Amanda Ruggeri

Rome, Italy
Contact

Professional Experience

A journalist, blogger and photographer in Rome, Italy, my travel writing, news and culture pieces have been published in the New York Times, Guardian, Atlantic, AFAR, New York Magazine, Mother Jones, LEXUS, Mariner & Global Post, among others. Pieces have ranged from the top 10 boutique hotels in Rome (for the Guardian) to a 5,000-word piece on urban preservation (for World Policy Journal), from why female ski jumpers couldn't compete in the Olympics (for Mother Jones) to the Ravello concert festival on the Amalfi coast (for LEXUS magazine). I'm also the writer behind two successful Italy travel blogs. I'm a semi-professional photographer, too.

Expertise

Copywriter
2 Years
Reporter
8 Years
Other, Specify
2 Years

Specialty

Lifestyle
7 Years
Politics
2 Years
Travel
2 Years

Industries


Magazine - Large Consumer/National magazines
3 Years
Newspaper - Local/Regional
8 Years
Online/new media
2 Years

Total Media Industry Experience

10 Years

Media Client List (# assignments last 2 yrs)

Fodor's Rome (1-2), Global Post (1-2), LEXUS (1-2), Mariner (1-2), Mother Jones (1-2), World Policy Journal (1-2), U.S. News & World Report (1-2), New York Magazine (3-5), The American (10+), The Guardian's travel section (6-10), New York Times travel section (3-5), The Atlantic (1-2), AFAR (1-2), Art Times (1-2)

Corporate Client List (# assignments last 2 yrs)

Walks of Italy (10+)

Other Work History

From 2008-2009, I worked as a full-time political, features and news reporter for U.S. News & World Report magazine, writing more than 200 articles in total for web and print. Topics ranged from a profile of choreographer Twyla Tharp to what "Gen Y" is all about to the struggle of women veterans for VA health benefits -- not to mention more articles about Congress, the White House and the economy than I can count!

Foreign Language Skills

Proficient Italian, scraping-by Spanish

Computer Skills

Word, Excel, type 120 words/minute, TypePad, WordPress, ViewNX 2 photo editing software

Equipment

MacBook; professional DSLR camera, Nikon D90; Nikon classic and macro lenses (great for up-close and food shots); H2 Zoom audio recorder, professional-grade for audio clips; ViewNX 2 photo editing software; bottomless purse of pens; most importantly, a passion for writing, photography, travel and human rights issues

References

Available on request

Awards

First Prize for a Senior Essay in European History, History Department of Yale University, 2007 Wright Prize for Descriptive Nonfiction, English Department of Yale University, 2005 Golden Key, New York Times James B. Reston Writing Portfolio, Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, 2003

Showcase

General

Italy and the Veil
(The Atlantic 9/3/2011)
An op-ed on Italy's ban of the full Muslim veil, which has been proposed as a way to save women from oppression.
Why Aren't Female Ski Jumpers Allowed in the Olympics?
(Mother Jones 2/12/2010)
An investigative piece on why female ski jumpers weren't allowed to compete in the Olympics -- something that only changed after this article was published.
Female Veterans Fight for Healthcare
(U.S. News & World Report 7/31/2009)
The struggle of America's female veterans for parity with men in the VA's flawed healthcare system.
Twyla Tharp: Dance and Choreographer Strives for Innovation
(U.S. News & World Report 10/22/2009)
Profile on the famous, and groundbreaking, choreographer and dancer Twyla Tharp.
Ten of the Best Boutique Hotels in Rome
(Guardian 7/13/2011)
The top 10 boutique hotels in Rome, chosen and written for the Guardian's online Rome city guide.
Eat Like a Local in Rome
(Guardian 7/20/2010)
An insider's guide to the best, local places to eat and drink in Rome.
Italy's Roof
(The American 8/18/2011)
Column on how I fell in love with the Valle d'Aosta, one of Italy's most spectacular and undiscovered regions.
Obama Generation Continues to Make Waves
(U.S. News & World Report 11/13/2009)
An in-depth feature investigating who Generation Y really is, and why they matter.
Italian Artifacts Crumble
(Global Post 11/12/2010)
News piece on how culture workers across Italy protest the budget cuts that caused archaeological sites to collapse. Because of this piece, I was interviewed on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's "Q" radio program.
On Michelangelo and Mapplethorpe
(Art Times 1/15/2010)
Review of an exhibit in Florence that counterposed Mapplethorpe's pieces... with Michelangelo's.
Exposed Italy
(12/1/2011)
Portfolio of some of my travel photographs of Italy and beyond.
How to Save Money on Train Trips in Italy
(New York Times 11/8/2011)
Piece for the NYT's In Transit section.
Where to Find Holiday Gifts in Rome's Markets
(New York Times 11/16/2011)
Piece for the NYT's In Transit section.
Why a Tiny Alabama Town Wants a $375 Million Chunk of the Stimulus
(U.S. News & World Report 1/8/2009)
Enterprise piece on why a small town in Alabama's stimulus requests. This article was the most-read on the U.S. News site, received nationwide attention. Soon after it published, the town withdrew their requests.
Get Your Art Fix in Naples
(New York Magazine 11/17/2011)
Piece for "Five-Point Weekend Escapes" section on where to stay, eat, what to do, and more in Naples, Italy.
In the Footsteps of Rome's Gladiators
(Guardian 10/21/2010)
Travel story on how, for the first time, visitors to the Colosseum are being allowed to tour the tunnels where the gladiators prepared for victory -- or death. A piece that I pitched to the Guardian, and that was one of the first articles out on the opening of the Colosseum's underground.
Rome's Cinecitta Studios Showcases the Golden Age of Italian Film
(Global Post 5/8/2011)
Feature on how the legendary studio opens to the general public -- and a look at what the Italian film industry is like today.
Emerging Gay Adoption Fight Shares Battle Lines of Same-Sex Marriage Debate
(U.S. News & World Report 10/31/2008)
The story of a gay foster parent in Florida who wanted to adopt his children, but couldn't. Since this article was published, the law has been overturned.
Revealed Rome
(12/15/2011)
My blog featuring insiders' tips and tricks to travel in and around Rome, Italy. All photographs are mine.
Walks of Italy travel blog
(Walks of Italy 12/1/2011)
My writing for the travel company Walks of Italy, including many of my own photographs.
The Rentables
(New York Magazine 10/23/2011)
Contributed Rome and the Valle d'Aosta.
The Sack of Rome
(The American 10/17/2011)
Piece on the Oct. 15 riots in Rome, Italy.