Adrienne Writes

I am Adrienne Samuels Gibbs, Adrienne P. Samuels or @adriennewrites, as I’m known on Twitter.

Writer. Editor. Culture Critic. That’s me. (To go to my actual blog, click on Adriennewrites, to your right, above)

I am an award-winning, Pulitzer-nominated journalist with over 10 years of experience covering everything from Hurricane Katrina to Department of Defense contracts to the inner workings of Diddy’s mind. I am a senior editor at Ebony magazine, with responsibilities that include overseeing Arts, Entertainment, Health, Fitness, Careers and Literature. I write about and wrangle celebs for the cover, and I helped plan Ebony’s swanky 65th birthday parties in Hollywood and in Chicago.

My cover stories include the hot and sexy piece on Boris Kudjoe and Nicole Ari Parker in February 2010′s Hot Couples issue.  I’ve also penned cover stories on Sade (after stalking her for a year, she said yes to an interview!),  Diddy,  Taraji P. Henson, Viola Davis, Niecy Nash, Tyra Banks and Ludacris. My favorite Ebony piece has nothing to do with celebrity. It’s headined “Guess Who Sells Your Weave?” It delved into the business behind Korean-American-owned beauty supply stores that cater to the African-American community. It also won several awards, including a 2009 Salute to Excellence nod from the National Association of Black Journalists.

I’ve penned front page stories for The Boston Globe. I covered the immigrant communities (and wrote kick ass features) at The St. Petersburg Times.  I covered parties AND politics while working at The Miami Herald. I’ve covered international news. I’ve covered fashion. I’ve covered sports. I’ve covered murders. I’ve covered presidential elections. I’ve covered regional, national and international tragedies. I’ve covered hot celebrity gossip. I’ve won fellowships to cover issues in Senegal and Mexico. I’ve also covered lots and lots and lots of politics.

I sit on the Board of Directors for the Chicago Headline Club, I sit on the board of trustees for the Northwestern University alumni magazine and yes, you have seen me on TV. You can catch me right now on the BIO channel for the biography of Tyra Banks, and I’ve been on CNN, ABC News, The Tyra Banks Show,  Chicago Tonight and a host of other TV and radio stations.

In my spare time I pen sci fi.

Along the way I’ve had tons o’ fun. I flew with the Navy Blue Angels and lived to write about it. I hunted for whale poachers with the Coast Guard and drove the Cutter while I was at it. I discovered why the Department of Defense spent millions with a small community college in St. Petersburg, Fla. I penned (in my opinion) one of the best obituaries of Boston Red Sox player Ted Williams. I’ve had lunch with Tyra Banks and been a featured expert on her show. I’ve been into the Ludaplex and broke bread with him and his crew. I drove through the backwoods of South Carolina, Iowa and Illinois while covering the election of President  Barack Obama. I’ve twice met the president of Senegal at his house. I wrote a large portion of Ebony’s coverage of the death of Michael Jackson. I’ve even eaten at a place called Lizard’s Thicket.

Journalists lead interesting lives. Stay tuned to learn more about it.

p.s. Need I even say that everything on this blog is copyrighted material? If you copy and use my words without my written permission, out of context and/or without full attribution, then, well, we’ll have big, big problems. Being a writer also means being honest. If you have to steal words or ideas, find a new profession. Alright then! Carry on!

p.s.s. To go to my actual blog, click on Adriennewrites!