My name is Kevin Ott. I'm a freelance writer and I live in the lovely suburbs of historic Philadelphia.

After attending Juniata College, the finest higher educational facility in all the land, I ran with the Corporation for National Service's AmeriCorps for a few months, where I was lucky enough to land a job working at Super Bowl XXXII. I also worked for the Fund for Animals at one of their wildlife rehabilitation centers in Ramona, CA. "Never offer to help hysterectomize a deceased coyote" is the advice I will pass on to my grandchildren.

Upon returning home, I worked for The Daily News, a journalistically wanting newspaper in Huntingdon, PA, then was recruited to the Altoona Mirror, an excellent small-market paper. I am now a freelance writer, splitting my time equally among this site, working for the Bucks County Courier Times, and applying to graduate schools. Hopefully, by late summer of 2002, I will be firmly entrenched in a graduate communications program.

I have recently determined that my standards for television shows are good writing and good cinematography, in that order. If something's not entertaining, it should at least be pretty to look at. I freely admit to having laughed out loud at episodes of MTV's Jackass, which probably means I need to be in a special school or something.

My favorite books, music and comics are mentioned elsewhere on the site, and I'm currently rereading Dave Eggers' A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius. Pretty good stuff, if a bit overly popular with the black-leather-and-little-eyeglasses twentysomething crowd.

The best cities on Earth are Philadelphia, San Diego, Boston, Pittsburgh and New York, but not really in that order. Portland, ME is pretty cool. I hear London is a fun town, but I haven't been there yet.

I liked Aliens, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Fight Club, American Beauty, The Graduate, The Matrix, L.A. Confidential, and anything by Stephen Spielberg, John Lasseter, Stephen Soderbergh, David Fincher, Neil LaBute, and a bunch of other people I can't think of right now because it's late. The Star Wars trilogy occupies a special place in my gut, since I grew up with the movies at my side.

My dog, Poopy, still lives with my mother in Philadelphia.

I lean left, but I have been known to vote Republican in local elections. I'm straight and single. I like Brooklyn Pilsner, Yeungling Lager, Caffrey's Irish Ale, any kind of hefeweisen or weisbier, Woodchuck Dark & Dry, Harp, Rolling Rock and Newcastle Brown Ale. I recently Magic Hat, a Vermont-brewed line of beers, and love it. There is a special place in my heart for Guinness, with which I will toast my wedding instead of champagne. I hate musicals. It is my sincere belief that the best burritos in the world are to be found at Adalberto's on Rosecrans Avenue in San Diego, and the best cheesesteaks in the world are to be found at Jim's Steaks on South Street in Philadelphia, and the best pastrami-coleslaw-and-french-fry sandwiches can be found at Primanti Brothers' restaurants in Pittsburgh, but the one in Oakland, not the one on the Strip. My mother makes the best pork roll-egg-and-cheese sandwiches on earth.

Important Crimes, Important Victims
I Brake for Criminals
Up for the Count
Burials and Understandings
Do You Didgeridoo?
Left on Target
They Shoot, They Score
Crime Pays (At Least a Little)
He Did It All for the Nyuki
Racism on the Front Page
Dancing About Architecture

E-mail: kevin@notnews.org