Holy Crap. I've Been a Professional Journalist for 16 Years

See that short little front-of-the-book item above? That was my first professional (read: paid for it) clip, ever, published in Philadelphia Magazine in July 1991. Or, if you prefer, the year Dave White was born. (Go ahead and click on it to read it.)

"Philly to Jersey: Send Us a Bill" appeared in Quick Hits, which was the upfront section of the magazine. The section was edited by Theresa Conroy, now a kick-ass reporter at the Philadelphia Daily News. But I remember the original idea came from assistant editor Lou Harry, who saw a bit of humor in an otherwise boring press release and tossed it to a 19-year-old intern, looking to make his bones. (Um, me.)

I won't lie to you; I'm pretty sure I was heavily edited. The kicker ("Suckers") sounds like Lou or Theresa; I think the "... kind of, well, lost theirs" was me. And the interview was all me. I can't remember how much I was paid for this story. But the thrill of seeing my name in a magazine would have been payment enough.

Not that I told Philly Mag that.