SETH PUTNAM

About

b. 1986, HK.

Portrait by Stephanie Bassos.

Portrait by Stephanie Bassos.

I'm a Chicago-based journalist and editor, who writes about technology, shelter, travel, gear, and oddball characters. I publish a newsletter on these topics, which you can find in the top-right corner over yonder.

After graduating from the Missouri School of Journalism, I got my start as a hard-news reporter at the Commercial Dispatch in Columbus, Mississippi, where I wrote crime, fire, education, and human interest pieces. From there, I covered state politics for the Kansas City Star before moving to Chicago to write for magazines.

In 2013, I co-founded The Collective Quarterly, a print magazine that embedded in communities around North America and chronicled their struggles and triumphs. Our deeper approach to travel journalism drew praise from Monocle, Nieman Storyboard, T: The New York Times Style Magazine, Vogue, and others. Building on the magazine’s success, my partners and I started Charcoal, a photobook-of-the-month club and publisher of magazines, books, and other printed matter.

I’ve been honored to speak about these experiences at the Missouri School of Journalism, New York University, Emerson College, and others—and am available to talk with students virtually or in person.

With 15+ years of experience as an editor and writer who regularly ghostwrites for C-suite executives in Silicon Valley, I'm comfortable tackling both editorial and branded projects.