Author Archives: colealpaugh

About colealpaugh

Cole Alpaugh's newspaper career began in the early 80s, starting with small daily papers in Maryland and Massachusetts, where his stories won national awards. His most recent job was at a large daily in Central New Jersey, where his "true life" essays included award-winning pieces on a traveling rodeo and an in-depth story on an emergency room doctor that was nominated by Gannett News Service for a 1991 Pulitzer Prize. Cole also contracted with two Manhattan-based news agencies, covering conflicts in Haiti, Panama, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Thailand and Cambodia. His work has appeared in dozens of magazines, as well as most newspapers in America. Cole is currently a freelance photographer and novelist living in Northeast Pennsylvania, where he spends afternoons in a virtual running race around the equator, and evenings watching his daughter's magical stage performances. You can find him online at ColeAlpaugh.com.

Real life characters

Posted on November 18, 2010 by colealpaugh

I could probably get in trouble comparing old acquaintances to roustabouts from a traveling circus — but I mean it in the nicest way. A reporter asked where I get my ideas for characters. That’s actually a pretty good question, … Continue reading →

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The first hard story

Posted on November 14, 2010 by colealpaugh

I’m not a big Twitter person, no matter how much my writing partner describes the enormous missed opportunity I’m overlooking to market my writing. She uses the word platform an awful lot. It’s not that I’m shy about people seeing … Continue reading →

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Where do character names come from?

Posted on November 13, 2010 by colealpaugh

In a current WIP my main character’s wife is named Marta. I’ve loved that name since I met my first Marta in Esteli, Nicaragua, back when the U.S. government was funding the Contras in an attempt to destabilize the Sandinista … Continue reading →

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The Bear in a Muddy Tutu

Posted on October 31, 2010 by colealpaugh

a melancholy tale about love and a traveling circus from a national award-winning journalist

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Hello world!

Posted on October 31, 2010 by colealpaugh

It’s official — the circus is coming to a town near you! The Bear in a Muddy Tutu, a melancholy tale about love and a traveling circus, will be released late this winter by Camel Press, a new imprint of … Continue reading →

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