Photo by Cousin Daniel for Death+Taxes.My name is Joe, a Scorpio E/INFJ originally from rural southern Wisconsin, complete with cows, raspberry fields and star-filled skies. I graduated from the University of Wisconsin in Madison with a degree in journalism and mass communication in 2008, and moved to Chicago shortly thereafter.

I work as a writer, reporter and the news editor at Built In. In addition, you can read my writing on pop culture and politics at Queering The Burbs, my Substack newsletter. I also volunteer as the communications manager of the Batavia Community Diversity Initiative nonprofit.

Prior to all that, I worked as a social marketing manager and managing editor at Dose/OMGFacts and senior reporter at The Huffington Post. My work has also been featured in the Village Voice, Fodor’s, Riot Fest Magazine, INTO, Gapers Block, Windy City Times, Chicagoist, the 2013 queer anthology Boys, and elsewhere. In 2017, I was named a National Press Foundation fellow.

I live in west suburban Chicago with my partner Stefin, two cats and a (too) large record collection.

Running my mouth on HuffPost Live.

Recent essays:

These are a few of my favorite published works:

pop-goes-alicia

I spoke on a 2013 “Print to the Future” panel moderated by Alison Cuddy at Revolution Brewery. Other speakers included Ed Marszewski, Mara Shalhoup and Charles Whitaker. Watch highlights here:

More podcast appearances and interviews:

In 2016, I interviewed my parents for HuffPost’s Talk to Me series: