Sandra Gurvis is the author of 18 commercially published books and hundreds of magazine articles. Her titles include DAY TRIPS FROM COLUMBUS, 3rd ed.; OHIO CURIOSITIES, 2nd ed.; CAREERS FOR NONCONFORMISTS, which was a selection of the Quality Paperback Book Club; AMERICA’S STRANGEST MUSEUMS, 2nd ed.; and more.
She has been featured on radio, television, and in newspapers and magazines. Her biography, PARIS HILTON (ABC-CLIO, 2011) has been translated into Chinese. Her newest nonfiction title is 111 PLACES IN COLUMBUS THAT YOU MUST NOT MISS (Emons, 2019) along with the more recent MYTHS AND MYSTERIES OF OHIO (Globe Pequot), her second novel, COUNTRY CLUB WIVES (Loconeal), and a collection of essays and shorter works, CONFESSIONS OF A CRAZY CAT LADY AND OTHER POSSIBLY DEMENTED MEANDERINGS (Loconeal). COUNTRY CLUB WIVES has also been optioned as a television series by Insight Productions out of Toronto, Canada.
THREE RINGLING CIRCUS: A HISTORY OF SARASOTA, FLORIDA AND THE FAMOUS RINGLING BROTHERS is forthcoming from Pineapple/Rowman & Littlefield in Jan. 2024! Sandra is also working on DOING HARD TIME IN GEEZERVILLE, the first in a series of three satire/mystery/romances set in The Villages.
A freelance writer for over 30 years, Sandra has written corporate profiles and technical articles for clients such as Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Ohio Health, Merrill Lynch, the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), and the Association of American Medical Colleges and publications such as Selling Power, Creativity, ASRT Scanner, Optical Technology, B’nai B’rith Magazine, Currents and AAA Today.
Additionally, she has created Web content for AOL CityGuide, Strategic Edge, worth.com, and others. Along with rewriting and editing books on medical and business topics, she prepares newsletters and assists in the writing and publication of magazines covering a variety of healthcare and business issues.
A major aspect of her work focuses on social change, particularly the Vietnam protests and their aftereffects. Her novel, THE PIPE DREAMERS (Olmstead), reissued in 2019 by Hydra in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of the campus Vietnam protests during the 1969-70 school year and the May 4, 1970 tragedy at Kent State, is a fictional exploration of that time period mostly set in the small college town of Hampton, Ohio. Her nonfiction title, WHERE HAVE ALL THE FLOWER CHILDREN GONE? (University Press of Mississippi) delves into all facets of the Vietnam era, from tracking the student protest and conservative movements to comparing the controversy surrounding Vietnam and the Middle East. She has also written on this topic for the VVA Veteran, Ohio State Alumni Magazine, People, and many other publications.
Other bylines and credits include People, YM, Entertainment Weekly, Fiction Writer, Woman’s World, Parenting, The World and I, Coast to Coast, USA Weekend, Chicago Tribune, as well as travel articles, promotional materials, and advertorials. She lectures frequently on writing, the ’60s, and her books.
Sandra has been selected for residencies and fellowships at the Mary Anderson Center in Mt. St. Francis, Indiana; the Vermont Writers Studio in Johnston; received grants from the National Institute for Health Care Management (NIHCM) and the LBJ Library in Austin, Texas as well as certification from the American Medical Writers Association (AMWA). Sandra is a longtime member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA). A longtime resident of Columbus, Ohio, she recently moved to the Sarasota/Bradenton area with her cat Peabody.
Resume:
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
1984-Present • Self-employed • Columbus, Ohio/Bradenton, FL • Freelance Writer
- Writer of books, magazine articles, Web content, and corporate materials on topics ranging from general medical to business to travel to profiles/biographies. Author of a published novel and essays.
- Works with authors, editors, and book packagers in conceptualizing, organizing, and writing books and other informational materials.
- Teachers’ workshops and classes on writing and on content of books.
- Designs and publishes newsletters, brochures, and Web materials.
- Basic indexing of textbooks and reports.
PUBLICATIONS
Books:
- PARIS HILTON: A BIOGRAPHY (Greenwood, in press)
- DAY TRIPS FROM COLUMBUS (Globe Pequot, 2002, rev. ed. 2004, 3rd ed, 2009)
- MANAGING THE TELECOMMUTING EMPLOYEE, with Michael Amigoni (Adams, 2009)
- MANAGEMENT BASICS (Adams, 2007)
- OHIO CURIOSITIES (Globe Pequot, 2007)
- WHERE HAVE ALL THE FLOWER CHILDREN GONE? (University Press of Mississippi, 2006)
- THE WELL-TRAVELED DOG (TFH, 2001)
- CAREERS FOR NONCONFORMISTS (Marlowe, 2000)
- AMERICA’S STRANGEST MUSEUMS (Carol/Citadel, 1996, 1998 2nd ed)
- 30 GREAT CITIES TO START OUT IN (Macmillan, 1997)
- WAY STATIONS TO HEAVEN (Macmillan, 1996), others
Novels:
- COUNTRY CLUB WIVES
- THE PIPE DREAMERS (Olmstead, 2001)
Ghostwriting/Contributing Writer:
- STRESS EATER DIET (Linx, 2009) by Robert Posner, MD & Linda Hlivka
- BOOMER CONSUMER (Linx, 2007) by Matt Thornhill & John Martin
- THE GRAPEFRUIT SOLUTION (Linx, 2004) by Daryl Thompson and M. Joseph Ahrens, PhD., others
Magazines:
Contributor to People, Coast-to-Coast Spirit, Life Choices, Selling Power ASRT Scanner, Optical Technology, Creativity, and Writer’s Digest. Also published in The World & I, Plant Sites & Parks, Long Weekends, Columbus Dispatch, Birmingham News, Chicago Tribune Magazine, USA Weekend, Fiction Writer, Discover Ohio, Woman’s World, and others.
Corporate clients:
Ohio State University Medical Center, OhioHealth, America Online, Merrill Lynch, Quantum Tapes, Oxford Intelligence, CompuServe, Worth.com, Homestore.com, Business Communications Company
PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES AND EDUCATION
Medical Writing Certification in Editing/Writing (Oct. 2004):
- Biomedical Research Design
- Elements of Medical Terminology
- Statistics for Medical Writers and Editors
- Writing and Designing Materials for Patient Education
- Essentials of Copyediting
- Ethics of Authorship and Editorship
Medical Writing, Advanced Course (March 2006)
- Reporting Randomized Trials in Science Journals
Graduate Work, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
- Public Administration
B.A. Miami University, Oxford, Ohio
- Sociology and Psychology
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA), since 1994
American Medical Writers Association (AMWA), since 2002
HONORS, AWARDS, AND GRANTS
Ohio Optometric Association Media Award
Quality Paperback Book Club (CAREERS FOR NONCONFORMISTS)
Travel & Leisure Pick (AMERICA’S STRANGEST MUSEUMS)
Research Grant, LBJ Library, Austin, TX (WHERE HAVE ALL THE FLOWER CHILDREN GONE?)
Residency, Vermont Studio Center (Johnson, VT)
Residency and Fellowship, Mary Anderson Center (Mt. St. Francis, IN)