I'm one of those guys who has his fingers in a lot of different pies. People who like me might call me a Renaissance Man, and people who don't like me might call me a jack of all trades and master of none. I'm OK with either description. Here's a rundown of who I am and what I do.
* I'm a single father of a daughter and two sons in Rapid City, S.D. As of this writing, my daughter Mia is 9 and my sons Ezra and Lorenzo are 7 and 2. Being a dad has never intimidated me; I've always felt like I was born to do it. It helps that my kids are all extremely, for lack of a better word, "easy" -- they're smart, healthy, well-behaved and well-mannered (for the most part. If you don't count the occasional bouts of intra-sibling brutality). Although being a father is my most important job, it's the side of me that most people never see, because I also do the stuff below.
* I'm a writer (duh, right? Where are you reading this, after all?). I've been a writer longer than I've been anything, starting with my career as a reporter back in 1994. But now I'm focused on writing more books, on a wide -- and I do mean WIDE -- variety of subjects. I hope you buy every single damn one of 'em. :)
* I own a search engine advertising agency called StraightForward Media that I founded in 2001. It's made me a good living and I'm grateful for the chance to have been home with my family during almost my entire working life.
* I like mixed martial arts. Mostly I watch, but I've done some boxing and am beginning some ju-jitsu training (I'm 40...better late than never).
* I like learning foreign languages. I speak passable Spanish, French, German, Portuguese and Italian. I also study Japanese, Swedish, Danish, Irish and Dutch, but don't trust me to be your guide in those countries. Next up for me is some Turkish. I also know sign language -- an antiquated version of sign language called SEE (Signing Exact English) that really annoys deaf people, but hey, at least I can communicate.
Ask me anything at josh.barsch@gmail.com
PhD in Communication Studies. Assistant Professor teaching mass communication, writing, presentational speaking, and media law and ethics. Former faculty advisor to the award-winning student-run newspaper, The Exponent. Previously an English-language business and fashion reporter in New York City. Skilled in photography and video production. Written and published approximately 120 news articles online and in print. Fluent in Mandarin, Cantonese, and Hakka. Learning Spanish and Japanese. Currently living on the East Coast of the United States.
