Resume

Carla Ray Thompson
cwrite@earthlink.net
Twitter @cwrite101

Writer/Blogger Specializing in Pop Culture and Celebrity Interviews

The Ride: Popping Off About Pop Culture

Notable Interviews
Bethenny Frankel, celebrity chef and author (Real Housewives of New York City)
Ashley Paige, swimwear designer
Robert Verdi, celebrity stylist
ARROJO Studio, hair salon
Laurie Ann Gibson, choreographer
Chantal Claret, lead singer, Morningwood
Lil Mama, rapper (America’s Best Dance Crew)
Danielle Fishel, actresss/host (The Dish)
Chuck Nice, comedian (Best Week Ever)
Maiysha (Urban Alternative Grammy Nominee)
Bebe Zahara Benet, performer (RuPaul’s Drag Race)
Jaila Simms, singer (Making His Band)
Mia Carruthers, singer (Taking the Stage)
Gerilyn Thomas, professional organizer (Hoarders)

Blog Milestones
Increased traffic year-over-year on average by at least 150 percent.
Increased Alexa Ranking 130 percent over 3 month period in 2009
#47 Blog of the Day – Growing Blogs – October 8, 2008 (WordPress)
“Featured Post” on several WordPress tags
Articles Featured in “News” on WordPress.com main page. Categories: Sports, Entertainment and Health
Article Links featured on Huffington Post (MSNBC page) and CNN.com (Fareed Zakaria GPS)

Interviewed for Houston Chronicle articles, “Famous Moms Get Pity…To a Point” (May 2009) and “Is Oprah Backlash Gathering Steam?” (Dec. 2007)

Aubrey O'Day, singer/performer, formerly of Danity Kane (photo: Carla Ray Thompson)

Freelance Journalist (2001 – 2006)

Wrote news, feature, and op-ed articles for both online and print media. Covered a variety of topics including education, small business, career, and social policy.

Publications
Black Enterprise Magazine
Women’s eNews
AOL Black Voices
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Huntsville (AL) Times
Alternet
Birmingham (AL) News
Montgomery (AL) Advertiser

Awards
Capital Press Women’s Contest – Writing for the Web (Features)-1st Place (Women’s eNews)
National Federation of Press Women Communications Award – Writing for the Web – Features, Honorable Mention (Women’s eNews)

Author

Bearing Witness: Not So Crazy in Alabama (August Press 2005) – memoir
Reviewed by: Booklist, Library Journal, Baltimore City Paper, Mosaic Literary Magazine

60 Seconds to Shine Volume IV: 161 One-Minute Monologues from Literature (Smith and Krauss; November 2007) –excerpt from Bearing Witness included in anthology.

Q of the R&B group Day 26 (photo: Carla Ray Thompson)

Radio Co-Host

Guest Co-Host Screen Time (2008)
Co-host for BlogTalkRadio/Blogcritics weekly half-hour show about all things television.

Co-Host WVAS-FM (90.7)/Open Mic (2001-2002)
Interviewed guests for an hour-long daily talk/news call-in show. Developed and researched topics. Scheduled and pre-interviewed guests. WVAS-FM is an 80,000 watt NPR affiliate located on the campus of Alabama State University which served south central Alabama. Guests included: author Randall Kennedy, talk show hosts, Farai Chideya and Tavis Smiley, former Alabama governor Don Siegelman and controversial former university professor Ward Churchill

Producer/Writer/Director Rainmaker Productions

The Root of It All (Distributor – National Film Network)
A short video documentary that explores how hair takes on social, political, and emotional significance in the lives of African American women. (Honorable Mention- 37tth Annual Rochester International Film Festival). Now on YouTube.

A Hill of Our Own
A short narrative film that explores the issue of class through the relationship of two little girls who live at opposite ends of a hill and of the socioeconomic spectrum. Features T’Keyah Crystal Keymah formerly of Disney Channel’s That’s So Raven. (Artistic Director’s Award of Merit – Sinking Creek Film and Video Festival, Nashville, TN). Now on YouTube.

Teaching

Adjunct Instructor/Visiting Assistant Professor of Communication Studies (1998-PRESENT)

Courses Taught
Public Relations    Writing for Public Relations Business Communication     Public Speaking  Communication Techniques  Theories of Communication and Persuasion

Institutions
Fordham University-Lincoln Center   Baruch College (CUNY)  Brooklyn College (CUNY)  Auburn University at Montgomery   Huntingdon College

Judge
Spring Speech Festival 2008 (“The Price is Right for Going Green”) – Member of a panel of three faculty members/business professionals evaluating student presentations for annual school-wide competition (Baruch College)

Grant Recipient
Conference on College Composition and Communication   (2007)

Education

Loyola Marymount University      Los Angeles, CA
Degree: MFA – Communication Arts Major: Television Production
Honors Bill Cosby Award – Graduate Division; Professor Gertrude Rivers Robinson Award for Achievement - Graduate Division

Northwestern University                Evanston, IL
Bachelor of Science in Speech Major: Communication Studies Minor: Psychology

Special Interest – Photography

From ‘The Ride’ in Pictures

"Inner City Blues and Fire Escapes" (photo: Carla Ray Thompson)