Editing

The following are editing roles I’ve been honored to hold throughout my career:

Editor for Westmoreland History Magazine (2020-Present)

The first local history story I ever wrote when I began my adventure as a freelance writer was on Idlewild Park for the Westmoreland County Historical Society’s Westmoreland History magazine. It’s funny how things come full circle years later. I am honored to take on the role as editor for this triannual publication, which has been producing compelling stories on Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania history for more than 25 years.

Co-Editor for the Ligonier Valley Rail Road Association’s The Liggie Newsletter (2020-Present)

Along with fellow board director Doug Kurtz, I serve as co-editor of the LVRRA‘s quarterly newsletter, The Liggie, which provides LVRRA members with historical articles related to the Ligonier Valley Rail Road and other railroad history, plus general LVRR museum and member news. Current issue: August 2020.

Full Bore: The Memoirs of David G. Assard (2017)
-My Roles: Transcriptions, Copy Editing, Proofreading

For more than a year I worked with a very special man from Greensburg, Pennsylvania who wanted nothing more than to pass on a simple piece of advice to his children and grandchildren: no matter how humble your beginnings are, anything is possible with hard work and determination. David Assard was an accomplished U.S. Navy pilot who survived a crash landing onto St. Lawrence Island after his plane was shot down by Russian MiGs during the Cold War. After pursuing a mechanical engineering degree, he went onto enjoy a 40-year career leading several renowned aviation and industrial manufacturing companies throughout the United States.

I met David in late 2014 and over the next year we worked together on his memoirs. David recorded most of his life’s story on a digital recorder, which I then transcribed and edited. Sadly, David passed away in January 2016 at the age of 82, after his memoirs were essentially completed, but before we could arrange a private printing. Over the following year I worked with David’s wife Linda and a Massachusetts-based publishing company to fact-check and proofread multiple drafts as well as supply images for his book, most of which David himself selected. Full Bore was privately published in 2017 for David’s friends and family.

An American Songline: A Musical Journey Along the Lincoln Highway by Cecelia Otto (2015)
– My Roles: Editor and Foreword Author

I was honored and proud to edit as well as write the foreword to An American Songline: A Musical Journey Along the Lincoln Highway, written by Cecelia Otto. This amazing project ties together music and local history – my favorite things – in such a creative and bold way. It also introduced me to a wonderful new friend!

In 2013, Cece embarked on a six-month tour singing vintage music along the Lincoln Highway during the road’s centennial. In 2015 she published a book describing her coast-to-coast journey through 13 states and released an album of original music and American standards. An American Songline and its companion album are now available for purchase on Amazon, CD Baby and iTunes and more information can be found on the American Songline website. Cece is also back on the road with her inspired program of vaudeville songs and hoping to bring her tour to western Pennsylvania once again. Be sure to follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to see where she will be bringing her music next!

Advertisement