada County
Ø
Business Ignitor, Sierra Commons
Ø
Facilitative Leadership
Ø
Teacher Power!
Ø
Conflict Resolution &Confrontation Skills
Ø
Active Listening
Ø
Creative Problem-Solving
Ø
Peer Counseling
Ø
Drug abuse and suicide intervention
Ø
Parent Effectiveness Training
Ø
Transactional Analysis
Ø
Emmy nomination (regional)
Ø
Sigma Delta Chi (California)
Ø
National Newspaper Association
Ø
California Newspaper Association
Ø
California State Fair Media Awards (2)
Ø
Sacramento Advertising Club (6)
Tom Durkin
multimedia writer-editor-photographer
Videos
Who Cares about Drug
Abuse?
Eye on the Deaf
The W.O.W. Movie
Litton Industries: Glass-
Blowing Lathe
It Takes a Village
Harry Harpoon: Lost
Party Tapes
Creative Services Agency
Durkin Gibbs &
Associates
Photography
Concerts, events, fine
art
Screenwriter/script analyst
The Burbank Studios
MGM
Paramount
Ziegler-Ross Literary
Agency
Ø
Ø
Ø
Ø
Ø
Ø
Ø
Ø
Ø
Ø
Ø
Ø
Social Media
Love your
letter carrier.
SMAC
- Blah, blah, blog
- Mortal Coil Shuffle
- Why I hate "the homeless"
- Choose your groove
- Give us shelter
- We need ADUs, not excuses
- Myth of the accidental overdose
- Invisible People
- Close encounter with a porcupine
- Write to Be Read
- Code compliance cop-out
- Forgive Me Not
- The Art of Social Justice
- Paul Emery
- My Brief Criminal Career
Tom Durkin
multimedia writer-editor-photographer
Homeless but not helpless
You have to be crazy to be a writer. Fortunately, I’m well-qualified. When you’re a freelance writer, single, and mentally disordered, homelessness is an occupational hazard. This is a series of stories I wrote for InvisiblePeople.tv about my “lived experience” as a bipolar, chronically homeless person - and staff monitor in a homeless shelter. InvisiblePeople is a national, nonprofit organization dedicated to disrupting the destructive stereotypes of homeless people. These stories and rants were designed to show that homelessness is way more widespread than just the lost souls - the Invisible People - you pretend you don’t see on the streets. We walk among you. We’re the hidden homeless people you see every day. We have jobs, families community commitments - and we’re homeless, but we keep that part secret. We live illegally in tents, cars, yurts, garages,outbuildings, trailers and RVs … because there is no damn affordable housing. Below are links to the stories I wrote for Invisible People.June 2019
My Secret Life of Homelessness
• Part one, Wake-up Call - June 9, 2019 • Part two, We Walk Among You - June 15, 2019 • Part three, Hot Shower, Cold Beer - June, 22, 2019July 2019
Atheist in the Foxhole - July 6, 2019 (The title is different on the site.) Rising from the Ashes • Part one, My Fall into Homelessness - July 13,2019 • Part two,Technically Homeless - July 20, 2019 • Part three, You Don’t Have to Live Like a Refugee - July 28, 2019August 2019
Homeless with Gratitude • Part one, Saved by Sophia - August 3, 2019 • Part two, Coming Out As Homeless - August 10, 2019 • Part three, On the Trail of a Trailer - August 17, 2019 • Part four, Attitude Adjustment - August 24, 2019 • Part Five, Homeless Sweet Homeless Home - August 31. 2019September 2019
The Stigma Blues: Homeless and Mentally Ill - September 21, 2019December 2019
Shelter Experiene Leaves Lasting Memories - December 12, 2019Homeless ... will work for food
You'll do anything that you gotta do when you're homeless.
- Guy Clark
Will work
for food.
- Blah, blah, blog
- Mortal Coil Shuffle
- Why I hate "the homeless"
- Choose your groove
- Give us shelter
- We need ADUs, not excuses
- Myth of the accidental overdose
- Invisible People
- Close encounter with a porcupine
- Write to Be Read
- Code compliance cop-out
- Forgive Me Not
- The Art of Social Justice
- Paul Emery
- My Brief Criminal Career
Homeless but not helpless
You have to be crazy to be a writer. Fortunately, I’m well-qualified. When you’re a freelance writer, single, and mentally disordered, homelessness is an occupational hazard. This is a series of stories I wrote for InvisiblePeople.tv about my “lived experience” as a bipolar, chronically homeless person - and staff monitor in a homeless shelter. InvisiblePeople is a national, nonprofit organization dedicated to disrupting the destructive stereotypes of homeless people. These stories and rants were designed to show that homelessness is way more widespread than just the lost souls - the Invisible People - you pretend you don’t see on the streets. We walk among you. We’re the hidden homeless people you see every day. We have jobs, families community commitments - and we’re homeless, but we keep that part secret. We live illegally in tents, cars, yurts, garages,outbuildings, trailers and RVs … because there is no damn affordable housing. Below are links to the stories I wrote for Invisible People.June 2019
My Secret Life of Homelessness
• Part one, Wake-up Call - June 9, 2019 • Part two, We Walk Among You - June 15, 2019 • Part three, Hot Shower, Cold Beer - June, 22, 2019July 2019
Atheist in the Foxhole - July 6, 2019 (The title is different on the site.) Rising from the Ashes • Part one, My Fall into Homelessness - July 13,2019 • Part two,Technically Homeless - July 20, 2019 • Part three, You Don’t Have to Live Like a Refugee - July 28, 2019August 2019
Homeless with Gratitude • Part one, Saved by Sophia - August 3, 2019 • Part two, Coming Out As Homeless - August 10, 2019 • Part three, On the Trail of a Trailer - August 17, 2019 • Part four, Attitude Adjustment - August 24, 2019 • Part Five, Homeless Sweet Homeless Home - August 31. 2019September 2019
The Stigma Blues: Homeless and Mentally Ill - September 21, 2019Homeless ... will work for food
You'll do anything that you gotta do when you're homeless.
Tom Durkin
multimedia writer-editor-photographer
Write on, right now!
If good enough isn’t good enough for you, you've come to the right place.
We offer professional, American English writing and editing services with the style, wit
and imagination of a native-speaker.
Image gets you in the game. Constant, quality content keeps you there.
What makes us different – and makes you stand out from the competition – is our
commitment to creativity, excellence and reliability.
Whether you need a static statement for credibility or dynamic content that keeps your
clients and customers coming back for more, we’re prepared to exceed your expectations … because good
enough isn't.
If you like what you see, please contact us. Consultations are always free.
Tom Durkin
multimedia writer-editor-photographer
- Blah, blah, blog
- Mortal Coil Shuffle
- Why I hate "the homeless"
- Choose your groove
- Give us shelter
- We need ADUs, not excuses
- Myth of the accidental overdose
- Invisible People
- Close encounter with a porcupine
- Write to Be Read
- Code compliance cop-out
- Forgive Me Not
- The Art of Social Justice
- Paul Emery
- My Brief Criminal Career
Write on, right now!
If good enough isn’t good enough for you, you've come to the
right place.
We offer professional, American English writing and
editing services with the style, wit and imagination of
a native-speaker.
Image gets you in the game. Constant, quality
content keeps you there.
What makes us different – and makes you stand out from the
competition – is our commitment to creativity, excellence and
reliability.
Whether you need a static statement for credibility or dynamic
content that keeps your clients and customers coming back for
more, we’re prepared to exceed your expectations … because
good enough isn't.
If you like what you see, please contact us. Consultations are
always free.
Tom Durkin
multimedia writer-editor-photographer
Entertainment
Melissa Etheridge: not in Kansas anymore - First and foremost, Melissa Etheridge is a performer. For her solo “This Is M.E.” tour, the rock star is showing off her lead guitar chops.
Live from Nevada City, It’s the Geezer Gig! - “Party like an animal and be home in
bed by 10.” Proving you’re never too old to rock’n’roll, Bob Woods and friends tear
it
up in a world-wide webcast by KVMR community radio from the Crazy Horse Saloon
in Nevada City, California.
Easy reading is damn hard writing.
- Maya Angelou
What follows are links to samples of my writing from very asssorted genres. I will rotate articles from time to time. Some of the links will take you off-site. Please don’t forget to come back.News Reporting
Native Americans locked out of their cemetery - This was the beginning of a strange tale of covert racism, white guilt, intertribal tensions, and bureaucratic gridlock. The cemetery was quickly reopened, but the underlying issues were still unresolved when I left the the newspaper. Raid on a pot farm - It can take a long time for law enforcement officers to trust a reporter. While it’s easy enough to get a press relations ride-along in a patrol car, it’s not so easy when guns and deep undercover officers are involved.
Investigative Reporting
I’ve investigated street drugs, alleged prostitution, illegal marijuana grows and crooked contractors, but the most enterprising investigation I’ve ever done was to find out who ran a secret satirical e-zine that was amusing and annoying prominent citizens. It took me months to pierce their veil of secrecy: The Nevada County Scooper sheds light on “issues of the day” through satire.Creative Nonfiction
Sometimes you get an assignment that is so weird that you have to take a weird angle to do justice to the subject. As my publisher Gil Gordon noted in his introduction to A Tale of Two Commuters, the topic was, on the face of it, totally crackpot - until I put a face on it. One Minute to Deadline - This hasn’t been published yet, but it’s here because this is a true story creatively told. I wrote it when I was supposed to be writing something else. Some stories just write themselves.Technical Writing
SETI Researchers Sift Interstellar Static for Signs of Life - Soft-core technical writing for executives and non-engineers. Digital Radio Receiver System - Technical marketing to engineers. SMAC TM - Applied as a New Gigabit Ethernet Protocol - Hard-core technical writing for engineers.Ghostwriting
In my capacity as managing editor of Xcell Journal, it was my occasional privilege to interview Wim Roelandts, the CEO of Xilinx Inc., and write his column. Here’s what he had to say about How to Survive a Recession and Gain Market Leadership.Copywriting
Durkin Gibbs & Associates - I wrote this about 35 years ago. It was my philosophy then, and it still is.Marketing
In 2017, One Source-Empowering Caregivers was a new nonprofit that needed to establish its service to the community, so I put them on the front page: Caring for the Caregiver. For the next two years, I maintained their dynamic presence in print and social media. The contract concluded with a creative training and recruitment documentary called It Takes a Village.Legal and Legislative Analysis
CTA v Gould I - Pre-verdict analysis of a multi-year, multi-million dollar lawsuit by the California Teachers Association against the State of California over the misappropriation of funds from Proposition 98 lottery income designated for education. There was a gag order, but I found deep- throat sources on both sides. CTA v Gould II - Post-verdict analysis. CTA won. Most papers reported a $373 million settlement, but that was only the first payout. The actual settlement was $1.76 billion. Most papers didn’t get that.
Personality Profiles
Julie Baker took a “funky little performing arts center” in Grass Valley, California, and turned The Center for the Arts into a nationally known venue for A-list performers and stars in niche genres. After eight years, she stepped down to start her own arts and entertainment company.
Tom Durkin
multimedia writer-editor-photographer
Good writing
is rewriting.
- Blah, blah, blog
- Mortal Coil Shuffle
- Why I hate "the homeless"
- Choose your groove
- Give us shelter
- We need ADUs, not excuses
- Myth of the accidental overdose
- Invisible People
- Close encounter with a porcupine
- Write to Be Read
- Code compliance cop-out
- Forgive Me Not
- The Art of Social Justice
- Paul Emery
- My Brief Criminal Career
Entertainment
Melissa Etheridge: not in Kansas anymore - First and foremost, Melissa Etheridge is a performer. For her solo “This Is M.E.” tour, the rock star is showing off her lead guitar chops.
Live from Nevada City, It’s the Geezer Gig! - “Party like an
animal and be home in bed by 10.” Proving you’re never
too old to rock’n’roll, Bob Woods and friends
tear it up in a world-wide webcast by KVMR
community radio from the Crazy Horse Saloon
in Nevada City, California.
Easy reading is damn hard writing.
- Maya Angelou
What follows are links to samples of my writing from very asssorted genres. I will rotate articles from time to time. Some of the links will take you off-site. Please don’t forget to come back.News Reporting
Native Americans locked out of their cemetery - This was the beginning of a strange tale of covert racism, white guilt, intertribal tensions, and bureaucratic gridlock. The cemetery was quickly reopened, but the underlying issues were still unresolved when I left the the newspaper. Raid on a pot farm - It can take a long time for law enforcement officers to trust a reporter. While it’s easy enough to get a press relations ride-along in a patrol car, it’s not so easy when guns and deep undercover officers are involved.
Investigative Reporting
I’ve investigated street drugs, alleged prostitution, illegal marijuana grows and crooked contractors, but the most enterprising investigation I’ve ever done was to find out who ran a secret satirical e-zine that was amusing and annoying prominent citizens. It took me months to pierce their veil of secrecy: The Nevada County Scooper sheds light on “issues of the day” through satire.Creative Nonfiction
Sometimes you get an assignment that is so weird that you have to take a weird angle to do justice to the subject. As my publisher Gil Gordon noted in his introduction to A Tale of Two Commuters, the topic was, on the face of it, totally crackpot - until I put a face on it. One Minute to Deadline - This hasn’t been published yet, but it’s here because this is a true story creatively told. I wrote it when I was supposed to be writing something else. Some stories just write themselves.Technical Writing
SETI Researchers Sift Interstellar Static for Signs of Life - Soft-core technical writing for executives and non-engineers. Digital Radio Receiver System - Technical marketing to engineers.
SMAC
TM
- Applied as a New Gigabit Ethernet Protocol -
Hard-core technical writing for engineers.
Ghostwriting
In my capacity as managing editor of Xcell Journal, it was
my occasional privilege to interview Wim Roelandts, the
CEO of Xilinx Inc., and write his column. Here’s what he
had to say about How to Survive a Recession and Gain
Market Leadership.
Copywriting
Durkin Gibbs & Associates - I wrote
this about 35 years ago. It was my
philosophy then, and it still is.
Marketing
In 2017, One Source-Empowering Caregivers was a new nonprofit that needed to establish its service to the community, so I put them on the front page: Caring for the Caregiver. For the next two years, I maintained their dynamic presence in print and social media. The contract concluded with a creative training and recruitment documentary called It Takes a Village.Legal and Legislative Analysis
CTA v Gould I - Pre-verdict analysis of a multi-year, multi- million dollar lawsuit by the California Teachers Association against the State of California over the misappropriation of funds from Proposition 98 lottery income designated for education. There was a gag order, but I found deep-throat sources on both sides. CTA v Gould II - Post-verdict analysis. CTA won. Most papers reported a $373 million settlement, but that was only the first payout. The actual settlement was $1.76 billion. Most papers didn’t get that.
Personality Profiles
Julie Baker took a “funky little performing arts center” in Grass Valley, California, and turned The Center for the Arts into a nationally known venue for A-list performers and stars in niche genres. After eight years, she stepped down to start her own arts and entertainment company.
Tom Durkin
multimedia writer-editor-photographer
Good writing
is rewriting.
Death Herself
Linda
Juliet
Dennis
Click thumbnails to enlarge. Click again to reduce.
Tina
Bernie
Susan
A Face in the Crowd
Keller
Kelly
It’s one thing to make a picture of what a person looks like, it’s
another thing to make a portrait of who they are. - Paul Caponigro
Click on images to enlarge; click again to close. Use arrow keys to move from picture to picture.
I specialize in candid portraits, event photography, photojournalism, digital manipulations and
whatever else looks interesting.
This is my portrait page. Other pages with other subjects are in the works. Meanwhile, see a
disorganized collection of my best photography at https://www.viewbug.com/member/tomdurkin
I also do photographics for fun.
Tom Durkin
multimedia writer-editor-photographer
Kintsugi Heart
Here’s looking
at you, Kid.
- Blah, blah, blog
- Mortal Coil Shuffle
- Why I hate "the homeless"
- Choose your groove
- Give us shelter
- We need ADUs, not excuses
- Myth of the accidental overdose
- Invisible People
- Close encounter with a porcupine
- Write to Be Read
- Code compliance cop-out
- Forgive Me Not
- The Art of Social Justice
- Paul Emery
- My Brief Criminal Career
Death
Herself
Linda
Juliet
Dennis
Click thumbnails to enlarge. Click again to reduce.
Tina
Bernie
Susan
A Face in
the Crowd
Keller
Kelly
It’s one thing to make a picture of what a
person looks like, it’s another thing to
make a portrait of who they are. - Paul
Caponigro
Click on images to enlarge; click again to close. Use arrow
keys to move from picture to picture.
I specialize in candid portraits, event photography,
photojournalism, digital manipulations and whatever else
looks interesting.
This is my portrait page. Other pages with other subjects
are in the works. Meanwhile, see a disorganized collection
of my best photography at
https://www.viewbug.com/member/tomdurkin
I also do photographics for fun.
Tom Durkin
multimedia writer-editor-photographer
Kintsugi Heart
Here’s
looking
at you,
Kid.
And you still can hear me singin' to the people who don't listen
To the things that I am sayin', prayin' someone's gonna hear.
- Kris Kristofferson
Blah blah blog. Does anybody read these things?
Conventional wisdom says I should have a blog, but that doesn’t mean I have to be conventional.
When I have something to say, I’ll say it. I promise to keep these entries short and to a really
sharp point. I won’t waste your time.
Mortal Coil Shuffle - how we die
Why I hate “the homeless” - it’s not what you think
Choose your groove - a commencement curse
Give us shelter - the myth of affordable housing
We Need ADUs Not Excuses - government inaction
The Myth of the Accidental Overdose - the real victims of the opioid crisis
Lived Experience - Invisible People: These are stories published by InvisiblePeople.tv, a national,
homeless advocacy website. We are changing the face of homelessness.
One Minute to Deadline - or, Close Encounter with a Porcupine
Write to Be Read - be easy to read, look easy to read
Forgive Me Not - some things are unforgiveable
The Eclectic Collection
Tom Durkin
multimedia writer-editor-photographer
Yeah, I wrote it.
- Blah, blah, blog
- Mortal Coil Shuffle
- Why I hate "the homeless"
- Choose your groove
- Give us shelter
- We need ADUs, not excuses
- Myth of the accidental overdose
- Invisible People
- Close encounter with a porcupine
- Write to Be Read
- Code compliance cop-out
- Forgive Me Not
- The Art of Social Justice
- Paul Emery
- My Brief Criminal Career
And you still can hear me singin' to the
people who don't listen
To the things that I am sayin', prayin'
someone's gonna hear.
- Kris Kristofferson
Blah blah blog. Does anybody read these things?
Conventional wisdom says I should have a blog, but that
doesn’t mean I have to be conventional. When I have
something to say, I’ll say it. I promise to keep these entries
short and to a really sharp point. I won’t waste your time.
Mortal Coil Shuffle - how we die
Why I hate “the homeless” - it’s not what you think
Choose your groove - a commencement curse
Give us shelter - the myth of affordable housing
We Need ADUs Not Excuses - government inaction
The Myth of the Accidental Overdose - the real victims of
the opioid crisis
Lived Experience - Invisible People: These are stories
published by InvisiblePeople.tv, a national, homeless
advocacy website. We are changing the face of
homelessness.
One Minute to Deadline - or, Close Encounter with a
Porcupine
Write to Be Read - be easy to read, look easy to read
Forgive Me Not - some things are unforgiveable
Tom Durkin
multimedia writer-editor-photographer
Please write me with your suggestions, questions, blessings and/or
death threats. Please include the word “INQUIRY” (yes, ALL CAPS)
in the subject. I have a very aggressive spam filter and equally
protective privacy policy (your information is safe with me).
Tom Durkin
multimedia writer-editor-photographer
Talk to me.
- Blah, blah, blog
- Mortal Coil Shuffle
- Why I hate "the homeless"
- Choose your groove
- Give us shelter
- We need ADUs, not excuses
- Myth of the accidental overdose
- Invisible People
- Close encounter with a porcupine
- Write to Be Read
- Code compliance cop-out
- Forgive Me Not
- The Art of Social Justice
- Paul Emery
- My Brief Criminal Career
Please write me with your suggestions,
questions, blessings and/or death threats.
Please include the word “INQUIRY” (yes,
ALL CAPS) in the subject. I have a very
aggressive spam filter and equally
protective privacy policy (your
information is safe with me).
Tom Durkin
multimedia writer-editor-photographer
Tom Durkin
multimedia writer-editor-photographer
Homelessness
is not a crime..
- Blah, blah, blog
- Mortal Coil Shuffle
- Why I hate "the homeless"
- Choose your groove
- Give us shelter
- We need ADUs, not excuses
- Myth of the accidental overdose
- Invisible People
- Close encounter with a porcupine
- Write to Be Read
- Code compliance cop-out
- Forgive Me Not
- The Art of Social Justice
- Paul Emery
- My Brief Criminal Career
Tom Durkin
multimedia writer-editor-photographer
Homeles
sness
is not a
crime..
Tom Durkin
multimedia writer-editor-photographer
We’re all mad
as hell here.
- Blah, blah, blog
- Mortal Coil Shuffle
- Why I hate "the homeless"
- Choose your groove
- Give us shelter
- We need ADUs, not excuses
- Myth of the accidental overdose
- Invisible People
- Close encounter with a porcupine
- Write to Be Read
- Code compliance cop-out
- Forgive Me Not
- The Art of Social Justice
- Paul Emery
- My Brief Criminal Career
Tom Durkin
multimedia writer-editor-photographer
We’re
all mad
as hell
here.
Mortal coil shuffle
Blessings on the caregivers in assisted living, long-term care, and ultimately, the tender refuge of hospice. These people and the organizations they work for provide a wonderful service for people who are dying what doctors call a natural death. But a natural death is not for everybody. While it is true some people die peacefully in their sleep or just drop dead, all too often, a natural death is a painful, prolonged process involving increasing physical and psychological deterioration, loss of bodily functions, and total forfeiture of your personal dignity. A natural death often involves seeing the faces of your friends and family wracked with the pain of conflicted emotions and obligations as they suffer along with you. A natural death often means spending all your money, and possibly that of your loved ones, on medical expenses necessary to keep you alive as long and as comfortable as possible until you are sick enough to refuse life support or have it removed. This is when hospice can assist in limiting the duration of suffering. And if your sole concern, or the concerns of your loved ones, is to keep you alive as long as humanly (or financially) possible by any means necessary regardless of the cost and agony, then you may have an unnaturally prolonged natural death. Finally, if you want to be surrounded by people watching you as you die, a natural death is for you. IF, however, the process of a long-term natural death sounds like hell on earth, there is an alternative: suicide. Polite, proper people prefer call it by its euphemisms – aid-in-dying, physician-assisted-death, euthanasia … Some good-hearted people have introduced legislation in California that would allow terminally ill patients to beg for their deaths. This legislation involves a whole lot indignity, paperwork, and no doubt fees, to petition a "death panel" to receive the permission and the means put yourself out of your misery. Ever notice how many people just skip the paperwork? A few years ago, The Union ran a piece on a terminally ill man who simply walked into his garden one afternoon and shot himself, so as not to mess up the house or distress his wife. Although she knew he was going do it, he just didn't tell her when. As much as she loved him, she accepted his right to make his own decision. You don't need state-sanctioned permission to kill yourself. You just need the motivation and the method(s). And the guts. It's not easy to kill yourself, either psychologically or physically. That's why many people fail at suicide. They lacked the will and/or the way. That's why you might need a physician to give you the peaceful, unconscious death you want. Or you could just look up on the Internet how to off yourself painlessly and gracefully. Done right, it could even look "natural," but that often requires help. If people who love you help you commit suicide, the trick is to not let anybody get implicated in your "murder." Which brings me back to the point: Not all of us want our loved ones standing around watching us die. I personally don't want the last, and perhaps most lasting memory, people have of me is me dying. To me, dying is a very personal, private thing. Not all of us want an expensive, lingering, humiliating, drugged-out death. Not all of us want our friends and family agonizing along with us over how long it's taking us to die. Not all of us want to spend our grandchildren's college education for the sake of eking a few more months of low- quality "life." Some of us just want to die peacefully and alone in our own time, for our own reasons, and in our own way. Without government permission or interference. * * * I know I'll get hate mail, maybe even some death threats, on this, but please remember: This is not an attack on end-of-life care. It's the right thing for a lot of people. I'm just saying there's an alternative for a lot of other people. In an earlier draft of this piece, several people were upset that I criticized end-of-life care. They had glowing things to say about hospice care – but almost to a man and a woman, they said they personally had no intention of going out naturally themselves. What's that tell you? Originally published in The Union newspaper in Grass Valley, Calif. 2/23/15. * * Photos were not published in the paper.
Tom Durkin
multimedia writer-editor-photographer
Live and let die.
- Blah, blah, blog
- Mortal Coil Shuffle
- Why I hate "the homeless"
- Choose your groove
- Give us shelter
- We need ADUs, not excuses
- Myth of the accidental overdose
- Invisible People
- Close encounter with a porcupine
- Write to Be Read
- Code compliance cop-out
- Forgive Me Not
- The Art of Social Justice
- Paul Emery
- My Brief Criminal Career
Mortal coil shuffle
Blessings on the caregivers in assisted living, long-term care, and ultimately, the tender refuge of hospice. These people and the organizations they work for provide a wonderful service for people who are dying what doctors call a natural death. But a natural death is not for everybody. While it is true some people die peacefully in their sleep or just drop dead, all too often, a natural death is a painful, prolonged process involving increasing physical and psychological deterioration, loss of bodily functions, and total forfeiture of your personal dignity. A natural death often involves seeing the faces of your friends and family wracked with the pain of conflicted emotions and obligations as they suffer along with you. A natural death often means spending all your money, and possibly that of your loved ones, on medical expenses necessary to keep you alive as long and as comfortable as possible until you are sick enough to refuse life support or have it removed. This is when hospice can assist in limiting the duration of suffering. And if your sole concern, or the concerns of your loved ones, is to keep you alive as long as humanly (or financially) possible by any means necessary regardless of the cost and agony, then you may have an unnaturally prolonged natural death. Finally, if you want to be surrounded by people watching you as you die, a natural death is for you. IF, however, the process of a long-term natural death sounds like hell on earth, there is an alternative: suicide. Polite, proper people prefer call it by its euphemisms – aid- in-dying, physician-assisted-death, euthanasia … Some good-hearted people have introduced legislation in California that would allow terminally ill patients to beg for their deaths. This legislation involves a whole lot indignity, paperwork, and no doubt fees, to petition a "death panel" to receive the permission and the means put yourself out of your misery. Ever notice how many people just skip the paperwork? A few years ago, The Union ran a piece on a terminally ill man who simply walked into his garden one afternoon and shot himself, so as not to mess up the house or distress his wife. Although she knew he was going do it, he just didn't tell her when. As much as she loved him, she accepted his right to make his own decision. You don't need state-sanctioned permission to kill yourself. You just need the motivation and the method(s). And the guts. It's not easy to kill yourself, either psychologically or physically. That's why many people fail at suicide. They lacked the will and/or the way. That's why you might need a physician to give you the peaceful, unconscious death you want. Or you could just look up on the Internet how to off yourself painlessly and gracefully. Done right, it could even look "natural," but that often requires help. If people who love you help you commit suicide, the trick is to not let anybody get implicated in your "murder." Which brings me back to the point: Not all of us want our loved ones standing around watching us die. I personally don't want the last, and perhaps most lasting memory, people have of me is me dying. To me, dying is a very personal, private thing. Not all of us want an expensive, lingering, humiliating, drugged-out death. Not all of us want our friends and family agonizing along with us over how long it's taking us to die. Not all of us want to spend our grandchildren's college education for the sake of eking a few more months of low- quality "life." Some of us just want to die peacefully and alone in our own time, for our own reasons, and in our own way.
Tom Durkin
multimedia writer-editor-photographer
Eclectic
These pictures are from my first photography show in March 2018 at Cooper’s Ale Works
in Nevada City California, USA. They were presented as wall art printed on metal in sizes
ranging from 12x12” to 2x3’.
Tom Durkin
multimedia writer-editor-photographer
See what
others don’t.
Sold!
- Blah, blah, blog
- Mortal Coil Shuffle
- Why I hate "the homeless"
- Choose your groove
- Give us shelter
- We need ADUs, not excuses
- Myth of the accidental overdose
- Invisible People
- Close encounter with a porcupine
- Write to Be Read
- Code compliance cop-out
- Forgive Me Not
- The Art of Social Justice
- Paul Emery
- My Brief Criminal Career
Eclectic
These pictures are from my first photography show in March 2018 at Cooper’s Ale Works
in Nevada City California, USA. They were presented as wall art printed on metal in sizes
ranging from 12x12” to 2x3’.
Tom Durkin
multimedia writer-editor-photographer
See what
others don’t.
It’s the thought that counts ...
I don’t claim to be a graphic designer. This is a handmade website. Here, I just like to play with words and pictures. Click on these “photographics” to enlarge them. Click again to shrink them.
Tom Durkin
multimedia writer-editor-photographer
Memes are us.
- Blah, blah, blog
- Mortal Coil Shuffle
- Why I hate "the homeless"
- Choose your groove
- Give us shelter
- We need ADUs, not excuses
- Myth of the accidental overdose
- Invisible People
- Close encounter with a porcupine
- Write to Be Read
- Code compliance cop-out
- Forgive Me Not
- The Art of Social Justice
- Paul Emery
- My Brief Criminal Career
It’s the thought that counts ...
I don’t claim to be a graphic designer. This is a handmade website. Here, I just like to play with words and pictures. Click on these “photographics” to enlarge them. Click again to shrink them.
Tom Durkin
multimedia writer-editor-photographer
Choose your groove carefully
“You’re going to live your life in a rut, so choose your rut carefully.” – Dr. Bill WTF?! Is that your best advice to graduating high school students? This is the season of tediously platitudinous commencement speeches. Designed to inspire, they rarely do. Mostly, they’re just boring with a few good jokes. Some commencement speeches, however, can be downright dangerous, like, “You’re going to live your life in a rut, so choose your rut carefully.” This depressing, uninspiring speech made me angry and defiant. And it affected me deeply, negatively influencing a large part of my life. It was 1965, and I was graduating from high school in Salina, Kansas. The only thing that stood between me and grand new life at UCLA was a high school diploma – and the only way to get that diploma was to show up for the damn commencement ceremonies. “Dr. Bill’s” little homily was an anathema to me. For most of my life, I’ve refused to be trapped in a rut. And as a consequence, I’ve learned that living a rut-less life makes for a bumpy ride. And people get hurt. People I love. Despite my aversion to ruts, I did try out a few, and some were very nice; others, not so much. What I learned from life down in the ruts is that it’s pretty much impossible to live your life in a rut even if you want to. Ruts turn into quagmires, they split apart, or progress just paves them over. Deaths, divorces, and disasters happen. Cancer, domestic violence, and bad craziness wreck your rut. People get fired, laid off, quit or watch helplessly as their jobs just disappear, like making buggy whips or writing for a living. So, Dr. Bill not only gave bad advice, he was wrong. To promise that life would be great if you just chose the right rut was a cruel lie. Even more so today than 50 years ago, your chances of living in a lifelong rut are about negative zero. Do I have a better commencement advice than Dr. Bill? Yeah: Don't listen to your commencement speech. No, that's not fair. I've heard some commencement speeches are actually good, and they're on YouTube. Hell, maybe my two college commencement speeches were better. I don't know. I eschewed attendance. My problem is that I was blessed with a particularly bad commencement sermon. Yes, "blessed," and yes, "sermon." Dr. Bill wasn’t really a doctor, just an Ed.D. and D.D. – a teacher and a minister who cursed a bunch of impressionable teenagers with a soul-killing malediction. I can't blame Dr. Bill for all the mistakes I've made in my life, although his ill-begotten counsel informed a lot of my bad decisions. . Lately, however, a song by country music outlaw Ray Wylie Hubbard has offered me an antidotal solace to Dr. Bill’s commencement jinx. Quoting blues singer Howlin’ Wolf, Wylie sings, “Get out of your rut and get in the groove.” Yeah, that’s advice I can live with! My groove is writing, and I really don’t care what rut I’m in as long as I get to write about it. I still detest Dr. Bill. He's probably dead now. I hope they buried him a deep, narrow rut and paved it over. May he spend eternity in that rut, without even enough room to spin in his grave at my words. Tom Durkin - 6/16/16
Tom Durkin
multimedia writer-editor-photographer
Groovy.
- Blah, blah, blog
- Mortal Coil Shuffle
- Why I hate "the homeless"
- Choose your groove
- Give us shelter
- We need ADUs, not excuses
- Myth of the accidental overdose
- Invisible People
- Close encounter with a porcupine
- Write to Be Read
- Code compliance cop-out
- Forgive Me Not
- The Art of Social Justice
- Paul Emery
- My Brief Criminal Career
Choose your groove carefully
“You’re going to live your life in a rut, so choose your rut carefully.” – Dr. Bill WTF?! Is that your best advice to graduating high school students? This is the season of tediously platitudinous commencement speeches. Designed to inspire, they rarely do. Mostly, they’re just boring with a few good jokes. Some commencement speeches, however, can be downright dangerous, like, “You’re going to live your life in a rut, so choose your rut carefully.” This depressing, uninspiring speech made me angry and defiant. And it affected me deeply, negatively influencing a large part of my life. It was 1965, and I was graduating from high school in Salina, Kansas. The only thing that stood between me and grand new life at UCLA was a high school diploma – and the only way to get that diploma was to show up for the damn commencement ceremonies. “Dr. Bill’s” little homily was an anathema to me. For most of my life, I’ve refused to be trapped in a rut. And as a consequence, I’ve learned that living a rut-less life makes for a bumpy ride. And people get hurt. People I love. Despite my aversion to ruts, I did try out a few, and some were very nice; others, not so much. What I learned from life down in the ruts is that it’s pretty much impossible to live your life in a rut even if you want to. Ruts turn into quagmires, they split apart, or progress just paves them over. Deaths, divorces, and disasters happen. Cancer, domestic violence, and bad craziness wreck your rut. People get fired, laid off, quit or watch helplessly as their jobs just disappear, like making buggy whips or writing for a living. So, Dr. Bill not only gave bad advice, he was wrong. To promise that life would be great if you just chose the right rut was a cruel lie. Even more so today than 50 years ago, your chances of living in a lifelong rut are about negative zero. Do I have a better commencement advice than Dr. Bill? Yeah: Don't listen to your commencement speech. No, that's not fair. I've heard some commencement speeches are actually good, and they're on YouTube. Hell, maybe my two college commencement speeches were better. I don't know. I eschewed attendance. My problem is that I was blessed with a particularly bad commencement sermon. Yes, "blessed," and yes, "sermon." Dr. Bill wasn’t really a doctor, just an Ed.D. and D.D. – a teacher and a minister who cursed a bunch of impressionable teenagers with a soul-killing malediction. I can't blame Dr. Bill for all the mistakes I've made in my life, although his ill-begotten counsel informed a lot of my bad decisions. . Lately, however, a song by country music outlaw Ray Wylie Hubbard has offered me an antidotal solace to Dr. Bill’s commencement jinx. Quoting blues singer Howlin’ Wolf, Wylie sings, “Get out of your rut and get in the groove.”
Tom Durkin
multimedia writer-editor-photographer
Tom Durkin
Grass Valley, CA 95945
530 559-3199
tdurkin@vfr.net
tomdurkin-media.net
Remote Writer-Editor
Summary of Qualifications
Staff Experience
Managing Editor – Xcell Journal, Xilinx Inc.
Senior Technical Editor – Raytheon Engineering Services Co.
News and Features Editor – Robot Science & Technology
Reporter/Editor – California Education Funding Alert
Editor/Legal Reporter – The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc.
Copy Editor/Reporter – The Sacramento Business Journal
Editor – Colfax Record
Reporter/Editor/Photographer – Auburn Journal
Reporter – KAHI radio
Assistant Promotion Director – KXTV, Channel 10
Freelance & Contract
Academic Education
Postgraduate Studies: Creative Writing, Psychology and Computer Science – Sonoma State
University, California
MFA, Theater Arts (TV/Film) – UCLA, James P. Pendleton Foundation Award
BA, Psychology – UCLA, cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, Regents Scholar, National Science Foundation
In-Service and Continuing Education
Continuing education credits in English and journalism, computer applications, education and
training, leadership and time/work management. Committed to lifelong learning.
Awards
Volunteer Experience
Ø
Professional, native command of English
Ø
Legal and technical writing/editing
Ø
Web content management
Ø
Primary and secondary research
Ø
Film & video scripts
Ø
Creative nonfiction
Ø
AP, NYT, WSJ, APA and in-house styles
Ø
Press and public relations
Ø
Nonprofit marketing
Ø
Social media
Ø
Editorial writing
Ø
Feature writing
Ø
Investigative reporting
Ø
Ghostwriting
Web content
Ø
Invisible People.tv
Ø
One Source-Empowering Caregivers
Ø
Fleming LTD Telework Consulting
Ø
International Police Association
Newspapers
Ø
Sacramento Bee, Neighbors
Ø
Sacramento News & Review
Ø
The Union
Ø
Nevada City Advocate
Ø
Smart News
Ø
Auburn Journal
Ø
Colfax Record
Corporate newsletters
Ø
California Employee Relations Report
Ø
BNA Workers Compensation Report
Ø
California Education Funding Alert
Ø
Telecommuting Review
Education newsletters
Ø
Placer Union High School District
Ø
Roseville Joint Union H.S. District
Ø
Mid-Placer Transportation District
Books (contributing writer/editor)
Ø
Chicken Soup for the Single's Soul
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Cyberscribes: The New Journalists
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E-commerce User Experience
Magazines
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Xcell Journal
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Robot Science & Technology
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Sierra Living
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Voyance & Psychologie
Marketing for nonprofits
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Sierra Commons
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One Source-Empowering Caregivers
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Nugget Fringe Theater Festival
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Hospitality House
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Sacramento Single Fathers
Political media management, winning
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Nevada County Cannabis Alliance
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Placer County Supervisor
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Auburn City Council
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Placer County Judge
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Auburn City Hall revenue bond
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7 Habits of Highly Effective People
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Citizens Academy, Nevada County
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Business Ignitor, Sierra Commons
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Facilitative Leadership
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Teacher Power!
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Conflict Resolution &Confrontation Skills
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Active Listening