I have been publishing my writings for a long time. Here is a selection of the different types of work I’ve been doing:
Fiction
My short story “Timothy the Artist” was published in the Bay to Ocean Journal 2024, now available on Amazon. The Journal is published annually by the Eastern Shore Writers Association (ESWA). It features the best fiction, poetry, and non-fiction written by members of the association.
My Christmas-themed flash fiction “Mrs. Willie” was published in the “Holiday Noods” issue (Volume 4, Issue 3, 2024) of Instant Noodles Magazine, the online literary periodical of Current Words Publishing. For their end-of-year issue they select brief, lighthearted pieces reflecting the spirit of the holidays. I also posted it on my personal blog.
I am currently querying a novel, Nina’s Friends, an international crime mystery set in northeast United States and Scandinavia. The pitch: “In this gritty neo-noir, a disgraced intelligence agent with a violent past searches for answers in the murder of his lover and her husband. It takes him from Philadelphia’s Society Hill to the underbelly of Copenhagen, where he needs to untangle a rat’s nest involving outlaw bikers, domestic terrorism, and money laundering before he becomes the next victim.”
Creative Non-fiction
I am working on several creative non-fiction projects. I have also recently published two short works:
The story “Driving Stick” was published in the May 2024 issue of The Big Windows Review.
The story “Complex as the Treaty of Versailles” was published in the May 2024 issue of Brevity Magazine.
Essays and Criticism
I have decades of experience publishing features and critiques on film, fine art, and culture. This includes:
Several years as a film critic for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Essays on the politics and influence of the arts in Northern California for the San Francisco Bay Guardian.
Associate editor of the Atlantic Journal of Communication, and author of the essay published there, “On Digital Media as a Potential Alternative Cinema Apparatus: A Marketplace Analysis.” In that piece I anticipated the rise of Netflix and Amazon Prime. For several years it was the most-requested reprint of the publication.
Co-founder of the media journal Cinematograph, and author of the essay published there, “Peter Greenaway’s Contract,” an appreciation of the British filmmaker’s work up to that point.
A variety of essays on arts and culture for the publications Shift Magazine, Release Print, Spiral Magazine, San Francisco City Arts, Steel City Star, Artweek, Cinemanews, and Anima Magazine.
Business Writing
My career in national and international marketing communications involved extensive writing and editing work. This included:
Editor for the award-winning print periodical Innovation, published by Ernst & Young.
Managing editor of the New Jersey regional online publication published by Comcast.
Current Blogs
You can find my current essays on culture, art, politics, and communication at two locations.
The publishing site Medium, at medium.com/@james.irwin.
The same articles are also published on my newsletter Communicatoring on Substack at communicatoring.substack.com.
Publications Summary
Anima Magazine
Artweek
Atlantic Journal of Communication
Bay Guardian
Bay to Ocean Journal
Big Window Review
Brevity Blog
Brevity Magazine
Cinematograph
Ernst & Young Innovation Magazine
Instant Noodles
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Release Print
San Francisco City Arts
San Francisco Film Arts Festival Catalogue
San Francisco International Film Festival Catalogue
Shift Magazine
Spiral Magazine
Steel City Star