Rick Paulas
Writer, Editor, Consultant
Rick Paulas has been a freelance writer and author for over 20 years, during which he's written for the New York Times, The Awl, VICE, and others. He additionally works as a copywriter for corporate clients, an editorial consultant, a UX strategist, and a bartender. He won a 2024 Brooklyn Arts Council grant to produce a future walking audio story through Prospect Park.
He currently lives in Brooklyn and can be reached at rickpaulas@gmail.com.
Fiction
Self-published novels, collections of short stories, and walking audio stories.
MALINKO
A thriller about a newlywed couple on a Route 66 honeymoon who stumble onto a mysterious radio play. 1,000 copies printed. Over 200 sold. Purchase for $25. (Venmo: Rick-Paulas, Paypal: rickpaulas@gmail.com.) Include your address.
The Lady in Greenpoint
A 3-mile walking audio ghost story starting at the Pulaski Bridge. This was a walking audio project I wrote, edited, and distributed that can still be found at www.theladyingreenpoint.com. In addition, I created over 50 charcoal drawings of Greenpoint street scenes.
The Palmer Hotel
A series of spooky short stories set over a century in a downtown hotel. Sold out. But you can still read it at the Internet Archive here.
Eastern Span
A neo-noir set in Oakland circa 2013. It's sold out, but you can read it at the Internet Archive here.
Audio Production & Editing
The Lady in Greenpoint
As the writer and creator of The Lady in Greenpoint, a 3-mile walking audio ghost story starting at the Pulaski Bridge, I worked with GarageBand to incorporate a mix of field recordings, sound effects, composed music, and portrayals by dozens of actors to bring the story to life.
Journalism & Writing
National & Local
What To Wear to Smash the State, The New York Times
The Mass-Shooting Survivor Network, The New York Times
The Epic Fight to Make McGuinness Boulevard Safer, Hell Gate
The Quasi-Conspiracy That Caused Oakland's Deadly Ghost Ship Fire, HuffPost
What It's Like To Live in a California Ghost Town, Citylab
Sports Stadiums are a Bad Deal for Cities, The Atlantic
Affordable Housing Tenants in Greenpoint Describe Squalid Conditions in Luxury Building Complex, Greenpointers
Media and Technology
The Wayback Machine, The Morning News
How Neglected Archives Lead to Propaganda, Columbia Journalism Review
For the Good of Society — And Traffic — Delete Your Map App!, New York
The Artist is Present and Also a Robot, The Awl
Housing and Homelessness
Inside a Homeless Encampment on the Brink of Eviction, VICE
Defender of the Homeless Remains Committed, Angry, San Francisco Chronicle
"Criminal for existing": US's unhoused still fear sweeps, The Guardian
Man Versus Nature: 50 Or So Years of the Albany Bulb, Curbed
The Tent City the Super Bowl Created, San Francisco Weekly
Ephemera
My Parents and the Tipper Sticker, The Awl
Inside America's Ghost Tour Industry, The Awl
The Story of Laffing Sal, the World's Most Uncanny Animatronic Doll, Atlas Obscura
I'll Always Have Rec League Softball Until I Don't, Defector
The Cup of Coffee Club: Ballplayers Who Got Only One Game, The Awl
Editorial Consulting
I acted as editorial consultant for Thistles & Thorns, Jessica Lee Peterson's memoir about dealing with personal grief after her three daughters were murdered by her ex-husband. During the years-long process, I worked with Jessica to find the story beats and structure the narrative. I did a round of line edits before the manuscript was sent off to publishers. More about the project here.
I'm currently available for similar consultation.
Corporate Copywriting & Strategy
I've worked as a copywriter, editorial strategist, and senior analyst since 2017, with a focus on developing human-centric stories to promote brand growth. This work has included:
- creating decks, one-pagers, and case studies for internal and external use
- creating email campaigns to inform clients about process changes
- writing an instruction manual for a medical product that was undergoing FDA submission
- overhauling website content with a focus on SEO
Please reach out for any copywriting or strategy needs. Samples available upon request.
Press
I've been interviewed by a number of publications about some of my projects.
"How an ex-Oakland writer is trying to repay the people whose stories he told," San Francisco Chronicle
"In Dialogue with Rick Paulas," Street Spirit
"Novelist donates books to street paper sellers," Mercury News
"Street Papers: A Story of Housing, Publishing, and Noir," Los Angeles Review of Books
"An Interview With the Self-Published Author Who Is Trying To Destroy Twitter By Selling Books," Defector
"The Art of the Reply: An Interview with Rick Paulas," New and Digital
"Rick Paulas," It's a Good Day To Talk To (podcast)
"Anywho... We Spoke To Local Author Rick Paulas About His Latest Project," Terra Kaffe
"Rick Paulas on The Lady in Greenpoint," Turn the Page (podcast)
"The Lady in Greenpoint: North Brooklyn's newest spooky walking radio play," Brooklyn Downtown Star
"Rick Paulas of Greenpoint (and the Internet) Would Like To Sell You His New Book," Hell Gate
"Rick Paulas on MALINKO," Turn the Page (podcast)
Reach out for any of your writing, editorial, or consulting needs.