This week we welcomed a new reporter to the Denverite newsroom, and he hit the ground running. Allan Tellis joins us having freelanced in the area for a couple of years after graduating from the University of Colorado Boulder.
Once we got the first-day paperwork out of the way and a complete tour of Denverite's spacious newsroom, Allan started right in on a couple of stories that you'll see in the coming days, and answered a reader question.
I also pestered him for these interview questions in our work chat. Follow him on Twitter, then get to know him below!
Dave Burdick: OK! So let's tell the people who you are. When did you get into journalism?
Allan Tellis: I guess using the term loosely it was around 2012, my sophomore year in college. I became annoyed with the coverage of my favorite musical artist and decided I could do a better job of describing the music scene and that was how it all started.
DB: Cool — who was that?
AT: Mainly Wale and Kendrick Lamar, I was kind of early to their respective waves and I didn't feel people were accurately speaking to the quality of their music and more importantly the depth of their subject matter.
DB: How long have you lived in Denver?
AT: About 14 years now — time flies.
DB: And what kinds of stories have you been following as a freelancer?
AT: All types of stuff. Pro sports, music reviews, human interest stories, but the majority of my work revolved around stories looking at issues of equity and social justice.
DB: With how long you've been in Denver, I bet you have a favorite spot or two that not enough people know about — where would you send visitors or even longtime residents looking to find something special in the city?
AT: For sure! As a food addict I always send people to Genna Rae's Wings and Things or Taste of Haiti. I'm also a really laid-back person and like ambient relaxing vibes and there are no better places for relaxation and good conversation than Red Poppy Tea and Hookah Parlour or the Whittier Cafe.
Watch for Allan's work here in the near future — and sign up for the Denverite newsletter to make sure you don't miss any of it!
