I'm writing a book about retail work for Portfolio, a business-focused imprint of Penguin, inspired by my New York Times story. My humor essay about what it's like to work retail during the holidays (insane!) appears in the December 2009 issue of Smithsonian.

I began working as a paid blogger July 1, most frequently about women, work and journalism, at trueslant.com, a smart, fun, diverse 200-member community, a venture backed by Forbes Media. The site went live in April, and we're getting 700,000 unique visitors a month. My two most popular posts? Why I read obituaries and why women need to be more thoughtful about avoiding danger.

Building on my expertise as author of "Blown Away: American Women and Guns" (Pocket Books), I also blog about firearms, violence, war and gun policy at theopencase.com.

I serve as a trustee of the Writers Emergency Assistance Fund, which expeditiously offers first-time grants of up to $6,000 to non-fiction writers; those who qualify can apply at weaf.org. I'm also serving my second term as a board member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors, a 1,300 member international group that advocates for writers of fiction and non-fiction.

I'm writing for The Wall Street Journal, Toronto Star, New York Times, and Boys' Life. I've published more than 100 pieces in The New York Times, from renovation, real estate, and sports to small business and personal finance. A generalist, I'm always looking for new clients and assignments.

Recent work includes a WSJ profile of Jane Tattersall, Canada's top post-production editor, a business story about the arrival of the Tim Hortons doughnut chain in Manhattan - the most emailed story that day for the Toronto Star - and a profile of Ontario potter Bill Reddick, whose gorgeous plates were used for a state luncheon when President Obama visited Canada in February 20009.

I also work as a photographer; some samples at 6thfloorpix.com.