I thought it’d be a good time to refresh my intro on the kind of writing I do, and what I’m about. If you’re new to following me on social media, or reading my online articles, thank you!
I’m Mark, a freelance writer and social media manager. I typically write about specialty coffee, Seattle news, LGBTQ+ topics, and workers rights. Recently I’ve had the honor of interviewing nonbinary coffee workers for a three-part online series about nonbinary identities in coffee. I’ve covered Kshama Sawant’s inauguration, and interviewed “the grandfather of gay country music.” I’m working on some upcoming articles tentatively titled “How Did Cafes Get So Broey?” and “How Can Cafes Be More Accessible?”
I always welcome opportunities to write about Seattle news and events, queer and trans issues, and workplace organizing.
A little about me: My first freelance job was writing articles about high school sports for my small town’s local newspaper. At 17, my second job was at McDonald’s. First of all, working there made me vegetarian, and secondly, I witnessed one of the worst food service experiences of my life: In the middle of a busy lunch rush, a lady approached the counter and demanded to speak to someone because her burger wasn’t made as she requested. The first person to help was a primarily Spanish-speaking worker. The customer yelled about how disappointed she was, and finally threw her burger at my coworker before storming out. What stayed with me wasn’t the customer’s fit, it was the image of my coworker using a paper towel to clean ketchup and diced onions from her uniform.
That memory has a lot to do with why and how I write about the food service industry.