Today we are excited to bring back the “Beyond the Byline” series that originated on CJP’s former blog, Clever Witty Quick. For those that are unfamiliar with these Q&A style posts, Beyond the Byline is a recurring column aimed at getting to know today’s journalists in a way that extends beyond their published work. Most of us know what they write and enjoy their insights. But few take the time to get to know our journalist friends on a more personal level. There is an inherent symbiotic relationship between journalists and PR practitioners and we hope that Beyond the Byline will provide a venue for PR pros to learn about the writers they pitch on a daily basis.
With that introduction made, we are thrilled to bring you the inaugural Unboxed Thoughts version of the column featuring Manny Schiffres, executive editor of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance. Raised in New York, Schiffres got the journalism bug while attending Cornell University and would parlay that interest into a career that saw his work published by U.S. News & World Report, the AP, and the New Haven Register. In his current role as executive editor he supervises Kiplinger’s investing coverage.
We’d like to say a very special thank you to Manny for agreeing to participate. We know you’ll enjoy meeting him.
Without further ado, Manny Schiffres…
Where are you from? Tell us about your early years.
You might say that the most interesting part of my life was my birth. That’s because I was born in Havana, Cuba, to refugees from Eastern Europe who couldn’t get into the U.S. after World War II. I spent three years in Cuba and then moved to a polyglot working class neighborhood in Brooklyn, N.Y., called East New York. My nine years in Brooklyn shaped me more than any other place I’ve lived in, though I’ve spent most of my adult life working to rid myself of my Brooklyn accent.
If you could meet one person, past or present, who would it be and why?
I have to give you a quartet. I would want to meet my grandparents, all of whom died before I was born.
What is your favorite place you’ve traveled to?
Hard to say: Israel, Cuba, Buenos Aires and Barcelona are all high up.
**Much More With Manny After The Jump**
