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flufflepuffle296 · 4 years

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Heathers au: Beautiful Songfic

This is more centred around Veronica/Marinette so not really any mentions of Heather/Heather/Heather. Sorry if someone’s done this before I apologise I just got into Heathers like two days ago. Also I changed some lyrics and took others out to make it more “realistic”. Sorry I suck at endings, it’s 5:30am rn and this is my first fic so be nice please! (I’m on mobile so I can’t add the keep reading tag so sorry if you don’t like this) xxx

I brushed down my dress: I couldn’t give them anything to criticise me over. Everything had to be perfect. I had to be perfect. Chloé sat next to me, my beautiful fiancée, slipping on her kitten heels. She may be 3 months pregnant but no Bourgeois woman would be seen wearing flats. I was in a red floor length a line dress — I grew out of my childish pink years ago, before it even went out of fashion! My hair was twisted into two plaits that were knotted together into a stylish bun at the back. Chloé meanwhile had stuck to her white and gold aesthetic, currently in a slim fitting white dress, showing off her small baby bump, decorated with gold jewellery. I rummaged through my drawers, trying to find a lipstick, when a thin book toppled out. I picked it up, and laughed fondly when I saw what it was.

My old Collège and Lycée diary.

I flipped through it, landing on the page that stuck most clearly in my mind. It was the day my class reminded me of my current reality at that time, shocking me out of a bubble that had surrounded me during the summer holidays that year.

September 1st, 1989.

Dear Diary: I believe I'm a good person. You know, I think that there's good in everyone, but—here we are! First day of senior year!

And uh... I look around at these kids that I've known all my life and I ask myself—what happened?

I bit my lip. What happened? I knew darn well what happened. Lila Rossi. She came in, flaunting her friendships and connections, a new disability every other week to cry about, another rumour about me coming out every 3 days.

Alya ended our friendship, Adrien continued to cry about Lila’s feelings. Lila just kept doing what she did best. The class gave up on changing my mind and instead decided that calling me names would be better. Because logic?!

“Freak!” “Slut!” “Burnout!” “Bug-eyes!” “Poser!” “Lard-ass!” Were the insults they liked to yell daily. Yeah, they weren’t the most creative...

We were so tiny, happy and shiny. Playing tag and getting chased. Singing and clapping, laughing and napping. Baking cookies, eating paste.

Nino and Kim used to come over to the bakery when we were kids, where we’d gorge ourselves on sweets, before celebrating our sugar rushes by chasing each other in the park and then crashing on my sofa, cuddled in blankets and laying on top of each other.

Then we got bigger, that was the trigger. Like the Huns invading Rome. Welcome to my school, this ain't no high school: This is the Thunderdome. Hold your breath and count the days, we're graduating soon. College will be paradise, if I'm not dead by June!

But I know, I know, life can be beautiful. I pray, I pray for a better way. If we changed back then, we could change again. We can be beautiful...Just not today.

I scoffed at my optimism back then. Them changing? They never did, I don’t know why I bothered trying at that point. I should’ve moved on but hey! We all make mistakes. It’s just that sometimes you make 11 friendships worth of mistakes.

“Freak!” “Slut!” “Cripple!” “Homo!” “Homo!” “Homo!”

I cringed as I read their old “insults”. They would write homophobic messages across my locker, getting Alix to spray paint a few slurs across my work after I came out as bisexual.

Things will get better soon as my letter comes from Harvard, Duke, or Brown. Wake from this coma, take my diploma. Then I can blow this town. Dream of ivy-covered walls, no smoky French cafés. Fight the urge to strike a match and set this dump ablaze!

I had purposefully sent out applications to universities far away from these people, from Paris. All three schools accepted me, something I can’t say about my classmates, most of whom were rejected for essays on false information (sourced by Lila) and a quick scan over the Ladyblog meant not a single newspaper would even consider my ex-best friend. Gabriel Agreste, as I later found out through my internship in America, had to bribe several schools with double tuition to get even one to accept Adrien, after he got exposed as sexual harasser and disgraced hero “Chat Noir”. I turned back to my diary, having to peel off rock hard gum from the page that someone had smeared in “revenge”.

Le Chiên Kim. Third year as linebacker and eighth year of smacking lunch trays and being a huge dick.

“What did you say to me, skank?” He would yell, his fist raised in the hallway.

“Aah, nothing!” I then cowered. I may be Ladybug, but he was 150lbs of pure rage. No one can compete with that!

But I know, I know... Life can be beautiful. I pray, I pray, For a better way. We can be beautiful...

“Marinette! Wide load! Honnnnnk!”

He was the smartest guy on the football team. Which is kind of like being the tallest dwarf.

“Hey! Pick that up! Right now!”

“I’m sorry, are you actually talking to me?” He used to snarl, his hands covered in sauce from knocking my tray.

I stood my ground, I had been practising for this moment. “Yes, I am. I wanna know what gives you the right to pick on me. You're a high school has-been waiting to happen. A future gas station attendant.”

Kim then smirked, crouching down to eye level and pressing a finger to my forehead. “You have a zit right there...” he pointed out, causing the cafeteria to laugh at my expense.

I used to ask myself “Why... Why do they hate me?”

And hear Adrien whisper “Why don't I fight back?”

Watch as Max Googled “Why do I act like such a creep?”

Listen in on Lila stamping her feet in the bathroom asking “Why won't he date me?” Clearly frustrated.

Kim panicking as he wondered “Why did I hit him?”

And Chloé sob down the phone “Why do I cry myself to sleep?”

I would stay up late, screaming, begging. At my lowest points I would cry out “Somebody hug me! Somebody fix me! Somebody save me! Send me a sign, God! Give me some hope, here! Something to live for!”

I remember when I first met my real friends. The famed trio had gone into the bathroom and I followed after them, clearly my throat.

“Who are you?”

“Uh... Marinette Dupain Cheng. I crave a boon”

“What boon?” Chloé asked, filing her nails.

“Um. Let me sit at your table, at lunch. If our class think that you guys tolerate me, then they'll leave me alone...”

Chloé threw her nail file out and began circling around me, running her hands through my hair, commenting that “For a greasy little nobody, you do have good bone structure!” Before coming to a conclusion.

“And ya know, ya know, ya know? This could be beautiful. Mascara, maybe some lip gloss, and we're on our way. Get this girl some blush; and Kagami, I need your brush. Let's make her beautiful.” Sabrina and Kagami, chimed in, echoing her words.

“Let's make her beautiful...”

“Let’s make her beautiful...”

“Make her beautiful...Okay?” Chloé ordered, dragging me out with Kagami and Sabrina, driving me to her hotel. They sat me down, taking my hair out of its bunches and brushing it out. Kagami painted my nails a deep navy with surprising precision, manning my cuticles. Sabrina twirled my hair into a high bun, leaving a few pieces at the front to frame my face. Chloé came back from her wardrobe, throwing a blue blazer and grey skirt at me. I changed into my outfit for them, to which they clapped their hands in glee. They dragged me back to school, taking in everyone’s reactions to the new and improved me. This became my new daily outfit for the rest of the year — the class couldn’t find anything bad about it, and even if they did Chloé would threaten them with her father’s power.

I was happy with my squad. Kagami taught us Japanese and Chloé taught us American English that she’d picked up from her mother. I taught them self defence, under the guise of learning it from my mum, unknowingly training them for the day I would rip Chat Noir’s miraculous from him, before slamming it into Kagami’s palm. I needed help that day, so thrust them bee and the fox miraculous at Chloé and Sabrina respectively. They became permanent heroes, Kagami under the name “Noirette”, Chloé under the new guise of “Buttercup” and Sabrina “Renard Rouge”. Akuma attacks have never lasted more than 15 minutes since we got rid of that alley cat, and we’ve been closing in on Hawkmoth recently.

I shook my head, snapping the crude book shut, throwing the diary in the bin. Today was going to be the day I made peace with all that happened, our 10 year school reunion. Doesn’t mean I’m gonna make up with anyone, just that I will finally leave everything behind. I found my lipstick and smeared on the crimson lip, smacking my lips together. I grabbed my clutch and helped Chloé stand up, though she wobbled a little in her heels. I slid her miraculous into her updo, blowing a kiss at her as to not ruin her makeup.

We met up with Kagami and Sabrina in the hallway, Kagami in a wine red suit with gold jewellery, and Sabrina was in emerald green to compliment her red hair. We stepped into the limo awaiting us outside and set off, arriving at the school 10 minutes later. We walked up the steps, hitching up our dresses and arrived in the courtyard. It had been lit up with fairy lights, with stands of food and drinks scattered around the court. Our old classmates were huddled in small groups, whilst Mlle. Mendeleiev’s was in a large group, enjoying each other’s company after 10 years apart.

No one noticed us, until Rose pointed at me and whispered “Who’s that with Chloé?” The group turned to stare at us, trying to place my face. Adrien looked up from talking to Lila, who seemed to be flaunting a rather tacky Gabriel engagement ring, and whispered,

“Marinette?!”

The class began gossiping amongst themselves, “Marinette? Marinette? Marinette?!”

I ignored them, their childish ways were behind me, and walked up to Aurore and Mireille, fawning over their relationship. They turned Kagami, asking her about her life and squealing over her Olympic medal for fencing. I grinned as I watched my old class, happy that they had moved on from each other — well apart from Alya and Adrien, who were still hooked on Lila. I was finally, content! I thought back on my diary, one particular paragraph standing out to me at this time.

And you know, you know, you know, life can be beautiful. You hope, you dream, you pray, and you get your way! Ask me how it feels, lookin' like hell on wheels...My God, it's beautiful! I feel so beautiful... And when you're beautiful...It's a beautiful frickin' day!

Chloé boasted my achievements, my business, my awards, and the entire of Mendeleiev’s class started chanting “Marinette! Marinette! Marinette!”, much to my embarrassment. I boasted her’s in return, Sabrina revealed how far she’d come as a lawyer, Kagami swung her prized sword from side to side as she listened to us all catching up, laughing at the memories.

It really was a beautiful day.

#lila salt #adrien salt #class salt #marinette deserves better #alya salt #mlb #miraculous #miraculous ladybug #marinette dupain cheng #miraculoustalesofladybugandcatnoir #chloe sugar #kagami tsurugi #sabrina raincomprix #heathers au #beautiful heathers #songfic

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paralleljulieverse · 5 years

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“One day I’ll be famous. I’ll be proper and prim...”

Sixty years ago, more or less to the week, the famed Italian painter Pietro Annigoni unveiled his latest masterwork: ‘Eliza’, Julie Andrews in ‘My Fair Lady’ (1959).

At the time, Annigoni was the most celebrated portraitist in the world. His dreamily romantic 1954-55 oil of Queen Elizabeth II catapulted the hitherto little known Italian painter to international fame (Wynne-Morgan: 17). Almost overnight, Annigoni became "the most sought-after portrait painter of the decade” (Shearer: 4) attracting a glittering line-up of celebrity subjects including Princess Margaret, Prince Philip, the Duchess of Devonshire, the Shah and Empress of Iran, the Maharani Gayatri Devi of Jaipur and Margot Fonteyn. His services were so in demand that he reportedly “had to refuse thousands of commissions –– 90 out of every 100 ––as the queues of VIPs waiting to be immortalised stretched around the world” (Turner: 8).

It was against this backdrop that Julie Andrews’s longtime manager, Charles ‘Uncle Charlie’ Tucker, approached Annigoni in 1958 with an invitation to paint his client who was riding triumphant at the time as the star of My Fair Lady. Tucker made the approach via a mutual friend –– Max Farber, an American newspaper editor and PR man who handled publicity for Annigoni’s first US exhibition in 1957 (Randolph: 6) –– which no doubt helped seal the deal (”Surprise”: 7). In his memoirs, Annigoni (1977) recalls:

Although I hardly knew who Julie Andrews was then, I agreed, but nearly a year went by before I was able to start the portrait. On the day I arrived in London, the manager Charles Tucker, took me to see the show and to meet the young actress. I was pleasurably surprised by both and decided there and then to paint her in the costume and character of Eliza Doolittle, the show’s Cockney flowergirl (121).

The meeting of these two disparate celebrities –– the serious, gruff Continental painter and the trilling English Rose –– was the stuff of PR dreams and it drew considerable media attention. “There’s no need to say she is very pretty,” Annigoni is reported to have remarked as he sized up his subject in her backstage dressing-room, “But I expect I shall need some 30 sittings before I am satisfied” (”Surprise”: 7).

In the end, Julie went to sit for the artist at his Chelsea studio exactly 28 times between April and June 1959 (Rydon: 5). Following these sessions, Annigoni would continue to work on the painting for hours, often late into the night. Ever the perfectionist, he even arranged for a copy of Julie’s flower-girl costume to be sent over from Drury Lane and worn by a model so he could hone the finishing touches (ibid.).

Throughout the more than two month period of the portrait’s production, Julie continued to perform in My Fair Lady, as well as prepare for her wedding to Tony Walton in mid-May. It was a pressured schedule that inevitably led to the odd timing mishap, a source of great irritation to the exacting Annigoni. When, on one occasion, Julie arrived at his studio more than twenty minutes late, the artist was so enraged he refused to answer the door, necessitating a diplomatic flurry of contrite telephone calls to smooth his ruffled ego (Andrews: 258; Annigoni: 121). “He was an arrogant man,” Julie recounts, “the epitome of the temperamental artist” who “demanded total dedication and punctuality” (Andrews: 258).

For all his irascibility, Annigoni in his memoirs looked back fondly on Julie as “a very sweet girl” (Annigoni: 121). He was especially grateful when, after complaining of a pain in his right arm, Julie arranged for a special house call from Tony Walton’s doctor-father who diagnosed “a cracked humerus” and “treated it successfully” (122). Annigoni was, by all accounts, equally pleased with the portrait itself, quietly considering it to be one of his finer works (Rydon: 5).

Once the commission was complete and the portrait delivered, the enterprising Tucker set about negotiating the sale of reproduction rights to select newspaper and magazine outlets. It was a canny move that not only helped recoup much of the initial £2000 commission fee but ensured optimal publicity for both the portrait and its star (Annigoni: 122). Images of the painting were carried in the international press as far away as Australia (“Annigoni’s Fair Lady”: 122). In October, Tucker licensed Woman’s Own –– a high-circulation magazine that had previously published several stories on Annigoni –– to run a lavish full-colour centrefold “presentation copy” of the portrait (”Star Feature”: 29-31). This special issue was strategically timed to coincide with the PR lead-up to Julie’s four-part BBC TV series in November/December 1959, the first episode of which featured Annigoni as a celebrity guest (Cottrell: 126). Tucker also floated plans –– ultimately unrealised, alas –– for future portraits of Julie as Guinevere in Camelot and “all the different characters of every show she has been in” (Private Correspondence to Max Farber, 21 April 1959; see also “’My Fair Lady’ Star”: 4).

As with much of Annigoni’s work during this period, the Julie Andrews portrait was well received by the public and middlebrow commentators –– “a breathtaking canvas” (Rydon: 7); “surely will rank...in the future with the famous ‘Mona Lisa’" (Cartmel: 16) –– but it proved far less pleasing to ‘serious’ art critics. Indeed, for the most part, the arts intelligentsia of the day took a pretty dim view of Annigoni. The artist’s predilection for representational classicism, coupled with his vocal opposition to then fashionable traditions of abstract modernism, made him an "isolated anachronism” in the post-war arts scene and a frequent target of critical scorn (Turner: 8). Many critics dismissed Annigoni as little more than a technically-accomplished draughtsman, a “purveyor of Old Masterish pastiche” (Rogers: 96).

When the Julie Andrews portrait was shown at the annual Royal Academy Summer Exhibition in 1960, many reviews were openly derisive. “I suppose it has a faded Victorian charm,” sniffed The Observer (Clutton-Brock: 19). “Signor Pietro Annigoni’s Julie Andrews in My Fair Lady...belong[s] in every fibre to the times and dull skill of late Victoriana,” echoed the Daily Mail (Jeannerat 1960: 7). While The Stage huffed: “With his oil of Julie Andrews in My Fair Lady, Pietro Annigoni could not have been more conventional and unexciting if he had tried with all his might” (”Not Much”: 21).

The intervening passage of time and the resurgence of interest in figurative portraiture has afforded a less jaundiced view of Annigoni and his place in art history. Following the artist’s death in 1988, his work was subject to a growing critical reassessment that saw him redeemed as an important figure of twentieth-century ‘classical realism’ (Lack: 50-59). A 1995 feature-length documentary mounted a passionate defence of Annigoni as “a prolific and complex artist...a philosopher with the skill to capture a person’s soul” (Bond and Smith). Major retrospectives of his work have since been held around the world and in 2008 a dedicated Annigoni museum was inaugurated in the artist’s native Florence.

It is a context that encourages renewed consideration of Annigoni’s portrait of Julie Andrews as a serious artwork. Pace knee-jerk dismissals of it as mere decorative Victoriana, close reading reveals that, beyond the attractive veneer –– what one critic sneeringly termed “the prettiness of the chocolate-box” (Jeannerat 1961: 3) –– lies a work of considerable intelligence and interpretive depth. For all his technical realism, Annigoni approached the practice of portrait painting as effectively that of an expressive character-study. “I have always painted to please myself,” he declared, “and interpret the sitter as I see and understand [them]” (Shearer: 4). A good portrait needs to be accurate but also communicative, he believed, an expression of character and moral quality beyond the mere impression of outward appearance. It’s an approach that orients his portraits to structural and conceptual duplexity: “he captures the soul of beautiful women...but he also catches the deeper side” (Sullivan: 92).

Here, it is worth recalling the ‘official’ title of Annigoni’s portrait of Julie: ‘Eliza’, Julie Andrews in ‘My Fair Lady’ (Jackson: 84). It suggests that, far from a simple depiction of a single physical subject, the portrait is in fact a complex study of plural subjects. It ‘portrays’ Julie Andrews –– in technically consummate, if idealised, likeness –– but in the guise of Eliza Doolittle, a celebrated character as reimagined in a contemporary hit musical. There are thus three interacting spheres or layers of representation in the work: real person, fictional character, and theatrical role. Looking at the portrait, the observer’s mind moves inexorably between all three, posing an interpretive conundrum: are we looking at an actress in character or a character as realised by an actress?

Taking the idea of layering further, the portrait, like much of Annigoni’s work, is quite literally a work of layers. As part of his commitment to traditionalism, Annigoni was noted for his exacting use of Quattrocento production techniques. Chief among these was the practice of tempera grassa whereby an artwork is painstakingly created on a chalk-gessoed panel through composite layers of pigment mixed with a binding agent, typically egg and oil, interspersed with coats of lacquer (Cookson: 43ff). It is a labour-intensive form of stratified image-construction that lends Annigoni’s paintings their characteristic luminosity with dynamic hues and complex interplay of shadows and light. It also enhances their disarming trompe l’oeuil effect where minutely detailed realism –– limpid eyes, flesh flushed with sanguine warmth, textured fabric–– and precise geometric perspectivalism combine to simulate a sense of perceptual depth that draws the eye in and across the painting’s spatial field and its various objects (Hoopes: 21).

Annigoni’s portrait work is equally characterised by a parallel layering of compositional form. Much like his Renaissance masters, the artist typically sets his subjects in and against a background rich with symbolic import. His celebrated 1954-55 painting of the Queen, for example, was as famous for its romantic depiction of the young monarch resplendent in her ceremonial robes as for the fact that she appears Diana-like towering triumphant over a sylvan English landscape at misty dawn, gazing into “the light of...a new Elizabethan age” (Wynne-Morgan: 17).

In the case of the Julie Andrews portrait, Annigoni chose to depict his subject against a backdrop of peeling theatre posters. Such was the importance of this background to Annigoni’s vision that he reportedly scoured London to obtain historical playbills from the very date Shaw’s original production of Pygmalion, the source text for My Fair Lady, opened at His Majesty’s Theatre on April 11, 1914 (Rydon: 5). Cracked and peeling in burnished hues of faded gold and green, the backdrop is clearly redolent of age and historical memory. In fact, the curled strips of paper look not unlike autumn leaves falling with the passage of time. Combined with the work’s classical style and bronzed patina, it strikes a decided note of wistful, even melancholic, longing. But what redeems the endeavour from being a simple exercise in sentimental nostalgia –– a common criticism of Annigoni’s work –– is that this elegiac reference to times-gone-by sits within a broader frame of markedly mixed temporalities.

In a way that neatly parallels the painting’s fusion of representational levels mentioned above, the portrait conjoins past, present and future in convoluted, and ultimately irresolvable, ways. Out of the golden past of Edwardian theatrical history, Shaw’s Eliza –– herself a resurrection of the ancient Greek figure of Galatea –– is reborn anew in My Fair Lady, the contemporary hit show of the painting’s ‘present’ in the late-1950s. That she is embodied here in the form of Julie Andrews, a then-tender 23-year old on the cusp of global superstardom, adds additional layers of futurity to the mix –– as does the fact that Annigoni chose to paint Julie in Eliza’s early flower-girl guise where she is still dreaming of an as-yet-unknown “loverly” tomorrow.*

The multi-levelled temporality of the portrait was not lost on commentators at the time of the painting’s unveiling:

Annigoni has painted Julie Andrews, who created the leading musical ‘My Fair Lady’ but it is Shaw’s eternal Eliza (46 years old next year––the first performance was in April 1914) who shines through...The portrait was commissioned by Miss Andrews’ manager, Mr Charles Tucker. The woebegone waif, clutching her purse shawl, with her melting mouth and a tear n her cheek, will hand in house. Until he dies. He has willed the portrait to Miss Andrews, a legacy of her first fame (“Annigoni’s ‘Fair Lady’”: 122).

This 1959 prediction as to the ‘future’ of the portrait was close to the spirit, if not quite the letter, of what transpired. After hanging for many years in Tucker’s London office, the painting was eventually put up for auction at Sotheby’s in late-1975 where it generated considerable interest (Hickey: 9).* Following spirited bidding, the painting sold at fall of hammer to an anonymous bidder for £7000 (£60,000 in inflation adjusted prices) (Jackson: 84; Walker: 11). The bidder was subsequently revealed to be a proxy advocating on behalf of Blake Edwards who had bought the portrait as a gift for his wife. So, in the end, ‘Eliza’, Julie Andrews in ‘My Fair Lady’ came back full circle to its subject who, in her own words, is “thrilled to own it and it hangs in my home” (Andrews: 258).

Notes:

* Some commentators have pointed out that the portrait contains another coincidental allusion to the star’s future as one of the playbills glimpsed in the background appears to spell out the half-hidden words: The Sound of... “How prophetic!” notes Julie (Andrews: 258).

** Several sources, including Annigoni himself (1977: 122), state that the painting was put up for sale by Tucker’s widow after his death. The Sotheby’s catalogue does indeed list “Mrs Charles L. Tucker” as the lot consignor but Tucker was still alive in 1975––he passed four years later in 1979––so his wife’s name was possibly used for taxation purposes (”Obituary”: 6). In her memoir, Julie alludes to the fact that she and Tucker had a gradual professional alienation which resulted in a change of management sometime in the mid-60s (Andrews: 221). She also mentions apropos the auction that: “I heard that Charlie asked whether [the portrait was being bought] on my behalf, and he seemed happy when the fact was confirmed” (Andrews: 258).

Sources:

Andrews, Julie. Home: A Memoir of My Early Years. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2008.

Annigoni, Pietro and Wright, Robin. An Artist’s Life. London: W.H. Allen, 1977.

“Annigoni’s Fair Lady.” The Sydney Morning Herald. 11 October 1959: 122.

Bond, Richard and Smith, Stephen. Annigoni: Portrait of an Artist [DVD], Italy/Canada: Artatak/Rainbow Films, 1994.

Cartmel, Frank B. “Splendid.” Daily Express. 1 October 1959: 16.

Clutton-Brock, Alan. “New Non-Conformists.” The Observer. 1 May 1960:18-19.

Cookson, Dawn. Painting with Annigoni: A Halcyon Decade as a Student in Florence 1958-68. London : Unicorn Press, 2000.

Cottrell, John. Julie Andrews: The Story of a Star. London: Arthur Barker, 1968.

“Fair Deal.” The Guardian. 13 November 1975: 6.

Hickey, William. “Under the Hammer: Annigoni’s Fair Lady.” Daily Express. 29 October 1975: 9.

Hoopes, Donelson F. Pietro Annigoni: A Retrospective Exhibition. New York: Brooklyn Museum, 1969.

Jackson, Anne, ed. Art at Auction, The Year at Sotheby Park Bernet, 1975-1976. New York: Rizzoli, 1976.

Jeannerat, Pierre. “Christ at Cookham...the Epitaph of Genius.” Daily Mail. 29 April 1960: 7.

_________. “Just Chocolate (Annigoni flavour) Likenesses.” Daily Mail. 26 April 1961: 3

Lack, Richard. "Classical Realism: The Other Twentieth Century," Utne Reader. July /August 1989: 50-59.

Laws, Frederick. “Annigoni’s 1961 Old Masters So Depressing.” Daily Herald. 26 April 1961: 39.

McIlhany, Sterling. “Pietro Annigoni: Contemporary Florentine Master.” American Artist. 36: 359, June 1972: 24-30.

“’My Fair Lady’ Star Seen as Fairest of Them All.” The Age. 18 November 1959: 4.

“Not Much at the Academy.” The Stage. 5 May 1960: 21.

“Obituary: Charles L. Tucker Dies; Impressario [sic].” Hartford Courant. 14 May 1979: 6.

Randolph, Nancy. “Chit-Chat.” Daily News. 11 December 1957: 6.

Rogers, Malcolm. From Elizabeth I to Elizabeth II: Master Drawings from the National Portrait Gallery. London: Art Services International, 1993.

Shearer, Lloyd. “The Ladies Love His Portraits.” Parade. 5 January 1958: 4.

“Star Feature: Annigoni’s Portrait of Julie Andrews.” Woman’s Own. 3 October 1959: 29-31.

Sullivan, Robert. “Pietro Paints the Queen.” Daily News. 5 June 1955: 92.

“Surprise for Julie: Annigoni arrives to paint her.” Daily Express. 16 April 1959:

Turner, Francesca. “Annigoni: Isolated Anachronism.” Evening Post. 9 May 1977: 8.

Walker, John. “Meet...Understated Superstar.” Observer Magazine. 6 June 1976: 10-11.

Welles, John. “Meet Julie Andrews: Understated Superstar.” The Observer Magazine. 6 June 1976:

Wynne-Morgan, David. “Painter of the Queen: Annigoni, a Dazzling Story of Success.” The Age Literary Supplement. 15 December 1956: 17.

Zeri, Federico. Italian Paintings: Florentine School: A Catalogue of the Collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. New York: MMA, 1971.

#julie andrews #Pietro Annigoni #My Fair Lady #eliza doolittle #portrait #artist #charles tucker #musical theatre #west end #Broadway #1959 #art #painting

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girlactionfigure · 5 years

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Jews in Comic Books

How American Jews created the comic book industry.

Jews built the comic book industry from the ground up, and the influence of Jewish writers, artists, and editors continues to be felt to this day. But how did Jews come to have such a disproportionate influence on an industry most famous for lantern-jawed demigods clad in colorful tights?

First Comic Books

The story begins in 1933. During that year, the world experienced seismic changes in politics and pop culture. An unemployed Jewish novelty salesman named Maxwell Charles “M.C.” Gaines (née Max Ginzberg) had a brilliant idea: if heenjoyed reading old comic strips like Joe Palooka, Mutt and Jeff, and Hairbredth Harry so much, maybe the rest of America would, too. Thus was born the American comic book, which in its earliest days consisted of reprinted newspaper funnies. Gaines and his colleague Harry L. Wildenberg at Eastern Color Printing soon published February 1934’s Famous Funnies #1, Series 1, the first American retail comic book.

Rival comic book publishers sprang up immediately. However, by the mid-1930s publishers were already starting to exhaust the backlog of daily and Sunday strips that could be reprinted. The easiest way to fill the demand for new comic book features was for publishers to tap writers and artists who couldn’t get work anywhere else, either because they were too young, too inexperienced, or Jewish–in most cases, all three. Advertising agencies had anti-Semitic quotas, and newspaper syndicates only occasionally took on a token Jewish cartoonist like Milt Gross or Rube Goldberg. But the comic book companies were mostly run by Jewish publishers like Timely Comics’s Martin Goodman or DC Comics’s Harry Donenfeld. It was a situation similar to that of the early motion picture industry, in which Jewish directors, producers, and studio executives who’d faced anti-Semitism in other industries built an industry of their own.

Because the comic book stories were being written and drawn largely by inexperienced teenagers, they were often crude rip-offs of the popular newspaper strips of the day, such as Tarzan or Buck Rogers. Enter writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, the creators of Superman. In 1938, DC Comics published the Man of Steel’s first adventure in the pages of Action Comics #1. Superman was an instant hit. Literally dozens of Superman clones were rushed into production by rival comic book publishers, and suddenly the comic book industry had a future.

According to most comic book historians, Superman’s creation heralded the beginning of the so-called “Golden Age” of comic books, the era during which the visual grammar of the medium was established. It was also a time when many classic characters were created. There was nothing overtly Jewish about the characters created during this era. However, occasionally a comic book character would emerge that had certain Jewish signifiers. After America became involved in World War II, Timely Comics superhero Captain America’s Jewish creators Joe Simon and Jack Kirby pitted their star-spangled warrior against the Nazi agent Red Skull. Captain America’s alter ego Steve Rogers could be seen as a symbol for the way Jews were stereotypically depicted as frail and passive. That is, until he took a serum that transformed him into the robust Captain America. The serum was created by “Professor Reinstein,” an obvious nod to famed Jewish physicist Albert Einstein. And Superman gave such a pounding to Nazi agents from 1941-45 that, according to legend, Nazi Minister of Propaganda Joseph Goebbels jumped up in the midst of a Reichstag meeting and denounced the Man of Steel as a Jew.

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caseysbell · 5 years

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Whodunit

If you’re a reader who finds joy in the “whodunit” books then Daniella Bernett is the author for you. A member of the Mystery Writers of America NY Chapter, Daniella by day is a research manager for an engineering, architectural and construction management firm, and by night is a murder mystery, crime solving writer. If you are a Sherlock Holmes or a Matlock at heart than get your hands on her books. Daniella has a string of mystery series that will attend to your reading addiction. I had the chance to talk with her and ask a few questions about her and her series. 1. When did you know you wanted to be a writer? I’ve wanted to be a writer since I was nine years old. The spark that launched me into the writing world was my fourth grade teacher. Once a week, she had Creative Writing hour and gave us different assignments. I absolutely loved it. However, I think it all started with a love of reading and an appreciation of language and the written word. I am, and always have been, a voracious reader. Mysteries, spy thrillers, the classics, history, biographies, anything except science fiction and horror. (I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night if I read those types of books). 2. What inspires you to write? Inspiration is derived from all sorts of places. It could be a newspaper article; a snippet of overheard conversation; a real-life crime; or a dream. I get a lot of ideas from the sights and sounds of a city or an area that has made a strong impression on me. You’re either going to laugh or you’re going to run very quickly in the opposite direction, but oftentimes I come across a place and think, “Wouldn’t this be the perfect setting to find a dead body?” Location plays an important role in my books. I’ve been an Anglophile since I was a little kid, so naturally, my characters had to be British, and London and the UK had to figure prominently in my books. I also adore Venice. That enchanted city’s history of intrigues was simply begging to be featured in Lead Me Into Danger, Book 1 in Emmeline Kirby-Gregory Longdon mystery series. In terms of Deadly Legacy, Book 2, what set the story in motion in my mind was the 2003 heist at the Antwerp Diamond Centre. A group of Italian thieves stole $100 million in diamonds, gold, and other jewelry. Only one man was caught. The diamonds were never found. This captivated my imagination. From Beyond The Grave, Book 3, focuses on Emmeline and Gregory’s rekindled relationship. His recent resurfacing has thrown her safe world into turmoil. Therefore, I wanted to take them outside of London, where they wouldn’t be distracted by daily routines. I selected Torquay along the English Riviera in Devon because I love the sea. Gently lapping tides, a rugged coastline, romantic sunsets, and murder. 3. What was your first published book? Lead Me Into Danger, Book 1 in my series, which features journalist Emmeline Kirby and jewel thief Gregory Longdon, was my first mystery published. My first book published was Timeless Allure, a poetry collection. 4. What is a brief synopsis of your mystery novel? In Lead Me Into Danger, Emmeline and Gregory haven’t seen each other in two years, but she literally runs into him in Venice after witnessing two men try to murder her colleague. Then, Emmeline and Gregory become ensnared in a hunt for a Russian spy in the British Foreign Office. 5. What was your first response to receiving your book and holding it? My heart stopped for the briefest instant, my breath caught in my throat, and my fingertips tingled. The feeling never changes. 6. What is your latest published book and the synopsis? A Checkered Past, Book 4, is the latest installment in my series. Here’s the back cover copy to whet your appetite: A looted Nazi painting…A former IRA commander…The tie that binds is murder Emmeline Kirby is back in London determined to make a success of her new job as editorial director of investigative features at The Clarion. Three months have passed since her trip to Torquay and the devastating revelations that surfaced about her fiancé Gregory Longdon. The whole interlude has left a bitter taste in her mouth, and she is keeping him at arm’s length. But a suave and dashing jewel thief like Gregory is not easily daunted. After all, faint heart never won fair lady. It doesn’t hurt that Emmeline’s grandmother and her best friend, Maggie, are on his side. Only his shadowy past could ruin his chances. All of these relationships are threatened as Emmeline stubbornly pursues a story about looted Nazi art and an IRA collaborator. When a stolen Constable painting belonging to Maggie’s family turns up in the collection of Max Sanborn, the chairman of the company that owns the Clarion, her personal crusade brings danger close to home. To find the truth, Emmeline and Gregory must untangle a web of deception, betrayal, and dark deeds. But will they learn too late that justice can be cold comfort if you’re dead? 7. What inspired you to write this book? I am passionate about the issue of looted Nazi art, as everyone should be about injustice. Sadly, as 2018 comes to a close and we enter 2019, we routinely read these stories in the papers. Each one another ugly stigma of shame that the Holocaust was allowed to take place. That’s why it infuriates me when people continue to deny that it ever happened and that its victims are “greedy” for attempting to have THEIR property returned. I simply attempted to keep the issue alive and to show how it reverberates today. In addition, the resurgence of such sentiments terrifies me. The war is never over for those who suffered, and continue to suffer, because of the injustices perpetrated against them. If we forget, humanity’s soul will be condemned in perpetuity. 8. What advice would you give people who are thinking about writing a book, but have not taken the steps yet? I believe all writers are readers at heart. Therefore, I would tell an aspiring writer to READ. Read everything you can get your hands on to get a feel for the pacing, moods evoked, subjects written about and the language. Read different authors to see how each handles the narrative and plot twists. In the end though, let these other books merely be your guides. The most important thing is to write the story that you want to write and not what others tell you or what the current market trends are. To write a great story, you have to breathe it, live with it, and nurture it in your dreams and waking hours. 9. Are you working on any new book(s)? Book 5 will be released in September 2019. I just finished Book 6. I usually take a couple of months off in between books to allow the next one to percolate in mind. Then, Emmeline and Gregory drag me off on another adventure. 10. Anything else you would like to say that was not asked? Many people ask me why I chose a journalist and a jewel thief as protagonists. A journalist is inherently curious about many subjects. His or her job is to ask questions to uncover the truth and ensure transparency. Naturally, a journalist would be intrigued by crime, especially murder. The determination to find answers and see that justice is served are all important. Meanwhile, a jewel thief’s modus operandi are lying and evasion of the law. Isn’t this in stark contrast to a journalist’s reverence for the truth and justice? Most definitely. That’s exactly the point. A portrait in contrasts. Who better than someone on the wrong side of the law to discern the twisted workings of a fellow criminal’s mind? A thief immediately recognizes things that the honest person would never even contemplate. In Gregory’s case, he has a certain code of honor. Murder is an offensive transgression. A line that should never be crossed. Thus, I have two diametrically opposed sleuths who are of one mind when it comes to the taking of a human life: the culprit must pay for the crime, otherwise chaos would reign in the world. 11. How can one contact you? Email, website, social media, etc? My website is http://www.daniellabernett.com/ I’d love to hear from readers. If they’d like to drop me a little note, there is an e-mail address on my website. Readers also can follow me on Facebook and Goodreads. http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4450173.Daniella_Bernett https://www.facebook.com/people/Daniella-Bernett/100008802318282

#mystery #mystery books #murder mystery #books #book readers #lover of books #book lovers #book addicts #bookaholics

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theycallmemoosey · 6 years

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Beach Dreams

Jack Kelly x Reader

A/N - Okay. My first fic...I’m going to say this straight up: I hate the way it’s laid out but I had to make it this way to post it. Yay...soooo yeah, lemme know how it is. Oh and thanks to my wee squirrel, @musicaltheatrenerd2002, who is my motivation and support daily. Danke <3

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You woke up to little grumbles and snores next to you. You turned around in the little bed, facing your boyfriend Jack, who was mumbling in his sleep. You smiled to yourself and kissed his collarbone, placing your hand on his arm and shaking him slightly. “Jacky...baby, wake up” you mumbled by his ear. Jack woke up with a jolt, relaxing when he saw you. He wrapped his arms around you and pulled you close, pecking the top of your head.

“Good mornin’ baby girl” Jack yawned, squeezing your arms tightly. You placed your head on his chest and snuggled closer to him, “what were you dreaming about?”. Jack sat up slightly, looking down at you, “Hm?”. You smiled at him, “You were having a dream...what was it about?”.

“Rainbows and ponies” Jack replied, and you whacked his arm and shook your head, “Really...babe come on. What were you dreaming about?”. “Nah. You’d laugh at me...”, he looked away dramatically. “Try me” you smirked at him, and he sighed, rubbing your arm up and down, “Well, I was...”

The lodging house warden began to shout at all the Newsies, walking down the lines of bunks, banging on each metal post of the bed. You could hear the groans of the Newsies as they were woken up, and you raised your head to look at Jack, who simply smiled at you lovingly, before leaning down to kiss you. “Miss Y/N?” You heard the old man behind you. You pulled away from Jack and tilted your head backwards, “Yeah?”. The warden bent down slightly to look at you, “What have I said about sleeping with the boys?”

“That it’s wrong, and if someone from the authorities were to walk in, then I’d get sent to the girls home down the road, but...you’re gonna let me off this one time because no one did turn up and you love me” you smiled at him, and he just shook his head and laughed. You and the warden had one of the best relationships in the house, considering he practically raised you from the age of 7, after he found you alone on the streets. You met Jack when he was brought into the lodging house after his fathers death and you two grew up as best friends. As the two of matured, you discovered you had feelings for one another. And now here you were, aged 16 with your boyfriend, loving life. As you began to get up, you could hear Race and Specs arguing in the bathroom as usual, and you laughed to yourself. You grabbed your clothes off of your actual bunk and strolled into the bathroom. “Alright boys, your times up. This bathroom is strictly for the female gender only from this moment until I leave” you smirked at them, placing your clothes on the nearest sink. You looked at the boys in the bathroom, who were all just staring at you. You huffed and placed a hand on your hip, “don’t make me get Jack...”With that, all the boys began murmuring and scrambling out of the bathroom. You laughed quietly, walking towards the door and catching Jack’s eye. He winked at you and you stuck your tongue out at him, before sliding the door and sighing with content. Peace and quiet.

You washed up, brushed your hair and got dressed into the trousers and oversized shirt, waistcoat and to finish a flat cap. You tidied your hair, pulling out loose strands from the cap to make sure you looked like a girl. Being a news girl sold more papers, unsurprisingly. You walked out the bathroom into the chaotic mess that was the dorm and walked towards Jack’s bunk, dumping his shirt that you sleep in on his pillow. “You know, Miss Y/N,” Romeo said behind you, badly imitating the warden’s voice, “you can’t put your stuff here...this is a boys bed. And we don’t want you to be sleeping with boys in case-“. “Bite me, Mo” you shook your head at him, perching on the side of Jack’s bed. “Where is Jack anyway?” “He went down early. I think he’s already gone to the newspaper factory” Crutchie piped up, struggling to put a sock on. You walked over and help him, confusion running through your head. “He’s never left early before...not unless we fight and...and we haven’t fought in donkey’s years” “I don’t know, Y/N. Maybe he just felt more energised and wanted to get ahead of the queue?” “Since when has Jack ever wanted to be first in line?” Race interrupted the conversation. You looked at Crutchie and sighed, before heaving yourself up and towards the end of the room. “Come on then boys. New day, new paper...same old Weasel. Let’s go sell some papes!”

You led the boys down the stairs, saying goodbye to the warden and walking with Crutchie down the road to the paper factory. You were one of the last to arrive at the gates, but a path was made to let you through. You looked through the gaps and noticed Jack negotiating something with Wiesel. You pulled Race towards you.

“Race, what’s he doing?” “What makes you think that I would know?”You sighed in defeat and shrugged, looking back towards Jack. You could see that he was getting frustrated. You watched the two of them, before you were elbowed gently by Specs. “What was that for?” You asked him, watching his head nod towards the gate, where the Delancey brothers were leant against the railings. You could see their eyes look you up and down, their smirks sickening. You sighed and crossed your arms, “boys, it’s been 8 years. Can’t you two take a hint?” You heard them both grunt, still smiling at you, “What part of no don’t you freaking understand?!” The noise of chattering behind you calmed and became quieter at the sound of your raised voices, although you could also hear the snickers of Race and Romeo next to you. You looked behind them, noticing Jack turn his head towards the gate. You looked at him and smiled shyly, trying to reassure him. You noticed Jack turn quickly back towards Wiesel, before he was given the usual 100 papers. The gates opened and the boys all rushed past you as they queued for their papers. Instead of joining them, you walked over to Jack who was sat reading the paper on the hay bales. “Hey”. He looked up, noticing who it was and smiling, “Hey princess” “Is everything okay, Jack? I saw you talking to Weasel and-“, Jack stood up quickly, taking your hand, “everything’s perfect, Y/N. Promise”. You hummed in agreement, although still suspicious. Jack let go of your hand, and tucked a stray piece of hair behind your ear, his hand lingering by your cheek. “Go get your papers, and we’ll go sell” he kissed you quickly, and you walked away to line up.

“Ahhh Little Miss Y/N! How many we doing today?” “Weasel...” “Wiesel” “What’s up with Jack?” “He was asking for more papers...but everyone knows the max is 100” “Oh. Right. God, I thought it was something drastic” “How many, Y/N?” “Just 50 today” “50? You not feeling well?” “I’m peachy, Weasel...I’ll see you tomorrow” “It’s Wiesel!!” You paid for your papers and wandered over to Jack, papers in one hand and Jack’s hand in the other.

The two of you walked along the street, towards the main square. You were shouting all sorts of crazy headlines, your personal favourite of Jack’s being “flesh eating bug found in baby’s nose!”

The two of you managed to sell all 150 papers by 4, so the two of you decided to walk to the theatre as a reward. You entered the theatre hand in hand and met Medda backstage. “Jack! I was wondering when you were going to come back. Is that Miss Y/N with ya?” “Hey, Medda” “Oh! Y/N! My child! Oh my how lovely it is to see you again! My, how much you’ve grown since I last saw you!” “Only by an inch. She’s still a midget” Jack wrapped his arm around your shoulders, and pulled you close to him. “Hey now, Jack, that’s no way to talk about a lady! This young lady is a fine one, I’m telling you that. You’re very lucky to have her, Jack. Too lucky...” Medda faked a stern look, making you and Jack laugh slightly. “I know, Medda. I’m the luckiest damn guy in the world” Jack looked at you lovingly, before kissing your forehead. “Well, do you two want to watch the show?” You looked at Jack, who simply smiled and turned to Medda, “we’d love you, Medda, thank you. We haven’t had a time together for a while now” “I’ll let you two have the royal!” “Medda, honestly. There’s no need for that. We can-“ you began, but Medda interrupted.

“No! No! Please. Jack, you know the way. Why don’t you take her up?” Jack took your hand again, “Thank you Medda. You’re the best, honestly. If there are any more backdrops you need me to-“

“Later boy, up you go” Medda shooed you and Jack away Jack led you up the stairs above the stage and into the box, where two cushioned chairs were sat facing the stage. “Oh my lord, this is gorgeous...this is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen” you looked at Jack, who just stared at you and smiled. “I mean...apart from your penthouse” “I agree, Y/N...this is the second most beautiful thing I’ve seen. You being the first. My penthouse doesn’t even cover it” Jack moved towards you and embraced you from behind, swaying you from side to side. You looked across the audience and smiled. “This is amazing. Thank you, Jack” “Why you thanking me? Baby, this is all Medda” “I would never have met Medda if it weren’t for you. Thank you for everything, Jack. I really love you, you know that, right?” Jack kissed your neck, “I know Y/N. I love you a million times more” He let go of you and led you into the seat closest to the stage before sitting in the one next to him. The two of you watched the show girls, the singers, the dancers and Medda. Throughout, Jack’s hand was either intertwined with yours or on your thigh, his thumb rubbing against you.

When the show ended, you gave a standing ovation, cheering when Medda took her bow. You looked to your side to see Jack, but saw no one there. You looked around the audience, but he was no where. You quickly stopped applauding and headed out the box, retracing your steps cautiously. You padded along the metal stairway backstage, being careful not to make too much noise. “Jack?” You whispered with a raised toned “Jack?!” You frantically turned your head, looking desperately for Jack, when you noticed him at the bottom of the stairs. “Why did you leave me?” You asked him, walking down the stairs hurriedly “I got you a little sumfin” he smiled childishly. “It better be bloody good...” “Well...best I can do for now”. Jack pulled out a rolled piece of paper, accompanied with a rose. “Jacky...” “Just open it, Y/N”. You looked at him and smiled, before unrolling the paper. Jack had drawn a portrait of you whilst you were watching the show. It was the most beautiful picture you had seen. You stared at it in awe, tears in your eyes. “You don’t like it...” “No! Oh my, Jack, no! This is...beautiful. There are no words for how beautiful this is...” “It’s sure as hell not as beautiful as you, Y/N. I love you with everything I have, even if it is with some paper and charcoal”. You laughed, before embracing him tightly. You kissed him deeply before the two of you were interrupted by Medda’s cough. “I know you two are young, but let’s keep the affection to a minimum in public, okay kids?” “Sorry Medda” Jack laughed, pulling you close, “Y/N, hun, why don’t you go talk to the girls over there? I know how you’ve always wanted to be an actress...” “Oh. Yeah sure” you pecked Jack’s cheek and wandered over towards the show girls, talking with them. Jack smiled as he watched you, before turning to Medda. “Medda, I...I was wondering if you needed anymore backdrops. Or anyone else needs them. See, I need to buy something that costs a lot of money and-“ “Oh sweetie, if you needed money you could have just asked for some. How much is it you need?” “You see, Medda, it’s for Y/N...”.

You watched Jack and Medda talking as you sat on the closest chair to the group of show girls. They stopped talking to you a while ago, and you knew whatever Jack was talking to Medda about was private, so you let them be. You watched as Jack smiled with joy, before hugging Medda tightly. He looked over at you and offered his arm. Giggling, you got up and walked to Jack, taking his arm and thanking Medda, before he walked you back to the lodging house. For the next few days, you woke up next to Jack, claimed the bathroom and walk back to his bunk, which was empty. He always left early, without anyone knowing why. Until one day, Crutchie ignored you. You could only assume he knew what Jack was up to, because when he saw you he smiled and then quickly looked away. Jack was acting particularly affectionate for the next few days, which was lovely for you but also quite odd, as he didn’t particularly like to show affection in public unless he was jealous or boasting.

Finally, it was Sunday. The one day without papers. The one day you could wake up at 11 in the morning and no one in the world would care. Except this morning, when you woke up to the sound of...nothing. You opened your eyes and saw the dorm was empty, including your bunk. You sat up and called out, “hello? Guys, it’s Sunday...where the hell are y’all?”

No one answered and the dorm was eerily silent. “Guys?”. You swung your legs over Jack’s bed and slipped on his nearest jumper, pulling it over Jack’s shirt and your shorts. You walked down the stairs and to the warden’s office. “Mornin’ Y/N” “Hey...where is everyone?” “Not sure. Saw some of them run past the door earlier so probably gone out. You did sleep in quite late to be fair, but you’re right. It is awful quiet...” “I’ll check the roof, see if Jack’s up there”. As you turned round to walk out, the warden grabbed your wrist, “I don’t like you up there, cos if the authority came they-“ “They’re not going to come...and if they do, I’ll take the risk” You walked out and ran up the stairs, through the dorm, then out to the balcony, stopping to take a breath before climbing up the stairs to the roof.

As you stepped onto the gravel of the roof, your breath was taken when you saw all the boys, roses in their hands and big smiles on their faces. “What the-“. Race smiled at you, “Jack. He...well...”. Jack emerged from the back of the group, “I love you, and I wanna show you how much I do. And all these guys wanna say thank you for everything you’ve done. You’ve been the mother half of us have never had and you know what, even though some of these boys are older than you, they think you’re so much better and wiser and we all love you for that. And so, I’m taking you somewhere you’ve always wanted to go...” “London?”. Jack laughed, “not quite, baby girl. We couldn’t quite afford London yet. The boys and I have arranged you and I a couple days in Connecticut. I know you’ve always wanted to go to the beach and see the sand and sea...”. You felt the tears roll down your face as you leapt into Jack’s arms, kissing his cheek continuously. “Thank you thank you thank you. Guys, all of you thank you so much”. The rest of the group joined the hug, suffocating you and Jack in the middle. “Guys! Can’t breathe!” Jack wheezed out, the both of you feeling the fresh air as each Newsies climbed off top of you. “Oh yeah, we all got you another present” Crutchie piped up, holding out a flat box to you. “Guys, you’ve all done enough” you gratefully took the box from Crutchie and opened it, revealing a light blue and purple flowing dress. You weren’t a dressy girl, but that’s only because you were never able to wear one before, however you had seen girls wear beautiful dresses and somehow been a bit jealous. While wearing Jack’s shirt, you would often find yourself flowing around the dorm as if it were a dress. You gasped at the dress, speechless, staring at how it is so beautiful. “Guys...this is...absolutely stunning. Thank you, so, so much...Jesus guys” you began to sob, and Jack pulled you in close. “How about, Y/N, you go put that on and meet me downstairs by our carriage?” “Our what?”

“Carriage...oh yeah. We’re going fancy, baby”. You laughed, kissing his cheek and thanking everybody once again before rushing downstairs to get the dress on.

It came to mid-thigh, not quite the dress of New York, but beach appropriate. You put on your nicest pair of slip on shoes and pinned your hair into a half up ponytail. You looked nice, which for yourself, meant something. You never thought you looked nice, no matter how much people told you that you looked nice.

You padded down the stairs, sighing with nervousness. The warden was waiting at the bottom of the stairs for you, smiling when he saw how you looked. “My, my. Don’t you look beautiful Y/N?” “Shut it” you laughed, hugging him tightly. “I’ll see you in a few days, Y/N. Be safe” “I’m with Jack. I’m too safe if you ask me”. He waved you goodbye as you walked out the door, coming face to face with a Jack you didn’t recognise. He was in suit trousers, an ironed white shirt and his usual jacket, not forgetting his cap, although his hair was neatly tucked in. “Don’t you look, handsome?” “Romeo made me...so I look alright?” “You kidding me? I’ve never been more in love with you than right now”

Jack smiled at you and pulled you in for a kiss, before leading you into the carriage, pulled by horses. The journey was long and for some points, quite boring. You immediately went through Brooklyn, passing by Spot who waved to you. You crossed the boarder and into Connecticut. For some part of the journey, you slept on Jack, and he on you. Just as you were leaving Manhattan, you asked Jack the question on your mind. “Jack...” “Princess” “How?” “How what?” “Did you do this? Get all the money? I do the same job as you and I can’t even afford decent clothes, let alone a 3 day holiday off of work, a new dress, a carriage and a trip to the beach...how?” Jack sighed, looking hesitant to answer. He took your hand in his and looked at you lovingly. “Weasel helped me out. The boys and I all worked extra shifts and Weasel charged us less for the same amount of papers, so we made more money. We knew he’d do it because he loves you to death, and he too, can see how hard you’ve worked. I asked Warden as well...he obviously chipped in. I mean, that alone covered a lot. I left super early in the morning to draw and sell my pictures, and did the same at night. And that day you were sick? I just sold my art. I worked extra at Medda’s as well, and of course she leant me some money. Everyone can see how hard you work to keep us all sane, and yourself. Everyone loves you, and it’s time you get a break”

You didn’t notice the stupid grin on your face, and went to hug Jack tightly. “I love you so damn much, Kelly...” “I love you more”

When you arrived, the two of you went to a nearby hotel, with a king sized bed and a view across the sea. You couldn’t see it because you arrived at night, but the smell alone was amazing. You slept soundly in the huge bed, loving the extra room you had, although you still slept close to Jack.

In the morning, Jack woke up, blindfolding you to the balcony. When you were outside, he took the blindfold off, revealing the beach. It was beautiful.

You had never seen sand before and so you were speechless, begging to go down as quickly as possible. You changed into your dress and dragged Jack downstairs quickly. You ran onto the sand, feeling it slip between your toes. It was hot and felt quite sharp, but pleasant. You looked at Jack happily and held out both hands to him, and he walked to you happily, dancing with you in the sand. He led you towards the water and you weren’t expecting it to be as cold as it was. He began splashing you and chasing you around the water. It was clear why the boys had bought you a shorter dress.

The two of you spent the day on the beach, eating hot dogs for lunch and chips for dinner. You both walked along the shore line at sunset, heading towards the hotel once again. Jack stopped by the rocks, looking in the small pools. “Y/N” “Mmhmm?” “Come here, I wanna show you something quick”. You wandered over to him, looking in the small pool of water. He pointed to a small creature that walked sideways. You laughed at the sight of it, cringing slightly. “It’s called a crab. They’re actually quite delicious...” “You eat them?!” “Yeah. Like you eat fish” “Oh...” “Do you want to hold it” “Ew. No. Thanks for the offer but I’ll-“. Jack clasped his hands together, holding them out towards you, “sure? I mean, he won’t hurt you”. You squealed and backed away. “No! Jack, take it away!” You laughed at him. “Come on, Y/N, pleeeeease” “No!” “Okay okay” Jack chuckled, placing his hands back in the water. He wiped his hands on his trousers, before holding your hand back to the hotel. You fell asleep in an instant, sound asleep against Jack’s chest. He kissed your temple, more in love with you now then ever, before falling asleep with you.

The next day was exactly the same, going shopping in the nearby town. You loved spending time with Jack, especially without worrying about papers and made up headlines. You couldn’t have been happier. The last day came faster than you would have liked, and you spent the day relaxing on the sand, cuddled up to each other, jack’s shirt on the sand as a blanket, and his cap on his face to shield his eyes from the sun. You thought he looked more handsome than ever and kissed him unexpectedly. He sat up, surprised, as you just sat and giggled at him. Jack wasn’t one for public displays of affection, but he grabbed you and pulled you in for a deep kiss. You were there for a while, finally pulled apart by a man who asked you two to stop for the “innocence of my son”. When he walked away, the two of you laughed and cuddled back up together. “Jacky?” “Y/N” “You never told me what you were dreaming about the other night. It’s been bugging me ever since...” “Uhhh” jack sat up, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Jack, don’t make me tickle you” you lunged your arms at his sides, tickling him.

“Alright, alright!” Jack squirmed out of your reach, grabbing your hands, “I was dreaming about...about losing you” “What?” “You left the lodging house early one day and I went after you, only to find out you were with Oscar” “What? Delancey?” “Yeah...and I tried to soak them and I failed...” You laughed, shocked at what Jack was suggesting. “See? I told you you’d laugh at me!” “Oscar? Really?” “I know...” “I mean, if I were to go for a Delancey, it would HAVE to be Morris, I mean, have you seen his eyes?!” Jack just stared at you, jealously flashing across his eyes. You couldn’t help but smile, turning into a laugh when he growled playfully at you. He jumped towards you and pushed you backward, making you fall onto the blanket. He just stared into your eyes lovingly, sighing. “I wouldn’t leave you for all the money in he world” you reassured him. “I love you” he leant down to kiss you, but you rolled out of his hold, scrambling up onto your feet. You began running across the sand towards the sea, calling out behind you, “Race you for first bath tonight!” Jack just laughed at you, chasing you towards the water, splashing you as he entered.

You went for one last swim until the sun began to set, and once again walked along the shore hand in hand. When you once again reached the rocks, Jack stopped you and kissed you gently. “Thank you, Jack. This was the best thing that’s ever happened to me. After you, of course...” Jack smiled, “anything for my girl. Speaking of baby...I need to ask you something” “What’s up, Jack?” “Y/N, I know we’re only young, but I’ve decided. You’re the one for me and I’ve never felt this way about any girl before. You’re my sunrise and sunset and everything in between. You’re my world, and I want to give you everything and more...” Jack breathed in deeply, noticing you smiling widely. He took your hand in his and knelt down on one knee, noticing you gasp and begin to cry. He took out a small black box and opened it, revealing a beautiful black diamond ring. “Y/N...will you become Mrs Y/N Kelly? Will you marry me?”. You nodded frantically, unable to form words. Jack sprung up and hugged you tightly, pushing the ring onto your finger. He kissed you deeply. “I love you so much Y/N...” “I love you so much too Jacky”

You two practically skipped back to the hotel, crawling back into the hotel bed. You leant against Jack’s chest, admiring the ring on your finger. Jack pulled you in close and kissed your forehead. “How?”

“Medda. She’s had this for years, but never had a use for it. When I explained what I wanted to do, she gave it to me the next day. It’s perfect for you...” “It’s perfect. You’re perfect” you kissed Jack and snuggled into his arm more. “Goodnight Kelly” you mumbled against Jack. “N’night Kelly” Jack rubbed your arm, watching you fall sound asleep on him. “I love you” “I love you too”.

There was silence for a few moments, before you whispered once more.

“Kells?”

“Mmhm?”

“Is this a bad time to tell you...I’m pregnant?”

#newsies #jack kelly #jack kelly x reader #reader insert #newsies imagine #musical

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max-sparrow · 7 years

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The Madness of theToymaker

“I am not a murder!” Shouted Charles. “I love my children! I love them all! Release me!” He screamed in cries that progressed into whimpers and he babbled. “I read her bedtime stories,” he muttered as the guards hauled him away. His last moments of coherency dribbled out of his mouth, “My son wanted to be like me. That is all he wanted. Is that too much to ask? God save my soul!”

I watched them haul my good friend Charles away where, he would be tortured and ultimately, face the guillotine. The present reader of this story might think me cold to allow Charles to be carried away in his reduced mental state. However, there is something that the reader must know- a commoner like me can make no comments in regards to what is right and what is wrong. Had I spoken they would have hauled me away alongside him. Yes, perhaps I should have intervened before Charles reached this point of madness, but I didn’t. Plain and simple. Let me tell you the story of Charles.

I met Charles in the year 1664. People were just beginning to collapse from the black death, and I was lucky to find employment at this time. I had finished my daily duties and stumbled into a bar as the sun began to fade. The rain was starting to come down hard, and I shuttered to think of being caught in the downpour. I throw two shillings on the table and tell the bartender to keep the alcohol flowing. The little man collected the money with eager hands and began pouring. Business was starting to collapse as the Black Death grabbed London by the throat and strangled her. Kind Charles the II and his Court had fled the city and were taking refuge in Oxford. In fact, most doctors, lawyers, and the wealthy had left London. I was working by correspondence with a lawyer who would make trips to London on some occasions, but he never stayed long. By nightfall, he was always in a carriage heading home to what I imagined was a roaring fireplace, servants, and surrounded by a loving family.

I was raised in a wealthy family and knew how to read and write- My father would often say, “Your education was your downfall.” He said this even on his deathbed. What he meant by this was my infatuation with literature and writing was a grave mistake. Instead of following his path into medicine, I would write for newspapers, but my real income came from the work at the law firm. Knowing how to read and write was a rarity at this time in London. My services were needed.

I had a paper in front of me as I constructed a news article and guzzled beer when a man sat down beside me. He was drenched in the rain but entered the bar and sat as if he had been strolling through bright rays of sunshine instead of a harsh downpour of rain. A smile stretched across his face, and I looked at him with scrutiny. However, I was not about to bother myself with this stranger. I watched him toss some money on the counter. He also placed a wooden contraption before him. At first, I watched as he began to tear into the wood with a sharp knife as woodshedding fell upon the table but the bartender was not about to bother himself with the mess long as he was a paying customer.

After several beers, I finally turn towards the man and say to him, “What the hell are you doing, if you don’t mind me asking?” The man places down his beer and smiles at me. It was not a pretty smile, but it was a friendly one.

“Why it's for a marionette,” he says. My face remained laced with confusion, and the man continued, “It’s a box for it.” I remain silent, and he continues, “It is a puppet. Have you not seen a wooden puppet? I am a toymaker. My names Charles,” his hand outreaches to shake mine and I embrace it with a firm grasp.

“I am Max,” I say as I curiously gazed at the box. “So you tell me, people pay for these contraptions?” I ask, and I was not trying to be rude.

“Indeed,” he says as he lights a cigarette. “This is a specialty item, and mostly the wealthy buy these- but this one is for my girl. Tomorrow, if there isn’t rain, I will put on a show. It is fun, you should come see,” he says, and his smile was so intoxicating that I said okay. The two of us talked for several hours as I became sloppy drunk. He, on the other hand, drank cautiously, and finally excused himself. He explained that he had a wife and children to tend to, and I was impressed by the sense of devotion towards his family. As he left he patted my back and said, “I hope to see you tomorrow, it will be something to see!” He left into the coal-black night, as rain drizzled.

When I awoke the next morning, I was no longer sure I wanted to see a puppet show. It sounded silly and childish. I have found that the intoxicating effects of liquor will make you behave in ghostly ways. But I had given the man my word, and if there was one thing my father taught me- A man is only as good as his word.

I headed out early that morning and stopped in the square as I looked for Charles. He said he would be here. Usually, I would pass by without a glimpse, heading to work. As I looked around, I saw dozens of children clapping their hands and laughing. I approached, and my eyes feasted on an erected booth on the ground. Charles was on a small step ladder that arched his body above a miniature stage constructed from wood. The puppets had strings attached to them that allowed their colorful bodies to dance as he tugged at the wires from above. I watched for ten minutes in awe before passing away into the stream of people tending to their daily tasks. I was intrigued by the toymaker.

I would retire to that same bar, and at that same time, with hopes that I would see the toymaker again. And I would. We began to meet routinely at that time and became good friends. I met his adorable wife and two children. He showed me his shop and the many toys he sold. They were all done with what was sure to be extensive amounts of talent and time. It was amazing.

The black death was raining down on London as the year turned 1665. I remember one day particularly well. It was October 17, 1665, and this was the day Charles lost his mind. It was a cold, dreary day. The key turned in the door, as I locked the law office, and headed down to Charles’s residence. I stepped over bodies lying in the gutter with what I hoped was due to consumption, but I knew was death. I came to the small residence which Charles was happy to call home and knocked on his door. As he opened the door, I removed my hat and asked, “How is she today?” Charles's face was stone cold- his eyes red with tears and his mouth hung open.

“She’s dead,” he said and motioned me to come in. His two children lay in bed together. Black scabs covered their bodies, and their eyes were rolling around in what looked like misery. Not only had his wife perished but his two children had recently contracted the Black Plague. His "Pride and joy," as he called his children, were fighting for their lives. “I got vinegar as the doctor told me. I even traded some toys for valuable minerals that were said to help. They did not work. Now my precious children have contracted the devil's mark,” he said as his head hung low. I looked at his dead wife. Her face was pale, and scabs covered her body.

“Is there something I can do?” I asked Charles who had slumped on a chair.

“Nothing you can do. I suppose my wife is with God and the future of my children are in his hands.” October 17 was the last day I would see Charles for a while. He would go mad.

I visited Charles's home every day for the next two months, but he stopped answering the door. I could hear him in the room weeping, and I was not sure what to do. Finally, on the second month of the third week, I knocked on his door as I usually had, and this time he answered.

The door swung open, and he screamed, “It is a miracle! They are all alive! Come in!” I looked at him with cautious eyes. As I walked into the room, I saw his dead wife and two dead children painted with makeup like his wooden toys. The children had black ink swirled around the outside of their eyes, and their eyelids were painted blue. Their lips were rosy red and eyebrows a bold brown. Rose pink color was brushed across their cheeks to hide their pale faces. I found it terrifying.

“They are alive!” He screamed. Tomorrow come to the square! You must! Now I have a lot to do! I must prepare. God is good!” He screamed. As swiftly and manically as he rushed me into his house, he was escorting me out. I was not able to get a word out of my mouth. Yes, I should have contacted the priest and doctor, but I didn’t. Plain and simple.

The next day I headed to the square where a large puppet stage stood tall. The curtain remained closed as Charles went about making the last minute touches. I stood back and looked at him as he manically proceeded to work. His eyes were wide with craze and his mouth ajar with sharp, yellow teeth poking out. Finally, the curtain opened, and his seven-year-old son appeared. His son had died from the Black Death but was painted to hide his black scabs. He looked almost lifelike. Charles had attached wires to the dead Childs extremities. The children at the stage clapped their hands and cheered. They were unaware that this was a child their age who was not only dead but had begun to rot. The odor was unmistakable. Death. They watched Charles make him dance across the stage. Then His five-year-old daughter danced onto the stage. The wires tugged at her arms and legs as she twisted and turned upon the stage. My eyes widened. I was not sure what to do, and the screams of women rang through the air as I stood in place- frozen. People were pointing and screaming. Some of the children were confused by the uproar in the square, but most of them continued to watch the puppet show as they laughed and clapped their hands. Charles had madness in his eyes and a smile of insanity as he continued to animate his dead children on the constructed wooden stage- as if it were an ordinary puppet show. I remained frozen in place with shock. When I was finally able to move, guards were hauling this grief-stricken man away and into custody. As they tackled him to the ground and gripped him tightly, he screamed, “But they are alive!” My gaze interchanged between him and his two dead children that rest upon the wooden stage.

One week later I watched as Charles was brought out in front of curious eyes. He had been convicted of murder and sentenced to death by the guillotine. As they brought him to the chopping block, he was sobbing loudly. His clothes looked like rags and the guards- more- or -less carried him to his death. He was screaming until the swish of the blade came collapsing to the ground, and his head rolled off and into darkness.

I am not sure if I believe in heaven. However, I would like to think that Charles is sitting in another world, surrounded by his family as he constructs toys, whittling away the hours. He was a good man that had an unfortunate ending. He was a true toymaker to the very end.

#horror #unusal #historical fiction #short stop

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thechasefiles · 5 years

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The Chase Files Daily Newscap 4/7/2019

Good MORNING #realdreamchasers! Here is The Chase Files Daily News Cap for Sunday April 7th 2019. Remember you can read full articles for FREE via Barbados Today (BT) or Barbados Government Information Services (BGIS) OR by purchasing by purchasing a Sunday Sun Nation Newspaper (SS).

PM MOTTLEY ATTENDING IMPORTANT MEETINGS OVERSEAS – Prime Minister Mia Mottley will attend several important meetings in Canada and the United States of America over the next week. The Prime Minister has been invited by McGill University in Montreal, Canada, to meet with some of its senior representatives to discuss deepening the relationship between the Bellairs Research Institute and Government. The Prime Minister is keen on facilitating a more meaningful involvement of the Bellairs Research Institute in Government’s Roof-to-Reefs project, in particular the reefs’ component, where the aim is to regenerate the coral reefs primarily on the island’s west coast. This project is part of Government’s overall strategy with respect to climate adaptation and mitigation in response to climate change. During her visit to Canada, Mottley will also participate in town hall meetings with the Barbadian diaspora in Montreal and Toronto. In Toronto, the Prime Minister will continue discussions which the Government has been having with major financial institutions and accounting firms. She has also been invited by Canadian limited liability partnership, BDO Canada LLP, to deliver the keynote address at the Annual Tax Executives Institute Professional Development Day in Toronto, on Wednesday, April 10. The Prime Minister, in her capacity as Minister of Finance, Economic Affairs and Investment, will then travel to Washington, DC, to attend the 2019 Annual Spring Meetings of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund, from April 10 to 14. These meetings will bring together central bankers, ministers of finance and development, private sector executives, officials from civil society organizations and academics to discuss issues of global concern, including the world economic outlook, poverty eradication, and economic development and finance. These meetings will afford Mottley an opportunity to meet with some key officials of the World Bank and the IMF, in addition to private financial institutions. The Prime Minister’s delegation will include Minister of Maritime Affairs and the Blue Economy, Kirk Humphrey; Director of Finance and Economic Affairs, Ian Carrington; and Governor of the Central Bank of Barbados, Cleviston Haynes. (BT)

CAUTION ON COST OF LIVING – Brace for an increase in the cost of living here. That’s the caution of the official Opposition led by Bishop Joseph Atherley. Addressing a press conference on Saturday at the Opposition Office in Parliament, spokesman Bruce Hennis referred to Page 5 of the April 2 Ministerial Statement delivered by Minister in the Ministry of Finance Ryan Straughan, pointing out that given the conditions of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme, a hike in prices will be inevitable. “We are in an environment of austerity. We have to therefore attend to, and meet, these self-imposed tariffs. We set them up, so we have to stay there . . . . A lot of us in Barbados are existing below a particular income level. When you then start to hit fees and tariffs, at all levels, you’re going to be impacted,” he said. He added that the state-owned enterprises (SOEs) were operating at a deficit and not creating enough revenue to cover their operating expenses. (SS)

GOING WITHOUT A CENT – Retrenched workers from the Gymnasium of the Garfield Sobers Sports Complex are going home without a cent. Friday was their final day at the Wildey, St Michael multi-sport facility for all 35 staff members and added to the pain of losing their jobs is uncertainty over when they will get severance pay. Staffers are also yet to receive official word on termination as no letters were issued, only unemployment slips. While chairman of the National Sports Council, MacDonald Fingall, and Minister of Culture, Sports and the Creative Economy John King could not be reached for comment, as reported yesterday, general manager Barbara Bostic, office personnel, security guards, technicians, and general workers were affected. (SS)

RESLIFE’S PAYMENTS COMING SOON – Policyholders and claimants of Resolution Life Assurance Company Ltd (ResLife) are in for some big bucks. The thousands of claimants are expected to benefit from a settlement package comprised of a $103 million cash payout, and $300 million in bonds, the company revealed in a media statement yesterday. The ResLife settlement process will see eligible policyholders or claimants due less than $20 000 receiving cash. Those due amounts greater than $20 000, will receive $20 000 in cash and the balance in the form of 15-year bonds. The statement from the Worthing, Christ Church insurance company comes as it fulfils Government’s mandate to settle the company’s insurance liabilities and wind up operations, while putting cash in the hands of its thousands of eligible policyholders. (SS)

WATER CHEATS – Farmers are stealing water from the Barbados Water Authority (BWA) through illegal connections. The BWA recently uncovered two cases of crop scammers and in one instance, they suspect the farmer had been utilising the water illegally for close to five years. These two cases are, however, not isolated but represent a worrisome trend, a source at the BWA revealed. Over the years, officials said they have discovered crop farmers, livestock farmers and even individuals cultivating marijuana plants in remote areas, cheating the BWA. The source said workmen descended on a field at Ashford, St John, last week where they found an illegal connection to the main on a two-acre field planted with lettuce, cabbage, and tomatoes. (SS)

NCDS WARNING – Barbados is facing an economic and health care catastrophe, warns a respected regional health economist. And he argues that if the country does not change its health financing model, the situation could blow up. Therefore, he urged Barbados to adopt a pre-paid health insurance scheme that pays for the health of every Barbadian and Caribbean citizen. And this should be subscribed to by everyone, including those on private insurance plans. Professor Karl Theodore, director of HEU, the Centre for Health Economics at the University of the West Indies (UWI) St Augustine Campus in Trinidad, estimated annual cost to Barbados from non-communicable diseases such as heart attacks, strokes and cancer to be as high as $825 million, while the country spends a minimum of $360 million annually on non-communicable diseases (NCDs). (SS)

PASSENGER DIES ON FLIGHT – A 94-year-old man died on board an Air Canada flight this afternoon at the Grantley Adams International Airport. Heinrch Hamelbeck, a German, was seated next to his 84-year-old wife Edith, when he moved to use the bathroom. After he was gone for a while, his wife went to check on him and found him unresponsive in the bathroom. Police said that Hamelbeck died about 12:50 p.m. aboard flight 1725, cancelling its departure. (SS)

BOEING CUTTING 737 MAX PRODUCTION IN WAKE OF TWO DEADLY CRASHES – Boeing Co plans to cut its monthly 737 production by nearly 20 per cent as it works to manage the grounding of its MAX aircraft in the wake of two deadly crashes, Chief Executive Officer Dennis Muilenburg said on Friday. Deliveries of Boeing’s best-selling aircraft were frozen after a global grounding of the narrowbody model following the crash of an Ethiopian Airlines jet on March 10, killing all 157 people onboard. Starting mid-April, production will be cut to 42 airplanes per month from 52, the company said in a statement. The crash of a Lion Air plane in Indonesia last October that killed all 189 people on board and the crash in Ethiopia have left the world’s largest planemaker in crisis as its top-selling jetliner is grounded worldwide. Muilenburg said the company now knows that a chain of events caused both disasters, with erroneous activation of so-called MCAS anti-stall software “a common link” between the two. Boeing said it would not reduce jobs at the new production rate and will work to minimise the financial impact. (SS)

JAMAICAN POLICE OFFICERS TO BE SENTENCED IN MAY – Justice Carol Lawrence will on May 17, decide on the fate of three police officers convicted of shooting to death a 16-year-old student in 2012. The judge was due to hand down the sentencing on Friday, but the attorneys for Constables Andre Wain Smith, Durvin Hayles and Anna-Kay Bailey asked the High Court to delay the sentencing until social enquiry reports on their clients are submitted. The three police officers were convicted in February for the murder of Vanessa Kirkland, a student of the Immaculate Conception High, who was killed in March 2012 when members of a police team opened gunfire on a vehicle in which she was a passenger. Five other passengers in the vehicle were also shot. The police officers had testified that they acted in self-defence after gunmen alighted from the vehicle and opened fire at them. They also said they found several stolen items in the vehicle. The police officers face a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. (SS)

LASCARIS CRIES FOUL – George LasCaris, one of Barbados’ longest-serving football administrators, is crying foul and claiming unfair play. And LasCaris is adamant he won’t be bullied by the Barbados Football Association’s (BFA) Somalia-born technical director Ahmed Mohamed. LasCaris, in a press statement sent to The NATION, said Mohamed threatened young footballers with exclusion from the national team if they participated in his annual Barbados Cup youth tournament. The charge, which was rejected by Mohamed, comes on the eve of the 32nd edition of the Barbados Cup which kicks off on Sunday with over 50 youth teams participating in four age categories instead of the usual five. For the first time in three decades, there will be no Under-19 competition and LasCaris, a former BFA president and national footballer, is laying the blame at Mohamed’s boots. (SS)

For daily or breaking news reports follow us on Instagram, Tumblr, Twitter & Facebook. That’s all for today folks. There are 268 days left in the year. Shalom! #thechasefilesdailynewscap #thechasefiles# dailynewscapsbythechasefiles

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jrbustamante · 4 years

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Press Update:

SELECTED short films focusing on environment and climate change, issues that concern the Philippines, the European Union and the world will be screened in EuroPelikula, one of Allied Festival partners of Cinemalaya, now ongoing in the Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival until August 16, 2020.

The films are offered for free on the Vimeo platform.

A film festival presented by the European Union, EuroPelikula is screening A SUNNY DAY by Moroccan director Faouzi Bensaïdi, HUNGRY SEAGULL by Chinese director Leon Wang, OLMO by Italian director Silvio Soldini, TUÃ INGUGU by Brazilian director Daniela Thomas, KOKOTA: THE ISLET OF HOPE by Craig Norris, QURUT by Shahrbanoo Sadat, IN ONE DRAG by Alireza Hashempour and TANT DE FORETS by Burku Sankur and Geoffrey Godet.

A Sunny Day is a short film on how men and women survive under the impact of a changing climate, in a distant and near future, both fantastic and absurd. It follows the daily life of a man navigating the devastating effects of climate change on humans and nature.

Hungry Seagull focuses on the lives of a family of seagulls living on an island not far from the mainland, and how they survive amidst the threat of offshore overfishing and the pollution of the marine environment.

Olmo tells about an eighty-year-old grandfather, and his grandson Giulio who read an article from a newspaper about melting glaciers, the greenhouse effect, methane and CO2. Instead of going to school, the two go on an adventure looking for an old tree.

Tuã Ingugu captures the relationship between the Xingu community and their river, and the emotions of one of them when he is taken to see Sao Paulo rivers. It is a poetic movie to denounce water pollution and the challenging prospects for the future of both indigenous people and city folks.

Kokota: The Islet of Hope tells about a man who visits a tiny neighboring islet called Kokota, and tries to help after seeing the island teeter towards a collapse due to climate change and deforestation.

Qurut is about a woman who cooks Quruti, one of the most popular meals in the entire Afghanistan, especially in central Afghanistan. For some years people have been making less and less Quruti as they struggle to feed their animals because the mountain pastures have dried up.

In One Drag tells the story of a man who leaves a building late in the evening to light a cigarette and smoke it in one drag. He casually flicks the stub away, and then all the cigarette butts in the city become alive.

Tant de Forets is a short film based on a poem of Jacques Prévert. The poem speaks of the irony of the fact that newspapers warn us about deforestation although they are made of paper themselves.

The EU signed a cooperation agreement with CCP this year, which immediately was translated to EuroPelikula, a platform to feature films from Europe at the CCP, but was unfortunately stopped due to the pandemic.

Mr. Thomas Wiersing, Chargé d’ affaires of the EU Delegation to the Philippines greatly appreciates the support of Cinemalaya Foundation and the CCP for always putting the film sector among their priorities to reach out to the Filipino audiences. “Europe likewise puts great importance in the film sector as this has become an integral part of its culture,” according to Wiersing. “Clearly film is a shared value which is treasured by both the Philippines and the European Union.”

The Allied Festival section of the Cinemalaya Festival features selected shorts from international film programs, held in collaboration with the Japan Foundation, European Union, the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the Embassy of Mexico.

From The Japan Foundation’s Eiga Sai Film Festival, the films MY LITTLE GOAT by director Misato Tomoki, and A JAPANESE BOY WHO DRAWS by director Kawajiri Masanao will be screened.

From Iran, the film I AM AMERICAN by director Omid Mirzaei will be featured.

From Mexico, the film BRUMA by writer and director Max Zunino will be shown.

In view of the COVID-19 situation, the 16th edition of Cinemalaya migrates to the online platform Vimeo. Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival is a project of the Cultural Center of the Philippines and the Cinemalaya Foundation, Inc. Established in 2005, Cinemalaya is an all-digital film festival and competition that aims to discover, encourage and honor cinematic works of Filipino filmmakers.

For details, visit www.cinemalaya.org or www.culturalcenter.gov.ph, or contact the CCP Media Arts at 8832-1125 local 1704 to 1705 and the CCP Box Office at 8832-3704. Check out the official CCP and Cinemalaya Facebook and Instagram accounts.

Environment and Climate Change among themes for Cinemalaya 2020 EuroPelikula Short Films Press Update: SELECTED short films focusing on environment and climate change, issues that concern the Philippines, the European Union and the world will be screened in EuroPelikula, one of Allied Festival partners of Cinemalaya, now ongoing in the Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival until August 16, 2020.

#cinemalaya #Climate change #environment #europelikula #Philippine film festival #short films

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charllieeldridge · 4 years

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Get Paid To Write: 99 Travel Publications That Pay Up To $4,000

Get paid to write with this epic directory of 99 travel websites (both online and in print). They pay travel writers up to $4,000 per article!

If you want to get paid to travel the world, why not get paid to write online? Traditionally, freelance travel writers have often had to scrape by on meager earnings while pitching gigs at magazines and newspapers.

But these days, anyone can get paid to write online.

We’ve personally written and been featured on many large sites like Business Insider, WiseBread and Forbes and we’ve earned over $3,000 per month from a freelance writing side hustle.

It’s one of our favourite travel jobs and It’s possible if you know where to look.

The editors of websites and magazines are no longer necessarily looking for a journalist degree or a lot of experience. They want to find people with real-life travel stories who can captivate an audience — and they’re happy to pay for that.

In this post, I’m going to list 99 (yes, ninety-nine) awesome websites and magazines that you can pitch your ideas to so that you can get paid to write online.

This directory is as up to date as possible and it is separated into two categories: Websites and Magazines.

If you want to find companies and websites that pay you to write online, but you don’t like pitching, why not start your own blog? While we did enjoy freelance writing for a living, running this travel blog is much more lucrative than our freelance job ever was and we work half as much. We can teach you How To Start a Travel Blog, plus you’ll get our Beginner Blogger Video Course and our Beginner Blogger Ebook ($119 Value) for free.

Websites That Pay You to Write Online

This is where we’ve had the most experience in freelance writing in order to make money from home.

While we’ve written quite a bit about finance, tech and lifestyle, travel is our bread and butter and we’ve mostly been paid to write online on websites, although we have had some work in print.

Because there are so many travel websites and blogs out there that are always looking for submissions, it’s never been easier to get paid to write online. Don’t believe me? Check out my post about how to support your travels through freelance writing.

Working with friends at our villa in Bali – Doing our best to get paid to write online!

Because many of these opportunities have a mix of online magazines and in print magazines, it’s a bit hard to separate them into these two categories, but I’ve done so based on where you’re most likely to be published.

In this section (websites), your work will most likely be published online.

Transitions Abroad

Pay: $75 – $150 per 1,250 – 3,000 words

This was one of our very first online jobs in freelance writing. Transitions abroad is a travel website all about teaching people how to move to a new country. The editor here is a very smart and well-traveled guy named Greg. If you’re going to pitch, make sure you’re detailed and showing something unique and useful that you’ll be sharing.

Apply Now

World Nomads

Pay: $0.50 cents / word (usually around $600 – $700 max per article)

World Nomads is a travel insurance company, but lately they’ve been putting together a lot of in-depth guides and they’ve really been working on their blog. There are a lot of submissions here, so be sure that your pitch is unique and very detailed. The pay is very good though and they often pay extra for use of your travel photos. If you want to get paid to write online, then this is a good option for sure.

Apply Now

GoAbroad

Pay: $25 per 800-2000 word article

GoAbroad is one of the original travel blogs on the web and the editor here is a very busy man so be sure to wow him with your pitch. Typically if you want a link back to your blog (very valuable from such an established domain) you won’t get paid for the article. So you’ll have to choose.

Apply Now

In The Know The Traveller

Pay: $10 per article per 350-500 word article with photos

This is an extremely low wage for an article of 500+ words, but it may be a good way to get your foot in the freelance door and start getting paid to write online. The website focuses on travel stories and personal travel experiences.

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DesertUSA

Pay: $50 / article with photos

This site is looking for writers to cover Natural History, Adventure, Native American & Southwest Arts & Crafts, Travel, History and Desert Lore. The pay isn’t great but they don’t specify how many words per article so it may be an okay deal.

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Matador Network

Pay: $50 / article with photos

This is a massive travel website and the link alone back to your own travel blog will be worth its weight in gold, but they also pay a decent amount for articles. Look in their social media and on their home page for posts that have done particularly well in the past, and then pitch them a similar idea with your own spin/destination.

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Hidden Compass

Pay: $200 – $300 / Article

This literary travel magazine is only published online and they are always looking for true stories which “push the travel genre and delve into the spirit, culture, history, ecology, perils or residents of a place”. They want to steer away from click-bait type articles and instead produce useful, inspiring travel content on a daily basis.

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BootsnAll

Pay: $50 / article with photos

Another old school and enormous travel domain, writing for BootsnAll is a great way to get your name out there and get paid to write online. They’re usually looking for long, independent travel pieces with tips on saving money, packing and other travel-related topics, but check their guidelines before pitching to get an idea of what they’re looking for.

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Eat Your World

Pay: $50 – $500 / article

Eat Your World is a guide to regional food and drinks around the globe founded on the principle that what you eat depends on where you are. Check out their destination guides and if you have been to a destination that they haven’t covered there yet, pitch them a guide as they pay the highest (between $350 – $500).

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GoMad Nomad

Pay: $25 / article (700 – 2,000 words)

GoMad Nomad Travel Mag is always looking for intrepid, independent and open-minded travelers to submit travel article ideas. If you wander the planet with curiosity and cultural sensitivity and have a talent for writing, and photography, send them a pitch. They won’t be your highest-paid freelance job, but they’ll add to your portfolio.

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Girls Getaway

Pay: $25 / article (500 – 1,500 words)

Girls Getaway is a travel blog encompassing experience, knowledge and enthusiasm to help women make fun and informed travel decisions. Articles should focus on the experience of an all-girls holiday and they don’t want submissions that are just about the destination, activities and hotels, they want it to be placed in the context of a ladies trip.

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Lost Girls World

Pay: $12 / article

A travel and lifestyle website aimed towards young women, Lost Girls World is looking for posts about adventure and exploration for women. They want short stories, as well as 2,200 word features, as well as listicles, inspirational round-ups, guides and advice pieces – always aimed at young women.

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National Geographic Traveller

Pay: $0.50 / word up to 1,000 words ($500 / article)

This is another great one to put in your portfolio, your media kit and in your “As Seen In” section on your travel blog. National Geographic is a name that everyone knows and their traveller section is excellent. Be sure to pitch with great story ideas, be very detailed and include beautiful unedited photos.

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Best Travel Writing

Pay: $1,000 / article (Competition)

This isn’t the best way to get paid to write online because you’ll have to actually win in order to get any money, but Best Travel Writing runs frequent competitions for the best travel writers and the winner is paid up to $1,000 for their article.

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Pathfinders Travel

Pay: $150 / article (500 – 1000 words)

Pathfinders Travel has an audience of mainly African-Americans, but they occasionally look for submissions that are catering to other minority groups. They want lively, original, well-written stories that provide a good sense of place, with useful information and fresh ideas about travel and the travel industry as a whole.

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Afar

Pay: $450 – $800 / article (500 – 1,000 words)

Before you pitch Afar Magazine, be sure to read AFAR.com for past articles so you don’t pitch something they’ve already covered. The magazine’s goal is to inspire and guide travellers who are looking to connect with local people, experience different cultures, and understand the perspectives of the people in the places they visit.

Update 2020: Afar is now hiring Ambassadors rather than writers. To be considered, click the button below.

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Travel & Leisure

Pay: $1 / word (up to $1,000 / article)

Travel & Leisure doesn’t always accept submissions because they already have a pretty solid group of in-house freelancers and writers, so if you’re going to pitch them, make sure you have a unique angle that they haven’t already covered on their site. This is another publication that would be great for your resume, plus $1,000 per article means that this is one of the better websites to get paid to write online.

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Road & Travel

Pay: $0 – $100 / article

Road & Travel is an online, in-market, consumer magazine and resource specializing in automotive, travel, and personal safety topics aimed at high-end, luxury consumers. Their target demographic is women between the ages of 29-59. Travel articles that you submit should relate to hotels, resorts, spas, airlines, bed & breakfasts, destination reviews, places to go and things to do, cruises, eco-travel, safety on the road, destination tourism, best gyms, restaurants, etc.

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Roads & Kingdoms

Pay: $50 – $150 / article

Roads & Kingdoms is has a simple travel philosophy: the more you know, the better you travel. They are looking for local writers, bloggers and journalists to write deep storytelling about all the good things in life—food, music and booze. The site aims to inform and inspire its readers about destinations around the world. This travel site won the 2017 James Beard Publication of the Year award and SATW’s Best Travel Journalism Site award.

Update 2020: They aren’t accepting pitches as frequently as before. It may still be worthwhile to send an email with a great idea and see what they say!

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News.com.au

Pay: $100 – $300 AUD / Article (1,000+ words)

This site has an enormous amount of traffic and will most likely give you a nice juicy backlink to your blog, along with a much-appreciated traffic boost. They’re typically looking for unique and exciting travel stories for their travel section that are away from the typical holiday for Australians (don’t pitch them surfing in Canggu Bali).

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Huffington Post

Pay: $0 / article

Yes, you read correctly, that is $0 per article. Despite being one of the largest publications online with a great travel section, Huffington Post is pretty stingy when it comes to paying freelance writers. But this is a very heavily trafficked site and a link back from this domain is probably worth over $1000 in itself, so I’m still including it. They’re also quite easy to write for.

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AOL Travel

Pay: $0.20 / word (around $200 / article)

Another good one for the As Seen In section and your media kit, AOL is a household name that everyone recognizes. They’re looking for exciting travel content that is enticing and click worthy (Like best travel spots, best experiences, listicles etc.) along with important travel news, budget tips and fun travel stories. AOL travel is a big brand that pays pretty well, so they make for a good option if you want to get paid to write online. The best way to get in contact is to first reach out through their Facebook account.

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Culture Trip

Pay: $100 / article

This is a massive new travel start-up that is looking for A LOT of content. They only pay around $0.03 – $0.05 per word maximum, but sometimes they hire writers on a 20 article per month basis, which can add up to a great monthly income. You’ll have to submit a post Monday to Friday every week, which is a lot of work, but it could pay off to be a regular. Don’t miss deadlines.

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BudgetTravel.com

Pay: $0.50 – $1.00 / word (Up to $1,000 per article)

BudgetTravel.com claims to be the ultimate resource for the world’s savviest travellers and it continues to provide smart travel consumers with practical and timely travel tips and tools. Writers should uncover the best under-the-radar travel experiences and show their readers how just about any destination can be made accessible if you know the right information.

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The International Wine Accessories Blog

Pay: $50 / article (700 – 1,000 words)

This magazine is all about one of our favourite things in the world… wine. They want concise and easy-to-read articles submitted and they particularly look for buying guides about products at iwawine.com grouped into intriguing formats, such as Mother’s Day Gifts for Wine Lovers. They also consider posts about wine pairings and in-depth travel articles. They particularly look for submissions about the best ways to choose, use, install or enjoy wine cellars, racks, cabinets and cooling equipment.

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BBC Travel

Pay: $0.20 – $1.00 / word (Up to $1,000 per article)

BBC Travel is a very well-known publication with millions of monthly readers. Pitching here without prior experience is going to be very difficult, but always worth a try. The pay is good and communication is said to be okay, but there may be a lot of back and forth before your article gets published. They want writers to introduce their readers to places they’ve never been and show them a new side to places they think they know. With an open mind, an eye for the surprising and a global voice, their goal is to inspire their readers to fall in love with the world – and humanity. BBC Travel is one of the most recognized websites for those looking to get paid to write online.

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The Expeditioner

Pay: $30 / article

The Expeditioner features travel posts, travel videos, travel news, tips and more from some of the best travel writers and travel bloggers around the world. They are looking for travel stories that are written in a first-person narrative style. Every article submitted must be informative, well-written, and they should inspire travellers (mainly focusing on the American audience) to get out and explore.

Update 2020: The Expeditioner website is now offline.

Go World Travel

Pay: $40 – $60 / article (1,600 Words+)

This is a good place to submit posts to because, even though they don’t pay very well, they consider writers from across the entire travel spectrum. If you can write a good post and communicate well with the editors, you can probably get a gig or two per month. They are currently looking for descriptive and in-depth, but concise writing to inspire people to explore new places.

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Hit The Road

Pay: $50 / Article (1,500 Words Max)

Hit the Road is a website aiming to inspire those with the urge to combine creativity, travel and earning money. They want original writing, photography and videography that showcases fun adventures, unique cultures and amazing experiences on the road with emphasis on rented campervans and motorhomes, though any road trip will be considered. If you want to get paid to write online and you’re looking to make a career out of it, $50 may not sound like a lot, but this is a good starting point to build your portfolio.

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101 Holidays

Pay: 50 – 100 GBP ($75 – $150 / article)

101 Holidays is a UK-based online travel publication and they’re looking for posts about fun holidays for UK citizens. Before submitting, be sure to read some posts on both of their websites (101 Holidays & 101 Honeymoons) and get a feel for their style. They’re not strict on word count but they typically publish articles between 800 – 1,500 words.

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101 Honeymoons

Pay: 50 – 100 GBP ($75 – $150 / article)

The sister website to 101 Holidays, 101 Honeymoons is looking for posts about… you guessed it – honeymoons. They have the same guidelines and application page as 101 Holidays and they also offer ongoing writing opportunities, making it a good way to build up your base monthly freelance income.

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DotDash.com (Formerly About.com)

Pay: $800 / month (20+ hours per week or 8-10 articles / month)

Another great site for boosting up your base freelance salary every month, About.com has a great travel section and they’re looking for posts about travel stories, how to’s and tutorials. Depending on the specific topic, you will be given a flat salary of between $800 and $1000 per month as long as you can maintain a pretty busy schedule writing around 8-10 articles per month. In my opinion, if you want to get paid to write online, and actually get paid a full-time income, it’s jobs like this that are your best bet.

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Big Grey Horse

Pay: $100 – $200 / article

Big Grey Horse is a big media marketing company and they’re looking for freelancers to write about Texas and media marketing. They accept Texas travel writers for destination reviews (restaurants, hotels, events, experiences, tours music, bars, etc). You can also write about unique people, cities, off the beaten path destinations etc.

Update 2020: Big Grey Horse website is currently offline.

Cracked

Pay: $50 – $200 / article

Cracked isn’t really a travel website, but they do feature the odd travel story if it’s captivating and hilarious. They typically accept lists and travel tales, but as their fun writer’s guidelines page points out, they will consider pretty much any style of writing. They pay pretty well and you can submit pretty much anything you want, so this is a pretty good one.

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Expatica

Pay: Negotiated with editor $50+ / article

This is a website all about expats, living abroad, travelling and immersing in culture. They’re looking for high-quality freelance contributors who have extensive knowledge of expatriate life, issues that affect expats, and news and events in the countries in which Expatica operates.

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Great Escape Publishing

Pay: $50 – $200 / article

Again, this isn’t particularly a travel site and they won’t accept purely travel narratives, but they are always looking for submissions about the business of earning money while travelling, making money online and the overall business of travel. They also publish short interviews with successful professionals getting paid to travel, either through blogging, photography, videography or any other way.

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International Living

Pay: $75 / “Postcard Piece” or $250 – $400 / 800 – 1,400 word feature

Another big name in the travel industry, International Living won’t likely take your regular travel piece, but they are currently paying $75 per Postcard submission. To learn about what a postcard is and how to submit one to the editors, click the button below and read their guidelines page. You can also attempt to get a feature article here. The pay is around $250 for an 800 word feature and up to $400 for an 800 – 1,400 word feature. International Living is a bit harder to get published on, but they’re a huge site – making them a good option if you really want to get paid to write online.

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Listverse

Pay: $100 / list (1,500+ words)

As the name would suggest, Listverse is a massive listicle type online publication and they’re always looking for new lists, plus they have a travel section. Be sure to read other lists in their travel category to make sure you’re not repeating anything, but also to find inspiration and to get familiar with their writing style.

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Loaded Landscapes

Pay: $20 – $150 / Article

Loaded Landscapes is a photography and travel website which publishes a wide variety of articles that are related to landscape, nature, wildlife, and travel photography. They are looking for tips and tutorials, guides to locations of interest, showcases for inspiration, and interesting travel interviews. They have a big photography section as well with articles about post processing (mostly Lightroom and Photoshop). They are also interested in video content if that is within your areas of expertise.

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My Itchy Travel Feet

Pay: $30 / Article

Itchy Travel Feet is a blog aimed towards people born between 1946 and 1964. They are a personal travel site geared to active, travel-loving baby boomers. Essentially, they are looking for submissions that include personable and relatable content that is also informative. This means no top ten lists or cold city descriptions, etc. Even though the site is for baby boomers, they don’t specify anywhere on their site that you must be a baby boomer to apply.

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Perceptive Travel

Pay: $100 / Article

An excellent online travel magazine headed by a good friend of ours, Tim Leffel, Perceptive Travel has won many awards and has one my vote as the best submission guidelines page of any website on this list. They’re looking for well-written travel pieces and not cliché magazine type titles. They want around 6 images included with each submission, but Tim claims to be “light-handed” on the editing. Tim is also one of the longest-running veterans when it comes to travel writing, so he knows what it’s like when you’re trying to get paid to write online and he can likely help you out.

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Travelsignposts

Pay: $25 / Article (800 – 1,500 words)

Travelsignposts makes a big effort to provide their readers with high-quality, informative and entertaining travel articles about places to go in Europe, things to do, experiences to have and real-life travel experiences. They don’t typically accept the usual travel supplement processed press releases, spammy promotional hype or impersonal guidebook descriptions. They also appreciate creative pitches, so don’t be afraid to send a video or audio recording with your email pitch.

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See Also: How To Earn $22 / hour when you teach English online. Choose your own hours and make money from anywhere in the world

Viator Travel Blog

Pay: $100 – 150 / Article (1,000 – 2,000 words)

Viator used to frequently take submissions from travel writers and bloggers, but I’ve seen that they’ve taken down their submissions page. However, they may still be accepting some articles because I’m still seeing new guest authors on the site. Try to contact them via a private Facebook message using the button below. They no longer use their submissions page, so you may have the best luck by sending them a message on Facebook (using the button below) and asking them for the right contact for sending pitches.

Apply Now

The Penny Hoarder

Pay: $75 / Article (700-900 words)

As a budget travel and points hacking website, the penny hoarder is looking for travel stories that include frugal ways to get more travel for less money. They are a massive website with a lot of monthly visitors, so although the pay isn’t huge, a backlink from them would be very valuable, particularly if you can link back to a post about travel hacking or something relevant to their niche.

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The Travel Writer’s Life

Pay: $50 – $200 / Article (700-900 words)

Another member of the Great Escape Publishing Network, Travel Writer’s Life is always looking for new submissions about making money on the road and travelling for a living, whether by writing, photography, tours or other means. They also publish short interviews with successful readers and members, as well as professionals working in a field that enables them to get paid to travel. This site is kind of aimed at those who want to get paid to write online, so it’s perfect for this list.

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Travel Pulse

Pay: $50 – $100 / Article (700-900 words)

Travel Pulse is a travel news website with up to date information about new travel trends and events, but they also have a straight travel section where they feature travel writers sharing travel stories from around the globe. When we first started trying to get paid to write online, we wrote for Travel Pulse for nearly 2 years and had a good experience. Try to get a certain number of articles commissioned per month so that you can have a steady guaranteed income.

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Smarter Travel

Pay: $100 – $500 / Article (500 – 5,000 words)

SmarterTravel accepts both short and feature-length stories on a range of travel topics, including booking strategies, saving money, avoiding scams, packing tips, best places to go, travel tech, travel trends, and travel tips that represent all kinds of travellers and travel experiences. Sometimes they’re looking for round-ups and destination content like “Beaches That Should Be On Your Bucket List” or pieces that highlight more off-track destinations.

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Journey Woman

Pay: $35 / Article (900+ words) + Possible $100 Prize

Journey Woman focuses on female travel stories which highlight what it’s like to travel as a woman. They are always looking for submissions and while the base pay isn’t that great, they do offer a $100 prize for the best article every month to give to one writer. Articles should be written from a woman’s point of view and should contain information of particular interest to female travellers. They will definitely accept articles from men if they are appropriate to their audience.

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Wanderful

Pay: $50 / Article (750 – 2,500 words)

Wanderful is looking for pieces that are engaging, personal and inspiring with the attempt to speak to their audience and community. They are looking for topics related to all things women, particularly those between the ages of 25 – 40. They want to provide tips for female travellers to show them how to make the most of their overseas experiences.

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Gary’s Sporting Journal

Pay: $100 – $1,250 / Article (200 – 12,000 words)

This quarterly journal is targeted towards hunters and anglers, so if you’ve done a fly fishing or camping trip, you may be able to get a feature. They’re always looking for is a journal for hunters and anglers to tell stories and give tips on fishing locations and campfire tales, whether they be fact or fiction. The pay is good at $850 – $1,000 per Expedition (2,500 – 3,000 words), $600 – $1,250 per Features (1,500+ words), $600 for Yarns (750 – 1,500 words) and $100 for poems (max 1,000 words). They also pay up to $250 per photo, so you’ll not only get paid to write online, but you’ll also get paid for your photography.

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Outdoors NW

Pay: $75 – $125 / Article (300 – 1,000 words)

Outdoors NW is a digital magazine that is always looking for articles related to adventure travel, outdoors, health & nutrition, fitness product reviews, book reviews, humorous pieces and essays about outdoor experiences. The pay varies greatly depending on what kind of article you do and they also pay up to $250 per cover photo for their magazine.

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Adventure Cycling Association

Pay: $0.30 – $0.50 / word (Up to $750 / 900 – 1,500 word article)

ACA publishes articles both online and in print, although their online guest blogs don’t talk about pay, their in-print page does. Apply for both to see if you can get paid. Note that submissions end in October of each month for in-print. They’re looking for posts about bicycle travel and tour reviews from around the world. They also do short stories called “The Final Mile” which are about one particular cycling experience, as well as humour pieces.

Apply Now

We want to show you how to make money online! There are many online jobs that you can do in order to pay for travel, or earn a little extra income on the side, like starting a travel blog, doing paid online surveys or you can even get paid $22 / hour to teach English online.

Common Ground

Pay: $0.50 / word ($60 – $150 / 600 – 1,500 Word Article)

Another magazine with a digital edition, Common Ground is an independent publication that is 100% Canadian owned. It is Western Canada’s biggest and one of its oldest monthly magazines. The publication is dedicated to health, wellness, ecology and personal growth. Submissions are typically between 600 – 1,500 words and pay is $0.50 per word. The final word count is done prior to publication and after all of the final edits have been completed.

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See Also: Learn how this travel blog makes up to $20,000 per month while we only work on it 20 hours per week max. If you really want to get paid to write online, travel blogging is the best way! We can show you how to start a blog in just 5 minutes and how to grow a following with our free course and ebook.

Canadian Traveller

Pay: $50 / article

Canadian Traveller is an online magazine that publishes Canadian and international focused travel pieces on a regular basis. They’re typically looking for well-written travel stories, tips and advice that will appeal to a Canadian audience. They want spellings, dollars and language to be Canadian as well. We wrote for Canadian Traveller for over a year and we really enjoy the website and the editors there. This is a good place to get paid to write online, particularly if you’re Canadian or have travelled there extensively.

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Literary Traveller

Pay: $75 / article

This blog is always looking for new submissions relating to travel, adventure or pilgrimage, typically inspired by an artist or a work of literature. They like posts about composers, painters, songwriters, filmmakers and they are always looking for very well-written pieces that don’t come across like a normal travel blog post.

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The Big Roundtable

Pay: $100+ / article (3,500 – 30,000 words)

The Big Roundtable publishes narrative nonfiction and connects passionate nonfiction writers with readers who will support their work. They attempt to do this by gathering, editing, selecting and distributing cool travel stories. They definitely don’t want short posts and it seems the longer the better with this website. 3,500 – 30,000+ words, you could write an ebook with a submission to The Big Roundtable. They say $100 is the minimum pay, so if you’re submitting a 30,000 word post, you’ll likely earn much more.

Update 2020: The Big Roundtable is currently offline.

Vice

Pay: $0.14 – $0.29 / word (Up to $1,000 / article)

Most people have heard of Vice these days. They have an extremely popular YouTube channel and blog that covers everything from travel to drug culture. They’re usually looking for edgy pieces that capture the imagination of their younger audience. Be warned that they don’t respond to all submissions and it will be very difficult to get published here, but the pay is good if you do.

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A Fine Parent

Pay: $100 / article (1,500 – 3,000 words) + Potential $200 Bonus

Definitely not a travel website, A Fine Parent is all about… you guessed it, parenting. But if you travel with a family, you may consider pitching them a unique family travel story, tips piece or experience to have on the road with kids. They pay $100 per article but if your post does well on their site, you will be eligible for a $200 bonus at the end of the month. Sites that offer bonuses are a good option when you’re trying to get paid to write online, because they push you to write better, more viral posts.

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Fodor’s

Pay: $100+ / article

Fodors is one of the largest travel publications online, with both in print and digital publications and a very good blog. They cover 75,000 different destinations worldwide and are always looking for unique and informative travel pieces submitted by established writers, although they sometimes accept blog posts from newbies. They pay $100 or more, typically around $0.12 per word on their blog and more in print. The button below will allow you to apply through IB Publishing.

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Lifehacker

Pay: $100+ / article

Lifehacker is an enormous website with a massive following. They’re looking for submissions to help the everyday person make life easier, save money faster and live better. They’re not a travel website, but they do have plenty of travel hacks posts and travel-related articles.

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The Dollar Stretcher

Pay: $0.10 / word

Dollar Stretcher isn’t a travel site, but they do take submissions for posts written about budget saving tips, including how to travel for less and stretch the dollar while on the road. You could also pitch them a story about stretching your dollar while you’re travelling and trying to get paid to write online!

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Cultures & Cuisines

Pay: $200 / article (800 – 3,000 words)

Cultures & Cuisines is looking for first-person or third-person narratives that push the boundaries of non-fiction with an exciting and well-written style. The submissions should have ample research and reporting and be fact-checked properly. They like posts about exotic places with a very clear sense of place and adventure.

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Travelista

Pay: $40 AUD / article

Travelista is an Australian travel website that hires a lot of freelancers every month. The pay isn’t great, but they want posts that help guide travellers through every step of visiting a destination. They want real people, either locals or travellers, giving inside tips that aren’t obvious to the researching traveller.

Update 2020: Travelista is no longer paying writers, but are still offering the opportunity to contribute and will provide a link back to your website.

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Vagabundo Magazine

Pay: $40 – $200 / Article

Vagabundo Magazine is a digital-only magazine that aims to inspire travellers to hit the road and make their travel dreams a reality. They’re currently looking to fill 15 positions for full-time writers, so there’s a good opportunity to make some solid monthly income here. Although their submission page says a minimum of one assignment per month, they publish several per week so there is a decent amount of opportunity for those looking to get paid to write online.

Update 2020: Vagabundo Magazine is currently offline.

See Also: As a freelance travel writer, you’ll likely be staying in many different countries along the way. Some countries have very strict visa policies, making it difficult to stay for a long time and actually get some work done. Check out our post about visa free countries to find places with more relaxed laws so that you can easily enter and stay for an extended period of time.

Lady Q’s

Pay: $50 + / Article

LadyQs.com pays contributing writers for original never before published content which should be related to travel and fall under one of these categories: essays, long form articles, biographical accounts of interest, how to guides, product reviews, themed photography or contemporary issues.

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The Culturist

Pay: $25 – $100 / article (600 – 800 words)

The Culturist prides itself on having an extensive network of talented writers from around the globe. Some are travelers, others are women’s rights activists, authors, experts or environmentalists. Their looking for many different types of articles and they have a good travel section.

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Nomadasaurus

Pay: $50+ / article (1000+ words)

Our friends Jazza and Alesha are sometimes (but not always) accepting submissions for their popular travel blog, Nomadasaurus.com. Typically they want informative travel posts like “things to do in ____” and “where to stay in ____” as well as intriguing personal travel narratives.

Update 2020: Nomadasaurus isn’t currently hiring.

Art Of Scuba Diving

Pay: $35 / 800 word article, $100 / 2000+ word article

Justin Carmack is looking for submissions for this scuba-focused blog. Pitch him stories about scuba diving that are 800+ words, or try to apply to write one of the longer (3,000+ word) travel guides. This site is just starting out, but it’s bound to get big quickly so a post here could be a good investment.

Update 2020: Art Of Scuba Diving isn’t currently hiring.

Get Paid To Write Online (Magazines)

These are magazines that are oftentimes both in print and online. These days you’ll still be pitching through online forms or email, so it’s online work in my book! Typically in print jobs pay a bit better than when you get paid to write online by a website, but editors tend to be a bit more hands on as well.

Alaska Airlines Magazine

Pay: $700 / article (2,500 words maximum)

This airline magazine is typically looking for writers to touch on unique (Alaskan Airlines) travel destinations, museum exhibits, business and influential community leaders. They encourage you not to exceed the 2,500 word limit. I know this isn’t really a “get paid to write online” type opportunity, but ideas and pitches can be sent to this publication via email. New writers should send numerous writing samples and a short bio.

Update 2020: Alaska Airlines Magazine is no longer being published.

Backpacker Magazine

Pay: $700 / article (5,000 words)

This publication is looking for very long articles (5,000+ words) all about hiking, trekking, walking and human-powered modes of travel (like cycling and kayaking). They frequently feature travel gear, destinations, lifestyle and more. They will definitely expect you to know their magazine’s tone and mission before applying, so be sure you’re familiar with their writing style.

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LA Times

Pay: $750 / article (400 – 1,750 words)

You’re going to have to spend quite a bit of time reading the writer’s guidelines if you ever want a post accepted at the LA Times, but if you manage to get something posted there, the pay is decent and the recognition is excellent. They are no longer considering any submission that does not have great photos. At $750 per article, this is a great opportunity to get paid to write online, but be ready for a lot of back and forth with editors.

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Motorhome Magazine

Pay: $400- $900 / article

If you love van life, have experience with motorhome travels or know the technical side of owning and servicing a motorhome or RV, then this could be a great opportunity for you. The pay varies greatly depending on what type of article you write, but they have quite a few opportunities available.

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Oregon Coast Magazine

Pay: $100 – $650 / article

This is quite a popular magazine that buys a lot of stories every month. They’re looking for writers to cover travel stories, tips and advice about Oregon’s stunning coastal region and tell stories about road trip itineraries, best restaurants and historical sites to see along the way.

Apply Now

Trailer Life

Pay: $100 – $700 / Article

This monthly magazine is geared towards RV and camping enthusiasts. They cover cool travel destinations, technical trailer and camper information, DIY projects, outdoor activities and cool camping spots.

Apply Now

Rova

Pay: $200 / article

Another RV and Camping focused magazine, Rova focuses on outdoor adventure aimed towards millennials and gen X. They’re always looking for unique submissions that will inspire the younger generations to get out and RV. They want stories from the roads of America and they accept submissions from all types of writers.

Apply Now

Escapee

Pay: $150 / article

This is yet another magazine about camping, RVing and van life. They are looking for posts that include tips and personal travel stories about RVing and road tripping around the US (such as the famous Route 66). They also like articles that have technical info about RVs and how to service them. They are primarily a writer’s club, but they also accept submissions from non-members.

Apply Now

Adventure Motorcycle

Pay: $150+ / Article (500 – 1,400 Words)

Adventure Motorcycle looks for some technical reviews as well as rider profiles, news, bike reviews and event reports, but they also take the odd road trip story. If you’ve ever travelled by motorbike, try submitting. If you’re a motorbike enthusiast, try to get a steady column at Adventure Motorcycle. Columns are always the best way to get paid to write online, because you’ll have a guaranteed base income each month.

Apply Now

Verge

Pay: $0.10 / Word Including Photos (2,000 – 2,500 Words)

A magazine all about sustainable travel, volunteer travel aimed towards those who “travel with purpose.” They are a travel magazine for people interested in volunteering, working, and studying overseas. You might even be able to pitch them a story about what it’s like when you travel and get paid to write online.

Apply Now

Porthole Cruise

Pay: $400 / article (800 words)

As the name suggests, this magazine is all about cruising, so if you’ve spent time travelling on the open seas than this might be a good place to submit an article. They aren’t overly picky editors, but they do claim: “A good story cannot stand without quotes. Bring the people who you encountered into the story with their words and let them help you tell your story. Avoid trite phrases as quotes, though, such as “We had a wonderful time,” and “The food was delicious.””

Apply Now

Enroute (Air Canada In-Flight Magazine)

Pay: $1 CAD / Word (200 – 1,700 Words)

Enroute is Air Canada’s in flight magazine and they’re looking for travel pieces that will fit on one magazine page covering a destination that Air Canada flies to. They have numerous types of content that they’re looking for on their guidelines page and they try to respond to all submissions within 30 days. Click the button to read more.

Apply Now

Horizon Edition

Pay: $100 – $450 / article (200 – 2,500 Words)

The in-flight magazine for Horizon Air, Horizon Edition is looking for writing with vivid images, anecdotes and strong narrative flow. The best way to submit a post is to send small clips of previously published work, as well as a well-written pitch for your proposed article in their magazine. The pitch should demonstrate advanced research and original ideas on the part of the writer. The below button is an application through their parent company Alaska Airlines.

Update 2020: Horizon Edition Magazine is no longer in publication.

Delta Sky Magazine

Pay: $1.00 / word (200 – 2,000 words)

Delta Sky is looking for travel destinations, particularly focused on the places that they fly to, as well as profiles of notable people, whether they’re actors, authors, artists, athletes, entrepreneurs or executives. If you pitch a profile, there must be a good reason for highlighting that person for that month, and a new take on the person is important. At up to $2,000, this is a good opportunity to get paid to write online and actually make a living from it.

Update 2020: Delta Sky Magazine is no longer in publication.

Apply Now

Sierra

Pay: $1 – $1.50 / Word ($2,000 – $4,000)

Sierra is the magazine made for the United States’ oldest and largest grassroots environmental group, Sierra Club. They have both in print and digital magazines focusing on photography, art, travel, and protecting the natural world. They like pieces about outdoor adventure and about threats to the environment and they want submissions to be fun, well-researched and inspiring. This is one of the highest-paid opportunities to get paid to write online in this article.

Apply Now

Backcountry Magazine

Pay: $0.24 / word

A magazine all about the outdoors, Backcountry is looking for researched, timely, original ideas with a strong backcountry hook, from current events to prolific characters to unique destinations. They are always looking for Feature ideas, as well as Destination stories for their On Location department. Pitch them Profiles and Newsworthy items, Mountain Skills articles and Accounts of avalanches and other mountain mishaps. They also pay up to $400 for photos

Apply Now

Nebraskaland Magazine

Pay: $0.15 / article (around 2,500 words)

Nebraskaland is run by Nebraska’s Game and Parks Commission and they cover lots of different outdoor-related topics like travel, canoeing, kayaking, camping, hunting and fishing in Nebraska’s state parks and recreational areas. They want submissions that highlight the diversity of the region’s wildlife, art, history and culture.

Apply Now

See Also: Looking for cheap countries to travel while you’re starting to get paid to write online? Check out our epic list of cheap countries to travel in 2018

Canoeroots

Pay: $0.20 / word (300 – 2,000 words)

If you’ve ever travelled with a canoe, done a canoe trip down a river or rented a canoe while travelling, then you can submit a post to this site all about all things canoeing. They’re looking for anything other than creative non-fiction essays or fiction. Pitches should present a clear and specific idea, not merely a general topic, and should reflect familiarity with the magazine’s content and tone.

Apply Now

Seattlemag

Pay: $50 – $1,000 / article (300 – 3,500 words)

If you love the city of Seattle, then try pitching this magazine. They want actual story ideas so be specific and they want all contributors to actually read the magazine before pitching, so consider buying a digital copy first. Check out their home page for lots of story ideas and to get a feel for their writing style.

Apply Now

Westworld

Pay: $0.60 CAD / word

Not to be confused with the hit HBO series of the same name, Westworld is BCAA’s travel magazine and it covers local, regional and international travel stories – with the emphasis on “stories” – along with articles on travel trends, the technical and practical aspects of travel and travel-related issues. Stories should be about Western Canada.

Apply Now

Abilities

Pay: $50 – $325 / article (800 – 2,000 words)

Abilities is a magazine geared towards people who have disabilities and they have a travel section that’s accepting submissions. They’re looking for articles about travel, health, sport, recreation, careers, education, transportation, housing, social policy, relationships, technology, family life, movie/book reviews and personality profiles. Events and conferences are also considered. If you have a disability or know someone who does and you want to get paid to write online and actually reach an underrepresented audience in the travel space, this could be a great option.

Apply Now

Cheese Connoisseur

Pay: $0.30 / word

This magazine is all about cheese and it’s looking to provide its readers (sophisticated, well-educated foodies and industry professionals) with information about specialty cheeses, celebrity cheesemakers, chefs, wines, travel opportunities and complementary foods and beverages. There is no designated submissions page and no required word count.

Apply Now

Draft

Pay: $0.80 / word

If you love travelling around the United States and tasting different craft breweries, then you may want to pitch this magazine this about all things beer. Draft prides itself on providing its audience with current, accurate and creative coverage of beer. Go to a bar and tell someone you get paid to write online about drinking beer and you’ll likely be the envy of the entire bar.

Apply Now

Baja Life

Pay: $0.10 / word (600 – 2,000 words)

Also known as “The Journal of Mexico’s Magnificent Peninsula”, this quarterly magazine is published by the Baja Communications Group and it is focused on advancing education, tourism and the protection of Mexico’s lovely Baja Peninsula (think Cabo San Lucas and La Paz). Writers should attempt to highlight the unique nature and ecosystem of this region, as well as eco-friendly accommodation and outdoor activities.

Apply Now

New Mexico Magazine

Pay: $0.35 – $0.40 / word

A magazine that aims to highlight the lush landscapes and beautiful nature, as well as the unique culture of New Mexico. The magazine is always looking for articles that inspire readers to travel to New Mexico or, for the locals (who make up one-third of the magazine’s readership) to get out and see their home state.

Apply Now

Elsewhere

Pay: $0.80 AUD / word (Max 1,500 words)

This very popular Australian magazine is looking to highlight different aspects of travel and life in Australia and abroad including food, news, destinations, cruises, hotels and tours. The below button is an application form through Nine Entertainment.

Apply Now

Texas Highways

Pay: $325 / article (1000+ words)

Texas Highways is the official travel magazine of the state of Texas and it aims to encourage travel in Texas by documenting unique stories from individual travellers in the region. Although they focus on Texas, their readership spans the US and the world. The magazine always seeks new creative talent, and the links below will download guidelines that spell out how we work.

Apply Now

Lonely Planet

Pay: $325 / article (1000+ words)

The amount that Lonely Planet pays depends entirely on the scope of the project and whether you’re a guidebook author or just a content contributor for their blog. Of course, as a guidebook author you’ll be paid a salary, plus you’ll have money to pay for your travels in the destination you’re writing about. For the blog, we’ve heard that between $300 – $400 per article is possible, but they still accept some free posts too if you’re pitching as a “guest post” with a link back to your site.

Apply Now

The Gothamist

Pay: $50 – $150 / article

This magazine is all about The Big Apple, so if you’ve travelled to or live in New York, consider submitting a pitch. They’re looking for original, compelling, heartbreaking, funny, enraging, and enlightening stories that cut through the dull hum of the internet and help their readers better understand New York City and the people living in it. If you get paid to write online and earn enough to live in New York, you’re doing something right!

Update 2020: The Gothamist is no longer accepting contributions.

See Also: As a freelance writer, you’ll probably want to know about some cheap countries to live in. I’ve already shared with you the cheap countries to travel to, but don’t miss our epic list of countries where you can live on $1000 / month or less!

Midwest Traveler

Pay: $400 / article (1,200 words)

Midwest Traveler is AAA’s travel magazine and they pay pretty well. Their goal is to provide readers with a variety of useful information on travel, auto safety and their AAA membership. The magazine publishes approximately 5 to 6 freelance travel articles per issue.

Apply Now

Useful Resources To Get Paid To Write Online

I really believe that this list is the most extensive resource to teach people how to get paid to write online, particularly in the travel space, but there are plenty of other great websites to help you out too. I’ve listed some useful job boards below to help you get paid to write online.

Pro Blogger

Scripted Freelance

Blogging Pro

Freelance Writing Gigs

All Freelance Writing

Copypress Blog

Contena

UpWork

We Work Remotely

Blog Mutt

Travel Writing 2.0

Freelancer

nDash

Goats On The Road Sustaining Travel Section

Hubstaff

Canadian Freelance Writing Jobs

Fiverr

Travel Writers Exchange

FlexJobs

Solid Gigs

Get Paid To Write Online… Starting Today!

Like I said at the beginning of this article, it’s never been easier to get paid to write online as a freelance travel writer. I’ve scoured the internet and my own personal contacts to make sure that this is the longest, most extensive list of travel writing jobs found anywhere online. There is no reason you can’t find work now!

Go ahead and write up some compelling pitches and send them out to your favourite websites and magazines on this list.

Be prepared to be rejected a few times.

Even the best travel writers get ten no thank-yous before they get a single yes. Pitch pitch pitch and always try to get a continuous writing job like a staff writing position or a column so that you can be sure to earn a certain amount of money each month.

I really hope this article helps new and aspiring travel writers earn some serious money online.

My goal is to help as many people as possible get paid to write online so that they can travel for as long as you want! This article took me a very long time to write and research, so I’d really appreciate it if you could share it on your social media!

Thanks for reading!

If you know any other websites or magazines that pay to write online and you know exactly how much they pay, please share with us in the comments below. If I can confirm them, I’ll add them to this list to help other aspiring travel writers.

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Jim Lehrer, Longtime PBS News Anchor, Is Dead at 85

Jim Lehrer, the retired PBS anchorman who for 36 years gave public television viewers a substantive alternative to network evening news programs with in-depth reporting, interviews and analysis of world and national affairs, died on Thursday at his home in Washington. He was 85.

PBS announced his death.

While best known for his anchor work, which he shared for two decades with his colleague Robert MacNeil, Mr. Lehrer moderated a dozen presidential debates and was the author of more than a score of novels, which often drew on his reporting experiences. He also wrote four plays and three memoirs.

A low-key, courtly Texan who worked on Dallas newspapers in the 1960s and began his PBS career in the 1970s, Mr. Lehrer saw himself as “a print/word person at heart” and his program as a kind of newspaper for television, with high regard for balanced and objective reporting. He was an oasis of civility in a news media that thrived on excited headlines, gotcha questions and noisy confrontations.

“I have an old-fashioned view that news is not a commodity,” Mr. Lehrer told The American Journalism Review in 2001. “News is information that’s required in a democratic society, and Thomas Jefferson said a democracy is dependent on an informed citizenry. That sounds corny, but I don’t care whether it sounds corny or not. It’s the truth.”

Mr. Lehrer co-anchored a single-topic, half-hour PBS news program with Mr. MacNeil from its inception in 1975 to 1983, when it was expanded into the multitopic “MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour.” It ran until Mr. MacNeil retired in 1995. The renamed “NewsHour With Jim Lehrer” continued until 2009, when he reduced his appearances to two and then to one a week until his own retirement in 2011.

Critics called Mr. Lehrer’s reporting, and his collaborations with Mr. MacNeil, solid journalism, committed to fair, unbiased and far more detailed reporting than the CBS, NBC or ABC nightly news programs. To put news in perspective, the two anchors interviewed world and national leaders, and experts on politics, law, business, arts and sciences, and other fields.

It was not unusual to see presidents, prime ministers, congressional and corporate leaders and other luminaries interviewed on “MacNeil/Lehrer.” Early subjects included the Shah of Iran, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and Presidents Anwar Sadat of Egypt and Fidel Castro of Cuba. Mr. Lehrer also interviewed nearly all of America’s presidential and vice-presidential candidates from 1976 on.

With Mr. Lehrer reporting from Washington and Mr. MacNeil from New York, the program sought to represent all sides of a controversy by eliciting comments from rivals for public attention. But the anchors deliberately drew no sweeping conclusions of their own about disputed matters, allowing viewers to decide for themselves what to believe.

The approach had its drawbacks. An extended presentation of authoritative voices offering conflicting viewpoints left some viewers dissatisfied, if not confused. Many found the technique elitist and dull, and even some critics called it boring — or, worse, a willful refusal by Mr. Lehrer and Mr. MacNeil to make hard judgments about adversarial issues affecting the public interest.

In The Columbia Journalism Review in 1979, Andrew Kopkind wrote: “The structure of any MacNeil/Lehrer Report is composed of talking heads rather than explosive images, of conversation covering several points of view rather than a homogeneous statement of the world’s condition, of panels of experts, proposals for policy, and the sense of incompleteness — and therefore of possibility — rather than a feeling of finality.”

Edwin Diamond, writing in The New York Times that year, said the hosts had “gradually created one of the best half-hours of news on television without ‘visuals’ at all; the major elements of the program are the interviewers themselves, always prepared with good questions, and the quality of their guests, always specialists on the night’s single topic and almost always capable of speaking fresh, intelligent thoughts.”

“MacNeil/Lehrer” audiences were small compared to the network news shows, which drew far more viewers with videotaped coverage and news summaries that critics called headlines for people who did not read daily newspapers. But surveys found that PBS viewers were better educated, and that they were newspaper readers who tuned in to amplify what they knew.

Mr. Lehrer and Mr. MacNeil each declined lucrative job offers from television networks. Unlike commercial networks, “MacNeil/Lehrer” relied on donations by corporations, foundations and wealthy individuals; by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a nonprofit creation of Congress; and by MacNeil/Lehrer Productions, created in 1981 to support their franchise, specials and documentaries.

In 1986, Mr. Lehrer hosted the documentary “My Heart, Your Heart,” which was based on his experience of double-bypass surgery and recovery in 1983. The program, on PBS, won an Emmy and an award from the American Heart Association. He also hosted “The Heart of the Dragon,” a 12-part series on modern China, also shown in 1986.

Known mainly to PBS viewers, Mr. Lehrer became one of television’s most familiar faces by moderating presidential debates, starting in 1988 with the first between Vice President George H.W. Bush and Gov. Michael S. Dukakis of Massachusetts, and continuing in every presidential campaign through 2012, sometimes including two or three debates in a year.

Complaints by candidates and pundits about moderators’ performances became a tradition of election seasons, and Mr. Lehrer, often called the “Dean of Moderators” for his many appearances, was singled out repeatedly, accused of being too easygoing or too strict in enforcing the rules, of being too soft or too hard on the debaters.

In 1988, when critics said he was not aggressive enough with the candidates, Mr. Lehrer snapped, “If somebody wants to be entertained, they ought to go to the circus.” In 2008, he was said to be too aggressive in trying to get Senator John McCain of Arizona and Senator Barack Obama of Illinois to engage with each other.

In the 2012 debate, it was Mr. Lehrer’s light touch that came under fire. President Obama and former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts at times ignored Mr. Lehrer, who strained to interrupt when they exceeded their allotted speaking times, and rules were violated repeatedly. Both campaigns accused Mr. Lehrer of losing control of the debate.

The Commission on Presidential Debates defended Mr. Lehrer, saying it was his job to get the candidates talking, not to insert himself into their dialogue. For his part, Mr. Lehrer said his task had been “to facilitate direct, extended exchanges between the candidates about issues of substance” and “to stay out of the way of the flow,” adding, “I had no problems with doing so.”

James Charles Lehrer was born in Wichita, Kan., on May 19, 1934, to Harry Lehrer, who ran a small bus line and was a bus station manager, and Lois (Chapman) Lehrer, a teacher. Jim attended schools in Wichita and Beaumont, Tex., and graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in San Antonio, where he edited a student newspaper.

He earned an associate degree from Victoria College in Texas in 1954 and a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri in 1956. Like his father and his older brother Fred, he joined the Marine Corps. He was an infantry officer on Okinawa, edited a camp newspaper at the Parris Island Marine training center in South Carolina and was discharged as a captain in 1959.

In 1960, he married Kate Staples, a novelist. She survives him, along with three daughters, Jamie, Lucy and Amanda, and six grandchildren.

From 1959 to 1961, Mr. Lehrer was a reporter for The Dallas Morning News, but he quit after the paper declined to publish his articles on right-wing activities in a civil defense organization. He joined the rival Dallas Times Herald, where over nine years he was a reporter, columnist and city editor.

He also began writing fiction. His first novel, “Viva Max!” (1966), about a Mexican general who triggers an international incident by trying to recapture the Alamo, was made into a film comedy starring Peter Ustinov and Jonathan Winters.

In 1970, Mr. Lehrer joined KERA-TV, the Dallas public broadcasting station, where he delivered a nightly newscast. In 1972, he became PBS’s coordinator of public affairs programming in Washington. He quit over funding cuts, but in 1973 he joined WETA-TV in Washington, became a PBS correspondent and met Mr. MacNeil, a Canadian who had reported for NBC-TV and the BBC.

They co-anchored PBS telecasts of the Senate Watergate hearings, investigating the break-in by Republican operatives at the Democratic National Committee headquarters, an episode that set off a political dirty-tricks scandal that led to the downfall of Richard M. Nixon’s presidency. The telecasts began the partnership that would carry the two broadcasters to television fame.

Mr. Lehrer won numerous Emmys, a George Foster Peabody Award and a National Humanities Medal. He and Mr. MacNeil were inducted into the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame in 1999.

He lived in Washington and had a farm in West Virginia, where he kept a 1946 Flxible Clipper bus, the centerpiece of his collection of bus memorabilia.

Mr. Lehrer’s memoirs were “We Were Dreamers” (1975), “A Bus of My Own” (1992) and “Tension City: Inside the Presidential Debates” (2011). His plays were “Chili Queen” (1986), a farce about a media circus at a hostage situation; “Church Key Charlie Blue” (1988), a dark comedy on a bar flare-up over a televised football game; “The Will and Bart Show” (1992), about two cabinet officials who loathe each other; and “Bell” (2013), a one-man show about Alexander Graham Bell.

Writing nights and weekends, on trains, planes and sometimes in the office, Mr. Lehrer churned out a novel almost every year for more than two decades: spy thrillers, political satires, murder mysteries and series featuring One-Eyed Mack, a lieutenant governor of Oklahoma, and Charlie Henderson, a C.I.A. agent. “Top Down” (2013) revolved around the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy, which Mr. Lehrer had covered as a young reporter in Dallas. Critics called his fiction workmanlike, relying more on twisty plots than characters and dialogue.

“His apprenticeship came at a time when every reporter, it seemed, had an unfinished novel in his desk — but Lehrer actually finished his,” Texas Monthly said in a 1995 profile.

But it was as a newsman that Mr. Lehrer was best remembered.

“Jim Lehrer is no showboat,” Walter Goodman wrote in The Times in 1996. “That is a considerable distinction for television, where the interrogators are often bigger than their guests or victims. This man of modest mien keeps the spotlight on the person being questioned. His somewhat halting conversational manner invites rather than commands. And his professional principles dispel any fears that he is out to get not just his guests’ point of view but also the guests themselves.”

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