Authors In The Media With Michelle Young 

Recently I did a Q&A with author, journalist & founder of the online magazine Untapped New York Michelle Young and read her recent release The Art Spy. I was delighted when Michelle agreed to do an Authors In The Media Q&A!

Q: Michelle, when did you know that you had a love of journalism writing? 

A: I wrote my first “book” at around age seven, using the office supplies in my dad’s cardiologist office. I spent long hours there waiting for my parents to finish working. The book was called “The Adventures of Mr. Scissor” which I wrote, illustrated, and bound with the office supplies! 

History was my favorite class growing up and I’m still very proud of the journalistic-style research papers I wrote about Alexander Hamilton’s banking system and other topics. I did an internship the summer after senior year in high school at A. Magazine, founded by Jeff Yang, and it was thrilling to be sent in the field to report on something. It remains thrilling today! 

Q: When we were discussing how long it took for you to write The Art Spy & if your journalism skills were what helped with writing your books, you said that it did as well as the writing and research you did in high school, college and graduate school. So you went to college and graduate school for a journalism degree. What was that experience like? How long were you in school for? 

A: Actually, I didn’t major in journalism at all at any point in time in my schooling. At Harvard, I majored in History of Art and Architecture, and I received my master’s in Urban Planning, from Columbia University. In total, that would be seven years of higher education. I did teach journalism at the City University of New York, however. The key thing I learned from Harvard is that if you’re going to write something, it must be original. From the thesis statement to the research, even if you’re just a student. There is no point in just regurgitating what other people have done before. With the advent of AI, that’s even more important. What are you added to the discourse? To what has come before? People that can use their brains and gain access to information previously undiscovered or forgotten will have more and more advantages. And fundamentally, you must be a good writer to begin with. Hone your skills as a writer first and foremost, the genre matters less. 

Q: What wisdom do you have for anyone wanting to become a journalist and author? 

A: In addition to what I said above, which are the key things—you must have access nobody else has had before, or a perspective that only you can offer, or a determination beyond what others have. My best piece of advice is “Don’t think, just do.” The only way to become a journalist or author is to start putting pen to paper. You must accept that you will fail and restart, over and over, or that you will continue to reshape something until it’s ready. But if you think too much, you’ll never get it done. Finally, never apologize for yourself or what you want to do. I’m not saying to falsely represent yourself but be confident and don’t apologize for wanting to talk to someone, for pitching a story, for being at an event. If you want to be a reporter, be a reporter and move about the room like you are one, because if you are getting information and asking questions, you are one.

Q: I love asking journalists this question! Can you give a list of interesting people you have interviewed throughout your journalism career? I love knowing about the fascinating people journalists interviewed and what those experiences were like! 

A: This is fun! I’ve met President Obama right from Air Force One, and Kamala Harris right from Air Force Two. I’ve been to many press conferences with New York figures including Andrew Cuomo and Bill de Blasio. I loved interviewing bestselling author Fiona Davis, who writes historical fiction about New York City. I’ve interviewed a lot of famous architects. The most fun moment in that category was Renzo Piano moving us at lightning speed inside one of his new buildings on the Columbia campus. He moved so fast, he lost most of the journalists, but I kept up! 

Q: Is there anyone you are going to interview this year that we should keep a look out for? Cause I would love to read all about it! 

A: We shall see! My last story was for Hyperallergic. I drove to a remote part of Colorado to visit the heir of the Nazi-looted Pissarro painting at the heart of a 25-year legal dispute between his family and the Kingdom of Spain and the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum in Madrid. I’m very focused on book publicity for this year and working on my next book. 

Q: Would you ever write a memoir about your career as a journalist? I know I would read it if you do! 

A: Maybe! But I like narrow focus, so maybe a memoir about a particular period in my life. Maybe this is already in the works! 😉 

Q: Last question! What are your favorite books & tv shows where the main character is a journalist? Have you read and watched Tokyo Vice? Tokyo Vice is based on the memoir by my friend Jake Adelstein and HBO Max did a tv series based on the book. 

A: I loved Spotlight about the Boston clergy scandal, A Private War about Marie Colvin, and Restrepo by Tim Heatherington. But honestly, Anne of Green Gables still holds a special place in my heart about a writer. There’s Anne, and then there’s her Gilbert, who has the courage to critique her writing honestly and pushes her to write about what she knows, which leads her to success and acclaim. I would like to say that my husband Augustin is the Gilbert to my Anne.