Where I Write

A friend of mine e-mailed me last week to ask where I write. He can’t sort it out through all the tweets and links and so on. I can understand; I’m all over the place. So, if you’re interested in following my work, see the following links:

Gadling (travel): http://www.gadling.com/bloggers/tom-johansmeyer (If you want to read about hostels and backpacking, go read someone else. I tend to roll upscale)

Luxist (art and cigars): http://www.luxist.com/bloggers/tom-johansmeyer/ (Occasionally, I do a luxury travel or real estate story here, too)

BloggingStocks (finance, economics and markets): http://www.bloggingstocks.com/bloggers/tom-johansmeyer (I do a bit on the clean technology sector, venture capital, private equity, hedge funds and social media for this blog, in addition to all my work as a generalist)

DailyFinance (finance and economics): http://www.dailyfinance.com/bloggers/tom-johansmeyer (I don’t have a specific beat, though I do write a lot about cleantech, social media and the alternative investment space)

Envy (travel): http://envymags.com/index.php?s=johansmeyer (It’s not a regular gig, but I am starting to do more with this magazine)

So Tired

When I said that I was beyond jet lag, I was wrong. Completely wrong. I crashed hard last night, woke up at 4 AM today and struggled to sleep until a few minutes ago. I felt like 10 angry midgets came at me with baseball bats yesterday (a bit sore), but now it’s down to only four or five angry midgets. I got a few pitches out the door this morning before I went back to bed, and I have my fingers crossed. I’m starting to think that getting a new weekly column might not be realistic; I may have to pitch articles individually for a bit.

Very happy to be blogging again

The last few weeks have been nothing short of insane, but I finally have a bit of a breather. I got a draft of a porn story off to a major magazine a few minutes ago, and a pitch out to a cool regional. I have one more piece to write to CPA Magazine, and I’ll probably get to it tomorrow. After that, it’s all projects I want to work on. It will give me a nice break. I could use it.

Things are picking up

I am almost finished with a pitch to a major mag. Interesting story, good exclusive material, and I’ve written for it before. So, it’s a pretty amazing combo. And, I’ve made some excellent progress on the story for my dream publication. I may actually have it nailed down by the beginning of the week. The heavy lifting for CPA Magazine is out of the way. To top it all off, I had some great off-the-record convos this week … pointing me in a cool direction for the future. This weekend has been amazing. Nothing short of amazing.

Do I see the light? Well, kinda

Held hostage by my chosen profession

I haven’t put anything up here in more than a week. I have been absolutely upside-down jammed with working both jobs. I filed stories for New York magazine and British GQ since I last blogged, and I’m working on another for my dream publication (no names yet, sorry). And, of course, I’m still cranking out articles like crazy for CPA Magazine — I finished three last night and have another five or six to crank out this weekend.

But, I’m still finding time to have some fun. Ron Melendi, the manager of De La Concha, is launching a new blog, and I’ll be helping to fill it with content over the coming weeks, months and years. Also, though I haven’t been writing here, I have been writing. And pitching. I came close to Conde Nast Portfolio. It didn’t work, so I still have a kickass story to pitch around.

Day job has been keeping me pretty busy, as well, but you know I’m not going to talk much about that here. But, if you see my boss, tell him to give me the weekend off. I could use it.

Launching a social networking initiative? Beware!!!

I’m involved in a social networking/Web 2.0-type project right now (and I refuse to disclose any details). Thanks to Vanity Fair, I just got a lesson in what happens if you fuck up. Needless to say, I’ll be keeping a close eye on my progress.

Just check out the video below …

Check out Montreal

My latest TraderDaily.com travel article has been posted. I had an absolute blast when I was up there last month, and I look forward to going again soon.

J’aime la Montreal!

So, take a look at the article on traveling to Montreal, then book a quick trip up there. If you’re in Boston or New York, Montreal isn’t too far up north.

While you’re up there, go grab a hot dog. They have decent dogs at the pool hall (there aren’t any pool tables there any more, just hot dogs) on St Denis. That’s exactly what I’m doing in the picture.

With fall coming, you probably think it will be cold as hell up there. You’d be absolutely wrong. Don’t think; let me do that for you. It’s beautiful up there well into October and probably into November. The air is nice and crisp.

Read about Montreal on TraderDaily.com >>

Read about Montreal on the Migrant Blogger >>

$1 Auctions Come to a Close

Two and a half months after the idea arose, the project has come to a conclusion. SoHo artist Nelson Diaz finished his last $1 art auction on eBay at 7pm. The painting, Self-Portrait with Pipe, 2008 #10, sold for $355 to a collector who had already participated in this series.

Diaz considers the project a success, having put 10 paintings in the hands of the art collecting public for a fraction of what they would have to spend normally to enjoy his work. The propagation of the aesthetic has occurred.

But, the work is not over. Diaz is currently exploring new ideas for making art accessible to those who are not absurdly wealthy. New ideas are coming, and you’ll see them here first.

Please see below for coverage of Nelson Diaz’s $1 art auction project on eBay. The world, needless to say, has been quite interested in this project.

News Coverage of Nelson Diaz’s $1 Art Auctions

Saatchi magazine >>

Digital Journal >>

OhmyNews.com (1) >>

OhmyNews.com (2) >>

Nelson Diaz in Saatchi Magazine

My first article for Saatchi magazine has finally been published!!! Check it out >>

I am pretty fucking psyched to be writing for such a prestigious publication. The Saatchi Gallery has cranked out some big name artists, including the reclusive nutjob Damien Hirst (who, like Nelson, operates in the tradition of Francis Bacon).

The story is quite interesting. It covers Diaz’s frustration with the current state of the art market and his show of protest. In order to make the aesthetic attainable to those who are not incredibly wealthy, Diaz has been selling paintings on eBay for starting prices of $1. The results have varied, with the first piece, Self-Portrait with Pipe, 2008 #1 reaching $745, though several have only barely cleared the $100 mark.

The final piece, Self-Portrait with Pipe, 2008 #10 is currently on the block, and the auction closes tomorrow. Place a last-minute bid >>

Keep an eye on Saatchi magazine for more coverage of the art market from me. Pretty soon, I hope to see my piece on Julio Aguilera’s “Prometheus” sculpture project.