Contributors: February 2013

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Jim McFarlin

Longtime contributor Jim McFarlin, who recently won a regional writing award for his Hour Detroit profile of comedian Bill Cosby (“Comic Crusader,” May 2011), says he was captivated by the lilting Jamaican accent and grandfatherly humor of Lion King choreographer and Wayne State alum, Garth Fagan (“All the Right Moves“). However, he felt a genuine connection to ESPN sportswriter and CNN.com columnist LZ Granderson (“Barrier-Breaker“). “We both got our start at the Grand Rapids Press, both spent time in Atlanta, both love Detroit, and are both obsessed with sports,” McFarlin says. “It was like interviewing myself.”

 

Tom Murray

Tom Murray is writer, producer, director, and a frequent contributor to Hour Detroit, covering a wide array of stories and personalities, ranging from Ford CEO Alan Mulally to Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson. In this issue, the opportunity to focus on military veterans and the challenges they face (“The Court of Compassion“) was a truly life-changing experience for Murray. “It was incredibly powerful and humbling,” he says, “and none of us can do too much to help these folks once they return home from their service.”

 

 

Paul Hitz

A Grand Blanc native and Michigan State University grad, Paul Hitz’s photography career took off in 2007, when he became acting director of Exposure.Detroit, an online photography group. Later that year, Hitz began shooting events for MotorCityBlog, covering concerts, parties, and cultural events. For this month’s issue, he photographed Valentine Vodka (“Spirited Competition“). “Rifino [Valentine] was very gracious, as I spent over two hours setting up shots and trying different angles and approaches,” Hitz says. “Being able to help tell a story like this with my photographs in Hour Detroit is a career highlight, and I couldn’t be happier with the results.”

 

Josh Scott

Although he spent some time at Ferris State University and a community college, Scott picked up his photographic training through years of freelance assisting. “The lifestyle can be challenging, but you have the chance to work with a lot of different people in ever-changing locations, and you pick up everyone’s unique approach to the craft,” says the Detroit resident. “A photo shoot never works the same way twice.” Photographing the veteran’s court for this issue (“The Court of Compassion“) proved to be unique in its own right. “Hearing about the veterans’ struggles and how far a lot of them have come gave me a renewed hope in the changes people are capable of.”