My Brilliant Career

The last time I worked with (for) Jmore editor-in-chief Alan Feiler was something like 20-odd years ago. Following an internship at a local magazine that parlayed into a position at a different Jewish community publication in town, Feiler essentially became my first boss in my chosen profession.

At that other publication, I trudged through all those mundane, starter tasks like birth announcements, obits and calendar listings, and — my god! — I was green. So green. Like Oscar green. I cringe when I think about how much I didn’t know back then, but I had an expert guide in Feiler. [Editor’s Note: For the record, I have no memory whatsoever of Amanda Krotki ever remotely being “green.”]

After the appropriate amount of dues-paying time, I graduated to the publication’s arts & entertainment reporter job, where I scored such prestigious cover stories as being sent away to Camp Louise to experience the glamorous life of a sleep-away camper – I even got to make one of those stitched-together leather coin purses! I also underwent a makeover for my craft during which my Frida Kahlo-style unibrow was finally plucked away and my hair was straightened and chignon-ed so that I looked twice my age by the end of the night (who knew I would eventually be twice my age?)

In between all the fun, Feiler managed to teach me some valuable lessons about covering a particular community for a niche publication, and I kept much of that knowledge with me throughout my career. After a couple years with Feiler & Co., I grew antsy and even though this was in the olden days when lots of newspapers didn’t even have websites (quelle horreur!), I feared technological obsolescence. [Ed. Note: Indeed, a wise move, young Krotki.]

Some vague skirmish with upper management about the preferred wardrobe of a secular 20-something was the only sign I needed – it was time to move on. I landed at The Baltimore Sun, where I spent more than 15 years doing everything from producing the features section for SunSpot.net (yeah “net” – I’m ancient in Internet years) to creating an LGBT-themed blog to producing the BaltimoreSun.com homepage during the midnight shift.

There, my wardrobe choices were less important – it was accomplishment enough to get dressed most days. However, after all that time producing content for Baltimore’s leading news source, I still wasn’t quite satisfied. So, I thought I’d try getting out of journalism altogether and wound up navigating the I-495 rush hour every day to build a new – not-yet-launched — social search engine. That was fun while it lasted (the last year-and-a-half), but then Feiler came calling and got me thinking: Can you go home again? Can you dress both comfortably and professionally?

Here he was – Feiler, my O.G. editor who was well-versed in all my quirks and flaws – with a proposal that would bring us back together. At a Jewish-interest publication. In Baltimore. Beshert? [Ed. Note: Some readers might not be familiar with the hip-hop slang O.G., for Original Gangsta. That’s because it’s not 1991. Furthermore, I have never been confused with neither Ice-T nor Ice Cube.]

And that’s why I am writing to you now from the Jmore offices, dressed in my big girl clothes, sitting next to Feiler, as Jmore’s new Digital Manager/Content Editor. I’m here to handle all of the magazine’s digital and social media needs, so please reach out to me with any and all comments, kvetches and kvells (mainly kvells, please) at amandak@jmoreliving.com, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @JMoreLiving.

In the meantime, I should set Feiler’s mind at ease and actually get to work. [Ed. Note: Hmmm, now there’s a novel idea, Krotki.]

I look forward to talking to you soon!