writer
editor
composer
crossworder
I’m an arts and culture journalist in Chicago. I’m also a composer of music in the classical tradition, especially for voices. I also construct crossword puzzles.
Professionally, I’ve spent the most time in journalism, covering the arts, culture, and dining scenes around Chicago. My most consistent beat has been classical music, informed by my knowledge as a practitioner and not just a listener. I’ve also done a lot of work on dining. I co-wrote Chicago magazine’s weekly dining newsletter, Dish, for several years, and I reviewed restaurants for Crain’s Chicago Business and for Chicago.
As a composer, I’ve worked mostly for choirs and solo voices. I like that composing music for voices allows me to put close-reading skills to work on interpreting and setting text. I sing baritone in the semiprofessional choir Vox Venti.
As a puzzle constructor, most of my recent work has been on assignment, often from editors I’ve met writing about arts and culture. Recently I’ve had puzzles appear in the Chicago Sun-Times and National Wildlife magazine.
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I have covered arts, culture, and dining in Chicago for 20 years. The topic I’ve returned to most often is classical music. I’ve had regular bylines previewing classical for Chicago magazine—where I was the classical-music stringer for 10 years—Crain’s Chicago Business, and WBEZ.org. I’ve also had classical stories in the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Sun-Times, and I Care If You Listen. I’ve reviewed classical concerts for Chicago Classical Review and Bachtrack.
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As a composer, I’ve focused on the voice, where I have the most familiarity as a performer. I’ve sung in choirs most of my life, currently in the baritone section of the semiprofessional choir Vox Venti.
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Crossword construction has largely jogged alongside my journalism career. The majority of my published puzzles have been constructed on assignment through connections established either through fellow writers and editors or through publicists and sources.
I’d love to hear from you.
Please get in touch at graham.meyer@gmail.com or through the form.