Backchat with Bette Midler and Mean Girls Dolls for Who, April 18, 2016

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I really enjoyed putting this week's Backchat together. First, there's an interview with Dalvinder Gill-Minhas, one of the featured Indian Australians looking for love in the SBS documentary Indian Wedding Race, then a look at the new line of Mean Girls dolls and a review of celebrities using Snapchat's puppy-face filter. Nicholas Fonseca and I had a great time compiling Bette Midler's best Twitter zingers, and I got to write all of the Gossip to Go boxes. 

Most Beautiful People 2016 for Who, April 4, 2016

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When I was at People, I reported on a lot of 'Beauties' but often my files were just written up by someone else. At Who, I'm the writer. You have to craft something interesting to say about the person but it can't be too much about product or fashion. Here are a couple of the people I did my best to describe. 

People had already gotten fun 'beauty confessions' from a bunch of celebrities but Who must stay mindful of the Australian audience. In the end, I was able to add models Elyse Taylor and Samantha Harris to our mix. If you would like to read more from Elyse, click here. 

In that same vein, I was happy to speak with Wentworth's Danielle Cormack and Love Child's Miranda Tapsell about their charitable work for the Beautiful Hearts act. In fact, they had so much good stuff to say, I included more of our chats in Who.com pieces. For more from Danielle, click here, and for more from Miranda, click here. The full act as it appeared in Who: 

Oscars 2016 for Who, March 14, 2016

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I always enjoy writing up details on the fabulous gowns worn on the Oscars red carpet and this year was no exception. Text-wise, however, I am highlighting my turn at summing up the red-carpet action, usually handled by Jennie Noonan. 

Mahtob Mahmoody: 'My Escape From Hell,' for Who, March 7, 2016

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In 1991, Sally Field starred in the film Not Without My Daughter: The Story of Betty Mahmoody, which was based on the real-life tale of a woman's escape from Iran with her daughter in the '80s. Twenty-five years later, I speak with that daughter, Mahtob Mahmoody. I found her clear-eyed, serene and a real survivor. Here is the story, teased on Who.com here. 

Courtney Barnett for Who, Feb. 22, 2016

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I forgot to post this before, but I was able to get Melbourne indie rock artist Courtney Barnett into WHO prior to her going to the Grammys. She was nominated as Best New Artist. It was great to include new talent in the issue and her answers helped illuminate her bio to a mass audience.

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Grammy Awards 2016 for Who, Feb. 29, 2016

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During a difficult week for WHO, the staff worked hard to produce this issue, including our Grammys story, completed in half a day. So glad to be their colleague. 

Oscars 2016: The Academy Makes Changes, for Who, Feb. 8, 2016

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While the Screen Actors Guild Awards acknowledged diversity in Hollywood with hardware on Jan. 30, 2016, many are still looking for host Chris Rock to make a stand at the Oscars.


Critics' Choice for Who, Feb. 1, 2016

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Following a spread featuring an interview with Jennifer Aniston, this coverage of the Critics' Choice Awards leads with Aniston and Justin Theroux. I loved being able to write from Reagan Alexander's file.

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Hot Topics: Oscar diversity for Who, Feb. 1, 2016

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Reactions to this year's Oscar nominations are evolving and ever-changing, so capturing the zeitgeist, even for a moment, isn't the easiest task. Here is how I summed it up for Who this week.

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