all content (c) Sarah Hepola Dot Com, 2005
This Is My Last Entry
Why I Shut Down My Blog
April 16, 2006
D
o I miss blogging? I do. Sometimes I don't even know what I think about things until I write about them. And recently, my cat has done several adorable things that have gone hideously undocumented. But I appreciate the break. Here's why I stopped.
Why "Idol" Is Always Oldies Night
May 23, 2004
A
the time this article ran, American Idol was hilariously stuck in the past--this is pre-Constantine and Chris Daughtry. Did I shake things up? Doubtful, but I did receive an angry letter from Tony Bennett, which remains one of the highlights of my career.
Is He Cute or Is He British?
November 18, 2005
I
was dating this British guy who was maybe not so awesome, but every time he opened his mouth, I forgot to notice what an idiot he was. This is the article that resulted, which was picked up by The Guardian and ran under the title, "America Asks: Cute or British?"
Parental Guidance
Listening to the year's hit singles with Mom and Dad
December 25, 2003
W
hen I first got a job in music writing, my classical-music-loving parents found themselves at a sudden disconnect with my core subject matter. I thought it would be funny to interview them about Top 40 hits, and it was. (For some reason, this story is archived online with a messed-up subhead. That was not so in print.)
Her Favorite Subject: "Sex Education"
June 22, 2003
A
n Arts & Leisure cover story about teen girls who watch "Sex & the City." When I was researching this, I foolishly went to the SATC site and posted an anonymous request to speak to "fans who are 13-17." This post was quickly deleted.
The Key to a Successful Freelance Career: A Diary
July 23, 2003
I
had sent my editor at The Morning News a piece about moving in with my boyfriend, but after he sent back edits, I found myself completely stymied. His suggestions were spot-on, but I felt nonetheless liplocked. In a fit of frustration, I wrote this goof about my current job as a freelancer.
To Tell You the Truth
May 16, 2003
A
few summers ago, through a friend in New York, I met someone who eventually became famous for all the wrong reasons: Jayson Blair. I don't know him, but when his scandal hit, I found myself dissecting our conversation that night - and my own history as a journalist.
A Game of Skill, Strategy, and Chance
January 9, 2003
I
was in the throes of two new infatuations: a kitschy love of board games and a new relationship. I brought them together in this (sometimes) fictional piece.
To the Teen Beat of His Own Drummer
December 3, 2002
T
his is still probably my favorite interview I've ever done. On a side note, when a Q&A version of this interview ran in The Austin Chronicle, it contained a rather hilarious error. Ilan told me Weird Science had been released in Japan with a funny name: The name was actually Electric Venus, but what I heard - and what was published, to my embarrassment - was Electric Penis. Whoops.
It All Goes Down at Prom
May 17, 1999
T
his was my first cover story for The Austin Chronicle. It's overwritten and a tad corny - one Salon critic called it 'endlessly self-indulgent' - but I still have a soft spot for it. I mean, I went undercover to prom.