Who am I?

My life motto: “Some tell stories with words; some tell them with images. I do both.”

As a freelance writer, photographer, and recovering editor, I’ve invested three-quarters of my life in journalism and communications. Most of my work has involved public education, the performing arts, and the parenting of four (now-adult) children.

A Texas native, I left the state safely in the hands of Ann Richards and moved to North Carolina in 1993, then to the D.C. suburbs in 2001. Most of my life has been spent behind the scenes watching and observing others, then sharing what I see.

Why subscribe?

I’ve had a wide breadth of experiences and I write about a lot of different stuff. Some things you’ll appreciate and some you will likely ignore. But when you dig in, I guarantee you’ll find stories that will inform, make you laugh, or make you think.

All posts on “Our Reality Show” are free to read; there is no paywall. However, if you’d like to support my work, I do have monthly, annual, and founding subscriber options, with a portion of the proceeds going to a charity at the end of each year that I will report back to you.

What is glenncook.substack.com?

On this website, you get:

“Visual Stories” — a semi-regular series of photography-related posts.

“52 Weeks” — Seven random images from my photo archive, published on Saturdays

“Stage Dad” — a behind-the scenes look at raising a child actor, with tips for parents and interviews with the professionals who work with your kids (published in conjunction with “Our Reality Show”)

"The Music Diaries" — interviews and and in-depth essays/features on music (published intermittently). I also have a section devoted to “Concert” reviews.

"Magazine Writing" — descriptions and links to features published since 2017 (updated regularly).

If you visit my main page, you’ll also find links to my writing on education and culture, parenting and family, and Q&A interviews (“Conversations”). I also have in-depth sections on Brown v. Board of Education and a school shooting that took the lives of 10 people in Santa Fe, Texas.

Where else can you find me?

Photography website

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LinkedIn

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Subscribe to Our Reality Show

Essays, visual stories, and interviews about family, parenting, education, history, music, and culture from a freelance journalist and photographer.

People

“Some tell stories with words; some tell them with images. I do both.” Writer for 40 years; photographer for 10. Essays on parenting/family, education/culture, child actors, and music. Plus visual stories and links to magazine work.