Freelance Writing

Here’s a joke you may remember from your childhood:

Q: What did the skeleton say to the vampire?

A: You suck.

Well, there’s a new twist on it now:

Q: What did the WCP blogger (that would be me) say to the local vampire novelist who is paying for Amazon reviews?

A: You suck!

Turns out that D.C. area author John Ferrer is advertising on Craigslist that he will pay you (or someone else if you’re busy) $50 and give you an autographed copy of his book, The Immortal Ones, if you write a review of it for Amazon or Barnes and Noble, as well as his blog.

Find out the whole sordid truth on the WCP blog now.

For better or for worse, Klaxons were until recently the U.K. equivalent of MGMT. Both bands had debut albums fueled by psych-pop licks, sci-fi-spiked lyrics, tripped-out vids, and an acid-drenched aesthetic. That changed on their sophomore records: In MGMT’s case, the duo flipped the script and farted out Congratulations, a disappointing, surf rock-inspired mess. Find out what the Klaxons did by clicking here.

This fall I’ll be jetting all over the place—from California’s Redwood Park for a camping trip to a cartoonist’s conference in Norway and a wedding on Kauai—and I want to memorialize my travels. I wouldn’t be content with just a series of Facebook updates or iPhone photos—I want to keep a written travelogue of my experiences. Being an OCD, Type-A stresser, I then fixate on which journal to buy. I want the perfect one. There are literally thousands of options out there and it’s not easy to wade through the Google searches or jet around to all the area stationary stores to find the right one. However, after an exhaustive search that took me (virtually) across the Atlantic and the country, I’ve discovered a number of worthy companions for my trips, and maybe yours, too. Get the full download here…

My Jolt ‘n’ Bolt sidebar was supposed to include one more cold, caffeinated drink recommendation, but it got cut due to space issues. Here it is now, if you’re still looking for a way to kick-start a hot day.

Sidamo Coffee & Tea

With a rich chocolaty start and an earthy, nutty finish, the Iced Ja Mocha is worth braving the construction on H Street. This espresso-infused delight comes dusted with their special Ja Mocha powder, which adds a decadent flair.

417 H St. NE; ; (202) 548-0081.

On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, photographer John Gossage was quietly working in his downtown studio, a block from the White House, while the rest of the world lost its mind.

There he had no windows, no television, no radio—just a black-and-white series to develop. It wasn’t until late morning that he emerged from his work, walked downstairs to head home, and had a jarring abutment with reality. “Everybody was moving in one direction,” says Gossage, now 64. “There were cars with sirens and lights going the other way at 70 mph, and I could see smoke hanging over the city.”

Gossage didn’t know it that afternoon when he walked back to his apartment in Kalorama, but his leafy, well-heeled neighborhood was about to become his own personal sort of perdition.

Read the full story on the WCP website now.