Hi, I'm Rodrigo Duran
I am a writer and journalist. I've written print stories for Citylab and Curbed among others. I've also produced events for The Atlantic, and written TV news with Newsy. I have recently completed my Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing at the University of Wyoming.
Abbreviated CV + Portfolio Links
EDUCATION
University of Wyoming
Masters in Fine Arts in Creative Writing Thesis Chair: Alyson Hagy
Full Ride to 2022 Bread Loaf Environmental Writers’ Conference (Pitchaya Sudbanthad workshop)
Full Ride to 2021 Bread Loaf Conference (Lauren Groff workshop)
The George Washington University
Bachelor of Arts in English & Creative Writing Honors Thesis Advisor: Faye Moskowitz
Dean’s Scholar of Globalization: Produced documentary on the T4 Program in Berlin.
Journalism
Selected work across Print, TV, Events and Newsletters
Print -- Various
I wrote features on hidden histories around various DC buildings as well as institutions such as dentistry, as well as interviewing start-ups in the architecture space.
Television -- Newsy
At Newsy I was a Writer/Producer working as one of two writers on various Newsy hour long programs, chiefly the daily news shows The Why and Newsy Tonight, out of the Washington DC office. Being part of a skeleton crew for a large television network made me quick on my feet when it came to breaking news and an effective writer under pressure. I also aided programming while also running camera for live shots throughout the day.
Events
As an Editorial Fellow, Events at , The Atlantic, I created events for their live-journalism series, building essentially the same elements of a reported feature but for stage. I reported and wrote scripts for Atlantic journalists, preparing them for conversations on stage.
730DC Newsletter
I curated the Tuesday and Friday morning newsletters for 730dc as well as wrote articles for the site, reaching 730DC's readership of over 19,000. We hit a peak open rate of 60% (approximately 14,000 readers). Also I conducted polls about D.C. through the newsletter.
Copywriting
Portfolio of copywriting projects
Discovery Kids
For Big Yellow Taxi, I compiled fun facts on Discovery Kid’s Big Awesome Dinosaurs and Big Awesome Everything. I wrote copy for both books with a focus on making the facts accessible to a younger audience and also highlighting dinosaurs they may never have heard of.
Anheuser-Busch
For Anheuser-Busch I compiled fun facts about politicians, beer, and American history. I wrote multiple choice quiz questions that appeared on Anheuser-Busch kiosks at events.
Copywriting Mock Ups
These are some mock-ups I’ve made of some ads, as well as some some info cards that I have been making for famous authors. Updated regularly.