About: Cadence, My Book, and the One Track Memory Newsletter

A college professor, an award-winning writer, and a punk rocker walk into a bar. He orders a martini. 

Wait: is this a joke? 

Not at all. Martinis are serious business. And so is yours. 

So when I put words together for your project, I bring: 

  • The analytical powers of a Ph.D.

  • The storytelling prowess of a contributor to Harper’s. 

  • A fanatic’s obsession with concision, clarity, and cadence—à la my three-minute heroes from the UK circa 1977

About Me (and Cadence)

I grew up in Sacramento and Stockton, California, on a diet of iceberg lettuce, microwaved fish fillets, and Mexican takeout. I was too young, alas, to catch punk in its glorious heyday. 

On my 1982 visit to Coventry, England, with the Boy Scouts of America, I got turned on to The Specials, The Selecter, and a whole bunch of other bands absent from the airwaves of the San Joaquin Valley. Many of them are still in medium rotation on my stereo.

Upon my departure from Stockton, I made stops at six colleges and universities, collecting degrees from UC Santa Barbara, SF State, and the CUNY Graduate Center. While living in New York, I met the woman who became my wife, and I followed her to Oberlin, Ohio. 

For six years, I taught at Northeast Ohio colleges and universities, and then crossed over to the dark side: Randal Doane, Ph.D., assistant dean of studies at Oberlin College. (I’m kidding. Our office was a beacon of compassion and light.) 

In 2017, I wrapped things up at Oberlin and started Cadence. The growing pains were, well, painful. 

New colleagues kept telling me: 

  1. Be patient. 

  2. People do business with people they know, like, and trust. 

  3. 80% of life is showing up.
    (Much of the remaining 20% is personal hygiene related, I suspect.) 

So I showered regularly, showed up often, and played well with others. In 2020, I parlayed a $25 sock gift into a six-figure contract. And it’s been amazing ever since.

Today, I'm still happily and gainfully married. For leisure, I spend time with my daughter and Seamus, our nutty Wheaten Terrier, on paddleboards and bicycles—not at the same time. I still love live music, and I’m just ecstatic when I remember my earplugs.

Key Services

  • Brand Voice Guides

  • Website Copy

  • My Day Rate Package (a.k.a. the very urgent problem solution)

  • Naming Projects (clinics, products, etc.)

Industry Recognition

Copy for Hubspot’s #1 favorite natural website, 2023 (here)
(Note: In 2024, NCX expanded their services and updated their site.)

My book on Rocknroll -

Stealing All Transmissions: A Secret History of The Clash

Stealing is a love story. It’s the story of how The Clash fell in love with America, and how America loved them back. The romance began in full in 1977, when select rock journalists and deejays aided the band’s quest to depose the soft, squishy rock that dominated American airwaves. This history culminates with The Clash’s September 1979 arrival in New York City. 

The photo of Simonon’s impersonation of Paul Bunyan on September 20 graced the cover of the London Calling LP. It’s regarded today as the greatest rocknroll photograph of all time. That night marked one of the last opportunities to see The Clash as a punk band, teetering between conviction and uncertainty, before they became a seriously brilliant rock group.

Stealing’s distinctive. It’s the only book that gives proper attention to the forces of free-form radio and long-form rock journalism. This secret history concludes with an analysis of how we listen to music today and its impact on the written word.

Acclaim for the book

  • Best music-book-of-the-year list, Los Angeles Magazine, 2014

  • Silver medal, popular culture, Independent Publishers Award, 2014

High Praise for Stealing

“Ladies and gentlemen, please raise your glasses and cans to Messrs. Doane and Auguste. A triumphant work from this unlikely Gang of Two.”

—Hugo Burnham, founder and drummer, Gang of Four

“Stealing is unlike anything else you’ve ever read about The Clash. The maneuvers by American radio DJs, music journalists, and record company execs are deftly woven into the band’s own story.”

—Barry “The Baker” Auguste, roadie for The Clash, author of the Foreword to Stealing

Support independent publishers (paperback or e-book)

Support indy publishers and get an autographed copy

The Cadence Newsletter: One Track Memory

On the first of each month, starting January 1, 2025, I’ll send you my latest essay on rocknroll. 

Each essay is about a single song and its significance in my life. So it’s mostly memoir. It’s also about the music, along with a few things about the artist you’re not likely to find on Wikipedia. (But hey: some entries on wikipedia are great and accurate.) 

Memoir + music + history. 600 to 1500 words. Select essays for 2025 explore songs by The Pretenders, The Smiths, De La Soul, Johnny Cash, and Amy Winehouse. 

(Note: I have a copywriting-centric newsletter in the works. More soon.) 

It’s a nice way for you to get a good sense of where I’ve been, what I care about, and some of the friends I’ve had along the way. And, of course, I look forward to hearing about how these musicians mattered to you. 

Online. 

Over a coffee. Or a pint. 

Maybe we’ll even strike up a friendship, too.

The plan: 12 essays a year. Up to four more, if I simply can’t bear to keep a story from you.

Cancel anytime, of course. And I won’t share your data. Ever.

I hope you’ll stick around.

And I’m so delighted you read until the end. You’re the best. 

Or explore the rest of the web. I respect your decision.