Julia Pistell writes nonfiction, including essays, articles, columns, and book reviews.
This page highlights Julia's personal writing projects; for her writing services, please visit the freelance page.
Published projects include:
- Hartford Courant: I Came for Love
- News & culture clips for WNPR. Lost literature, P.T. Barnum, Eddie Murphy
- Blogging about Science for "The Beaker," WNPR's science tumbler (posts on Charles Darwin, weather modification, and Wooly Mammoths.)
- Book Riot contributor on whaling, suffrage, audiobooks, and more.
- An essay about lunch featured on NPR's "This I Believe"
- An essay detailing time spent aboard the 38th Voyage of the Charles W. Morgan and experience re-reading Moby-Dick on board
- A flash fiction piece, "A Mystery is Solved," winner of the Coachella Review Flash Fiction award
- Reviews of dueling Mark Twain biographies for the Sunday Star-Ledger
- Created the "Walking Distance" column for the Hartford Advocate
She has done live readings at the Cornelia Street Cafe in New York, Real Art Ways, and Literary Death Match. Incidentally, she won the death match by performing her essay "The Fairy Godmother of the Berlin Turnpike" and then defeating poet Jon Sands in a literary spelling bee (thanks for the medal, Wisława Szymborska).
She has been a featured storyteller at The Mouth, Other People's Stories, and SpeakUp.
Julia holds an MFA in Creative Nonfiction from the Bennington Writing Seminars and a BA in English from Skidmore College.
Julia's work has been recognized by the Greater Hartford Arts Council, who awarded her a Solo Writers Fellowship, and the City of Hartford, who awarded her an Arts and Heritage Jobs Grant for her work.
Julia is a freelance consultant. Services include copywriting for web, social media, development materials, brochures, press releases, direct mail, and in-store; teaching for writing, public speaking, and performance; and private coaching in any of these areas.
To inquire about pricing and availability, please contact her at julia.pistell@gmail.com.
Current & recent clients:
Copywriting for: Direct to consumer channels, website, SEO, in-store pieces, style guides, internal presentations, creative strategy, communications strategy
Wearsafe Labs
Copywriting for web, social media, brochures, and direct mail. Focus on finding accessible, appropriate voice for personal safety product.
The Mark Twain House & Museum
Master Teaching Artist: Neighborhood Studios, a 6-week Creative Nonfiction writing apprenticeship for teens
WNPR & Connecticut Public Broadcasting
Host and writer of The Radius Project, Guest Host of the Colin McEnroe Show
Child Health and Development Institute of Connecticut
Copywriting for Impact Reports and Development materials
Trinity College
Development and direct-mail materials
New Haven Public Library
Teaching artist: Creative Nonfiction & Memoir for "Creative Aging" Program
Society of Actuaries
Private coaching for the society's presidential candidate. Performance coaching & website development.
Other Recent clients
United Way (Speeches for annual meeting)
Civic Mind
A Little Bird Told Me consulting
The Hope Foundation
Fischman Orthodontics
HartBeat Ensemble
Connecticut Breast Health Initiative
Julia edited the book proposal for news anchor Kara Sundlan's memoir, Finding Dad, which quickly landed an agent and a book deal.
"Before I met Julia, I read an essay on her blog. I fell in love. I had goosebumps, chuckled, and even cried a little because her words were so graceful and honest. Julia has the ability to draw her readers in like no other. The scene she sets is truthful, detailed, and truly lovely. I sat there wanting to read on forever. This is not something I find myself thinking too often, and it was right then that I knew Julia was something very special. A few months later, she wrote the blog post for my photography, and the response from the audience was overwhelming. People were struck by her story-telling, and I know they wanted to keep reading forever as well."
-- Julie Morawski, photographer
Literary Disco is a podcast by Rider Strong, Tod Goldberg, and Julia Pistell. The three friends and writers review current, classic, and off-the-beaten-path books in every genre. Reviews include everything from Sweet Valley High to new plays to Stoner.
Featured on the Rumpus, praised on Hello Giggles, and mentioned in the New Yorker.
Literary Disco can be found on Stitcher and iTunes, or streamed directly from the website. Thanks for listening.
Syllable is a reading series held monthly in Hartford, Connecticut, founded and administrated by Julia Pistell.
Formerly held at the coffeehouse La Paloma, the series has now moved to Hartford Prints, the letterpress shop on Pratt Street in Hartford. For more information on submissions, themes, and guidelines, check out Syllable's website here.
Poster design by Brian Cook.
Julia was the founding Director of Writing Programs at the Mark Twain House & Museum, a department she created in the historic museum.
Within the role, Julia created the Royal Nonesuch National Humor Writing Contest, the Young Writers in Residence Program, the "Write to the Point" Creative Nonfiction summer programs for teenagers, and Writing in Mark Twain's Library.
She also oversaw workshops, classes, and the annual Writers' Weekend (which have featured Lewis Lapham, Anita Diamant, Meg Wolitzer, and Dani Shapiro).
In her work with the Marketing & Events department of the museum, Julia has worked with Stephen King, Judy Blume, Joan Didion, Christopher Moore, John Irving, Sandra Brown, R.L. Stine, Gregory Maguire, and dozens more writers.
Three times a year, she teaches the Mark Twain Players, a playwriting class for children. Her favorite project at the Twain House has been remounting Sam's daughter Susy's play "The Love-Chase" in the Clemens drawing room.
Although Julia no longer works full-time at the museum, she remains a moderator and instructor for Neighborhood Studios, the Mark Twain Players, and many book events.
For more information on the Mark Twain House & Museum, please click here.
Photo by Frank Grace.
Julia is an accomplished public speaker, who specializes in leading author conversations and panels.
Radio interview with George Saunders with Literary Disco & LitHub, 2021
Moderated panels: AWP Conference, CrimeConn, the Hartford Public Library, the Mark Twain House, Hartford Stage, and the Mandell Jewish Community Center.
Panelist: Book Expo America, The Big Book Getaway, Barnes & Noble in the Grove (live Literary Disco panel), Freshly Squeezed with Colin McEnroe.
Authors interviewed live onstage: David Hadju, Joan Didion, Judy Blume, Christopher Moore, Anne Rice, Colm Toibin, Mark Seigel, Anita Diamant, Meg Wolitzer, Dani Shapiro, Lisa Brown, Clea Simon, Carmela Ciuraru, Michael Gorra, Norman Lock, Francesca Segal, and many, many more.
Judy Blume @judyblume 29 Jul 2012
Tonight. On Sirius. Smart and witty Julia Pistell leads the convo w/me. Kissed pic of Mark Twain onstage. http://m.siriusxm.com/servlet/Satellite?childpagename=SXM%2FUtility%2FMOB_GetEpisodesInfo&packedargs=pgId%3D8579%26prId%3D1843673&pagename=SXM%2FWrapper …
Judy Blume @judyblume 22 Jun 2012
Thank you Hartford and everyone at The Twain House for a magical evening! Julia Pistell, you are the best! On to Nantucket Film Festival.
"Working with Julia was truly a pleasure. Julia moderated two fiction panels at the Mandell JCC Jewish Book Festival over the past two years and each time drew the audience in with her and understanding of each book and author, her interest in the topics at hand, her professionalism and her humor. Her knowledge of the publishing world along with pop culture made it very easy for her to relate to authors and readers alike. We would welcome the chance to have Julia moderate another author panel in our Festival."
- Elana MacGilpin, Director of Community Engagement, Mandell JCC
Photo by Katherine Martinelli.
Latest: wrote & hosted Science Diction episode “Robot” with WNYC.
Featured many times on Connecticut Public Radio; newsroom intern; guest host of The Colin McEnroe Show; host of The Radius Project.
The Radius Project is a podcast produced by WNPR about Hartford. Check it out here or on iTunes.
Appearances include:
Colin McEnroe Show: Franzen Book Club
Colin McEnroe Show: Tournament of Books
Where We Live: On Podcasting
Where We Live: On sailing aboard the Charles W. Morgan
Where We Live: On Living Downtown in Hartford (audio not available)
The Colin McEnroe Show: On Improv
The Colin McEnroe Show: March Madness 2010, March Madness 2014, March Madness 2013, March Madness 2012 (this one's about birds!)
The Colin McEnroe Show: The Nose Dave Chappelle's Hartford meltdown
The Colin McEnroe Show: Summer Humor Special (audio not available)
Featured twice on National Public Radio:
All Things Considered, Dave Chappelle (following this blog post)
Assisted in production:
And Julia has performed three times in Producer Catie Talarski's Radio Adventure Theater.
Photo by Chion Wolf.
Julia is one of the founding members of Sea Tea Improv, Connecticut's favorite improv company.
She currently serves as the Sea Tea Comedy Theater's Managing Director.
Sea Tea Improv has performed award-winning comedy all over the country, from Cleveland to Maine to Baltimore to Los Angeles, but our home is Hartford.
Sea Tea performs monthly at City Steam Brewery, The Studio at Billings Forge, HartBeat Ensemble's Carriage House Theater, and Real Art Ways. Sea Tea is also the creator of the Hartford Improv Festival. Sea Tea Improv is currently working on building out Connecticut's first improv theater.
Julia has been involved in some of Sea Tea Improv's most exciting community outreach initiatives, including teaching improv to the homeless, Alzheimer's patients, kids of all ages, and many more. Sea Tea Improv also offers corporate training and classes through our studio, which Julia teaches frequently.
Julia was trained at the Hartford Stage Company and the Upright Citizens Brigade, where she is an Advanced Study student. Sea Tea Improv won the Upright Citizens Brigade Indie Cage Match in 2012 and went on to perform in the larger UCB Cage Match. Julia was one of the first members of the E-Mprov team Electronic Initiation and half of the duo Julia & Jeffrey. She also performs frequently with the members of Franklin's Peaches, experimenting with new forms like Improvised Disaster Movie, Campfire, and Spoken.
Media: CT Magazine, The Annual, The Hartford Courant, The Colin McEnroe Show, and many more!
"I have attended many Sea Tea events around Hartford. Over the years, I have also taken numerous Improv classes taught by the members of the group. I can only share my most sincere and heartfelt sense of gratitude and appreciation for each and every member of Sea Tea Improv. Every member of the group is an exceptionally dedicated and hard working professional. Working tirelessly for many years, this gifted group of Improvisers managed to place Hartford on to the regional and even national map with their successes in NYC Del Close Marathon and their inaugural (and wildly successful) Hartford Improv Festival in 2014. As a resident of the Greater Hartford Community, I am delighted that we have Sea Tea Improv right in the heart of the city. Their Studio on Pratt Street is a hub of Improv and theatrical activities for the entire state."
-- Sea Tea Improv Student & Audience Member
Poster design by Brian Cook.
Awards:
Named as one of the state’s 2020 “40 Under 40” in Connecticut Magazine
First runner-up “Connecticut Entrepreneur of the Year: Social Good Category” 2018
Hartford Young Professional and Entrepreneurs’ “Business Excellence” Award
Other projects:
Sailed on the Charles W. Morgan as a 38th Voyager, through the Mystic Seaport.
Featured character in the TV Pilot Royal Comics with Rabbit Ears Media.
Wrote & directed commissioned sketch about the Trinity College Special Collections Library, The Watkinson.
Squirrel puppeteer/clown in four original productions of Night Fall, the spectacular brainchild of award-winning kinetic sculptor Anne Cubberly.
In short, Julia is up for anything-- just ask!
