Guest Christopher Kelly spent many a night during his college career in a film screening, honing a knowledge and love of cinema. But even more than his abiding love of film was his passion for writing about it and reflecting on culture more broadly. It wasn’t immediately obvious, however, how to make a life’s work of that. After a few placements at magazines and a freelance career that could keep ends meet, he applied on a whim to an open film critic position at a newspaper in Fort Worth, Texas, and he got it. That remained the dream job for a few years and then he was ready for new opportunities, just as the two worlds on which his career was built—the film industry and print journalism—were undergoing complete transformation.

In this episode,find out from Chris how staying attuned to the tastes of the audience and being open to change can help you navigate the critical junctures…on Roads Taken with Leslie Jennings Rowley.

About This Episode’s Guest

Christopher Kelly is Vice President of Content of NJ Advance Media, overseeing all content for NJ.com and the Newark Star-Ledger. He is also a novelist, who won the Lambda Literary Award for Gay Debut Fiction in 2008 for his combination “coming-of-age and revenge story” A Push and a Shove. His second novel, The Pink Bus, was published in 2016, just before he found other ways to spend his free time with his husband and two kids.

For another story featuring a writer about culture and film, listen to ourepisode with Suzanne Leonard.

Find more episodes at https://roadstakenshow.com

Executive Producer/Host: Leslie Jennings Rowley

Music: Brian Burrows

Email the show at RoadsTakenShow@gmail.com

Find more episodes at https://roadstakenshow.com

Executive Producer/Host: Leslie Jennings Rowley

Music: Brian Burrows

Email the show at RoadsTakenShow@gmail.com

Culture Club: Chris Kelly on tracking the audience and being ready for change

Roads Taken