www.michaelblanding.com
Michael Blanding is an award-winning magazine writer who covers politics, social issues, and travel. He has written for publications including The Nation, The New Republic, Salon, AlterNet, The Boston Globe, Condé Nast Traveler, and Boston Magazine, where he is a contributing editor. He has also taught journalism at Emerson College, Northeastern University and Tufts University. He is currently working on a travel guide to Vermont for Moon Handbooks.
Featured Book
Moon New England From the whaling history of Nantucket to the best routes for fall foliage in Vermont, Moon New England gives travelers the tools they need to create a more personal and memorable experience. With expert writers, first-rate strategic advice, and an essential dose of humor, Moon guidebooks are the cure for the common trip. (Moon Handbooks, 1st Edition, May 2007)
Featured Articles
The Bottled Water Backlash The bottled water industry is on the defensive as restaurant owners and cities are canceling their bottled water contracts and advocating for tap. (AlterNet, October 19, 2007)
Meet the New Boss(es) It’s called workplace democracy, and at the local companies leading the movement, employees can set their own pay, veto new projects—even demote the chief exec. But as some are finding, that’s still not always enough to make coworkers get along. (Boston Magazine, September 2007)
The Departing When young, middle-class families with children flee for the suburbs, a city is robbed of its heart and soul. San Francisco is embracing radical new ideas to stop this urban flight. Shouldn't Boston be doing the same? (Boston Globe Sunday Magazine, August 30, 2007) PLUS: Hear Michael talking about this article on National Public Radio's "Here and Now"
The Ways of the Gun Massachusetts has some of the country’s toughest gun laws. So why is Boston flooded with firearms? The answer lies inside the city’s thriving black market for illegal weapons. (Boston Magazine, May 2006) Finalist for the 2006 Livingston Awards for Young Journalists PLUS: Click here for exclusive statistics on gun trafficking in New England ALSO: Hear Michael talking about this story on the National Public Radio's "On Point"
Gun
Crazy A growing rift among hunters represents the best opening
in years for liberals and moderates to blunt the effects of the gun lobby.
(The New Republic, September 4, 2006)
The Big Taboo We don’t talk about race. Often, we don’t even think about it. But according to Tufts psychologists, unconscious stereotypes and racial biases can have a huge effect on our behavior. (Tufts Magazine, Fall 2006)
The
Case Against Coke A global, grassroots campaign against Coca-Cola
is using product bans and lawsuits to shed light on the corporate giant's
exploitation and brutality in Colombia, India and elsewhere. (The
Nation, May 1, 2006) ALSO: "Coca-Cola,
ein Fall für die Gerichte" (German translation by Anne von Gladiss;
Beschreibung der Organisationen);
"Il
Caso Coca-Cola" (Italian translation by Rete Boicottaggio Coca-Cola)
The Best Streets To determine which roads, lanes, and avenues rank as the area’s most desired addresses, we logged 1,200 miles on Greater Boston asphalt to check out the candidates, tease out subtle distinctions, and make some hard choices. Three months and one “check engine” light later, we have our winners. (Boston Magazine, May 2007)
The Devil You Know The true story of the man who had it all—a house in the suburbs, a good job, five kids—until he went on the Internet to hire a hit man to kill his wife. (Boston Magazine, September 2004)
The
Great Pretender Jumping from rooftop to rooftop with his
cross-dressing pal, abandoning glitzy homes and cars along the way, and
stealing identities of 
Boston
lawyers to pay for it all, Shawn Pelley led authorities on a dizzying
chase of catch-me-if-you-can. (Boston
Magazine, August 2003) Finalist
for the 2003 Livingston Awards
for Young Journalists
The
Invisible Harvest Exploitation. Coercion. Poverty wages.
New England has its own Grapes of Wrath, and it's happening now.
Inside the hidden world of the migrant farm workers who put food on your
table. (Boston Magazine, October 2002)
Finalist for the 2002 Livingston Awards for Young Journalists
The Other Cape: Cape Ann, Massachusetts This picturesque seaside community inspires your inner artist. (Yankee Magazine, May 2007)
Cambodia:
Below the Surface Far from the tourist buses, the real beauty
of this troubled country is finally emerging. (with Alexandra
Hall, Boston Globe, August 24, 2003)
Sidebar:
Serenity Instead of Crowds Beat the rush at Angkor Wat
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