Matt's Writing

Matt Werner, writer & editor

“How to write an Oakland trend piece” published on Oakland Local and SFGate

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How to write an Oakland trend piece - Matt WernerThe secret to writing a trend piece about Oakland is to use a patronizing tone and make your title a Gertrude Stein pun. Oakland Local and SFGate published a piece I wrote for the fake news site Oakland Unseen on May 6, 2014:

“Unless you’ve been living under a rock, or worse—working in a Manhattan-based newsroom—you’ve just found out that Oakland is now Brooklyn. No, this isn’t a figurative expression. Oakland has literally turned into Brooklyn overnight, like how Gregor Samsa awoke one morning to find himself magically transformed into a giant vermin.”

Read the full article on Oakland Local

Berkeleyside publishes profile of JC Orton

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Berkeleyside-article-on-JC-Orton-by-Matt-Werner

Berkeleyside, the independent news site for Berkeley, California published my 2,200-word feature profile of homeless advocate JC Orton on April 24, 2014. Read an excerpt below, and the full article on Berkeleyside.

“Every Sunday morning for the last 17 years, Zyg Deutschman has gone over to JC Orton’s house at 6 a.m. to help prepare breakfast for the homeless in Berkeley. One morning, about a decade ago, JC opened his door to find Zyg slumped over on his doorstep. JC first thought Zyg was drunk but then saw that Zyg’s face was gray. He was having a major heart attack. JC called 911 and continued preparing the meal after the paramedics arrived and took Zyg to the hospital.

Years later, JC recalls how he was able to finish getting the meal out on time that morning. He filled his van with oatmeal, grits, sweet rolls and fruit; arrived at People’s Park in time to feed the 80 or so people who’d gathered for breakfast; then drive to Civic Center Park (also called Provo Park, across from Berkeley’s City Hall), where he fed about 80 more people. This was all in a day’s work for JC, who heads up the organization Night on the Streets Catholic Worker.”

Read the full article on Berkeleyside.