A Sampler
Some Features by Karen Houppert

"Separate But Equal: More and more schools are dividing classes by gender, but critics say it's a troubling trend" The Washington Post Magazine 3500-word cover story, August 08, 2010

"The Mission: She hadn't been to her father's grave since she was 13, but questions were drawing her back" The Washington Post Magazine Feature article; 3000-word personal essay, June 20, 2010

"The Dirty Secret of Outdoor Exercise: How Air and Water Pollution Foil Your Workout" Fitness 2500-word feature, April 01, 2010

"Should a Mother Be Prosecuted for Taking Drugs While Pregnant? Kentucky Supreme Court Hears Crack-baby Case" Slate/Double X 1500-word article, December 21, 2009

"A Room of Her Own" The Washington Post Magazine My college feminism professor died and bequeathed me $75,000. Why? Personal essay, 3500 word feature, November 01, 2009

"Journeys of Discovery" Washington Post Magazine A look at some of the people driving fascinating research at area universities. Cover package. 2500 words, November 01, 2009

"Does Being a Good Mom Mean Feeling Like a Bad One?" Salon Family Coaches. Advice Books. Parenting Experts. Oh My! 2000-word essay, October 27, 2009

"How Could a Mother Eat Her Own Baby?" Salon The case of Otty Sanchez. 1500-word commentary, August 01, 2009

"School of Second Chances" Washington Post Magazine A new school teaches incarcerated teens that education equals freedom. The teachers at Oak Hill Academy approach their jobs with the faith that even the most hardened juvenile delinquents can achieve--and the knowledge that many still won't. 5000-word feature, April 12, 2009

"The Truth About Forgiveness" Washington Post Magazine After his son was murdered, Bernard Williams became consumed by anger and depression. There was, he came to realize, only one way to save himself. A 7000-word cover story about conflict and mediation, March 22, 2009

"The Kid Tamer" Washington Post Magazine Family coaches are on the cutting edge of the multimillion dollar parenting industrial complex--but what drives the anxious parents who hire them? 7500-word cover story, December 21, 2008

"KBR's Rape Problem" The Nation Senate Foreign Relations Sub-committee investigates KBR rape on heels of Nation's breaking news story the week before, 1200 words, May 05, 2008

"Another KBR Rape Case" TheNation.com 2000 word investigative report on rape of US defense contractor employee, and subsequent coverup, April 04, 2008

"The Transformation: Baltimore at work, then and now" Urbanite Magazine Baltimore struggles to reinvent itself as a player in the post-industrial future. Cover story, 4500 words, October 01, 2007

"The Big Test: Can the new CEO of Baltimore's public schools turn them around?" Urbanite Magazine 2500 words, September 01, 2007

"In New Brunswick, Where Surf Becomes Turf" New York Times Escapes section, August 31, 2007

"Arguing for the Future" The Washington Post magazine Encouraging struggling students to argue may seem a debatable strategy. But there's no argument like success for Baltimore's Urban Debate League,7000-word cover story, August 25, 2007

"Final Period" New York Times The Food and Drug Administration approved a new birth control pill, Lybrel. It is as effective at preventing pregnancy as the other pills already out there (about 98 percent) but boasts one advantage: Women who take it will never get their periods. Op Ed, 1000-words, July 17, 2007

"Letting Go of Perfect" Hallmark Magazine Architect Sarah Susanka is the author of the best-selling "Not So Big House" series of books and is the guru of simple living., 2500-word feature, July 01, 2007

"Behind Bars" Urbanite Magazine Female corrections officers share an inside glimpse., 1000-word article, July 01, 2007

"Death-wish Granny" Salon.com A lifelong member of the Hemlock Society, my 87-year-old grandmother is frail, housebound, nearly blind -- and ready to die. Why won't anyone let her? 1200-word essay, June 28, 2007

"Happy Feet" Urbanite Magazine Urbanite's junior corps of reporters goes behind the scenes at the Maryland Zoo., 2500-word feature, June 01, 2007

"Historic Preservation" Urbanite Magazine A property-trading game of chance? 3000-word cover story, June 01, 2007

"Trashy Art" Urbanite Magazine The city is the medium, the canvas, and the inspiration for enviro-artist Steve Bradley., 1500-word feature, April 07, 2007

"Who's Afraid of Gardasil? The New HPV Vaccine Could Eliminate Cervical Cancer--But Has Stirred a Storm of Controversy" The Nation feature, 3000 words, March 26, 2007

"History in the Making" Urbanite Magazine Rehabbing a Quaker's historic house, a Stonehill couple unearths a bit of history., 1200-word article, February 01, 2007

"The Katrina Krewe in Action: Local Hero Becky Zaheri Fights to Heal New Orleans' Wounds, One Street at a Time" Hallmark Magazine (2500 word feature in the first issue of this new startup), October 01, 2006

"Cindy Sheehan: Mother of a Movement?" The Nation Feature, (3000 words), June 12, 2006

"Professing Faith: Intelligent Design vs. Evolution at the Nation's Largest Baptist University" Mother Jones (3500 words, part of "God and Country" cover package), December 01, 2005

"Military Recruiters Are Now Targeting Sixth Graders. Who's Next?" The Nation (3000 word cover story), September 12, 2005

"Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Chai: A Maine Country Fair with an Organic Twist" Organic Style (1200 words), September 01, 2005

"Base Crimes: Domestic Violence in the Military" Mother Jones (1500 words, part of domestic violence cover package), July 01, 2005

"From Mad to Glad: Women and Anger" Organic Style (2500 words), April 01, 2005

"The New Face of Protest? Antiwar Activists Embrace the Military" The Nation (3500 word cover story), March 28, 2005

"Peace Activists in the War Room" The Nation (2000 words)., February 25, 2005

"Against the War But Married To It" The Nation cover story (3500 words), November 23, 2003

"Breast Cancer: Why Where You Live Matters. Not Every Woman Has Access to the Best Treatment." SELF Magazine (2500 words), October 01, 2003

"Taking Care of Our Parents: Looking After Yourself" My Generation (2500 words, part of cover package, ASME Finalist), December 01, 2002

"Taking Care of Our Parents: Facing What's Ahead" My Generation (2500 words, part of cover package, ASME Finalist), December 01, 2002

"Wanted: A Few Good Girls--Conservatives Mine for Young Women" The Nation (3000 words), November 25, 2002

"Race and Breast Cancer: The Survival Gap" Self Magazine (3000 words, Newswoman's Club of New York's "Front Page" award-winner), October 01, 2002

"Parenting Leaders" Parenting Magazine (2000 words), March 01, 2002

"For Her Own Good: With the 'Family Cap,' the State Says to Welfare Moms: No More Babies!" The Nation (3000 words), February 04, 2002

"Ecco Mabou--Behold Mabou Mines: Still Avante-Garde After All These Years" American Theatre (3500 words), February 01, 2002

"Trading Places: Parenting in Shifts" Parenting Magazine (2500 words), February 01, 2002

"Samuel Mockbee: Alabama's Architect with a Conscience" My Generation (3000 words), February 01, 2002

"Childbirth's Crusader: Q & A with Naomi Wolf" Parenting Magazine (1500 words), October 01, 2001

"E-venger" Yahoo! Internet Life (penned occasional anonymous columns for this consumer advocate column, 2001-2002), January 01, 2001

Offspring Magazine: The Magazine for Smart Parenting/Offspring Magazine website (Filed regular articles for this now defunct periodical and website, over course of year), January 01, 2001

"A Midwife's Mantra: Women Know How to give Birth" Lifetime TV website (1500 words), January 01, 2001

"Are Mammograms Passe?" Lifetime TV website (1500 words), January 01, 2001

"Breast Cancer--Survivors' Stories" Lifetime TV website (1500 words), January 01, 2001

"Working Moms, Then and Now" Parenting Magazine (2000 words), December 01, 2000

"Katie Couric: On Caring and Compassion" Parenting Magazine (2000 words), November 01, 2000

"Montessori Schools: An Inside View" Offspring: The Magazine for Smart Parenting (2500 words; Offspring was a short-lived startup of Smart Money), October 01, 2000

"A History of Circumcision" Offspring: The Magazine for Smart Parenting (Offspring was a short-lived startup by Smart Money), October 01, 2000

"Would You Want to See Your Unborn Baby in 2-D?" SELF Magazine (3000 words), August 01, 2000

"How Dads Help Raise Great Kids; Q & A with Flux author Peggy Orenstein" Parenting Magazine (1500 words), June 01, 2000

"The Meaning of Life" The Nation (1500 words), March 13, 2000

"You're Not Entitled!: Welfare Reform is Leading to Government Lawlessness" The Nation (4000 word cover story), October 25, 1999

"Freudian Fear and Cooked Statistics: The Recent Media Alert About Sex-crazed 'Tweens' Is Mostly a Lot of Hoo-ha With Naught Behind It" Salon (Mothers Who Think column, 2000 words), October 22, 1999

"We've Come a Long Way, Baby!: A History of Childbrith" Parenting Magazine (3-page spread), August 01, 1999

"Victimizing the Victims: Mothers Who've Suffered Domestic Violence See Their Kids Taken By City Courts" Village Voice (cover story, 2000 words)., June 15, 1999

"Nursed to Death: Tabitha Walrond Tried to Breastfeed Her Baby. Now She's on Trial for Starving Him" Salon (Mothers Who Think column, 2000 words), May 21, 1999

"A Baby at Any Cost?: Four Postcards from the Edge of the Fertility Frontier" New Woman (3500 words), May 01, 1999

"Kids In Crisis: An Overwhelmed Family Court Threatens Thousands of Children" Village Voice (cover story, 3500 words), April 20, 1999

"Eyewitness Blues: Seeing a Crime Was Bad Enough. Helping Police was a Nightmare" Village Voice (2500 words)., March 09, 1999

"NYPD Rude: How Ordinary Encounters with Cops Can Land You in Jail" Village Voice (3000 words), February 02, 1999

"Knock-Down-Drag-Out: Cops Were Called to Help JoLea Lamot, Then They Learned She Was a Transexual" Village Voice (1500 words), January 26, 1999

"City on Trial: The NYPD is Snared in Its Own Surveillance Net" Village Voice (2000 words), December 01, 1998

"Nannypacks: Public Issues Stay Private as Park Slope Parents Plumb Underclass" Village Voice (3000 words), November 24, 1998

"Ruth Maleczech: Her Life in Art" American Theatre (1500 words), September 01, 1998

"Why Americans Overspend: Glamour Talks with Economist Juliet B. Schor" Glamour (1500 words), July 01, 1998

"Resisting Roe: Feminist for Life, Serrin Foster, States Her Case" Village Voice part of cover package on 'Roe v. Wade: 25 Years Later,' (2000 words), January 27, 1998

"Apologies to the Unborn" American Theatre (1000 words), January 01, 1998

"Small Wonders: Baby Love" Parenting Magazine (1200 words), December 01, 1997

"The New Bedroom Mistakes: Why, When So Many Young People Know About AIDS, Do They Keep Having Risky Sex?" Glamour (3000 words), August 01, 1997

"Health Alert: New Facts About Food Poisoning" Reader's Digest (1500 words), May 01, 1997

"Snag-ed: NYPD Rounds Up the Usual Suspects" Village Voice (2000 words), October 31, 1996

"Uta Hagen: Grand Dame of Theater Does Grand Dame of Psychoanalysis" Village Voice (1500 words), October 17, 1996

"Expecting the Worst: Congress's Partial Birth Abortion Debate" Village Voice (1500 words), October 08, 1996

"The Politics of Birth Control: How Prolife Forces Strangle Research" Village Voice plus 'A Contraceptive Sampler: What the Future Holds,' plus, 'Bar Wars: Birth Control, Product Liability, and the Law.' Cover story and sidebars, (5000 words), October 01, 1996

"Dole Dearest: Real Life vs. Family Values" Village Voice (2000 words), August 27, 1996

"Where's the Beef?: E. coli Bacteria Charts a Deadly Path in Fruits, Vegetables, and Swimming Water" Redbook (3000 words), July 01, 1996

"The Color of the Day: In the Aftermath of the Del Debbio Trial" Village Voice (2000 words), April 09, 1996

"After the Rape: Profile of a Rape Survivor" Glamour (3500 words), April 01, 1996

"Danger at the Door: Tenisha Smith Was Raped Twice in City Owned Housing, Now She's Suing the Housing Authority" Village Voice (4500-word cover story), January 30, 1996

"Mother Superior: Bronx Nun Takes on Sins of Sexism" Village Voice (2000 words), October 10, 1995

"Senator Snitch: Packwoods Diaries Unwittingly Paint a Devastating Portrait of What's Wrong With Washington" Village Voice (4000 word cover story), September 26, 1995

"Aging in America: What the Proposed Medicare Cuts Will Do To My Great Aunt Mayand the Rest of Us" Village Voice (5000 word cover story), September 20, 1995

"The Pills Battle With Morality" Tampa Tribune (1000 words), July 02, 1995

"Newts Rook-of-the-Month: Gingrich Signs a Book Club Deal With Time Warner Cable Deal Pending" Village Voice (1000 words), May 23, 1995

"Birth of a Movement? Behind the Rush-Hour Revolt" Village Voice (1500 words), May 09, 1995

"I Was Raped Feature/Profile of Survivor and Criminal Justice System" Mademoiselle (3000 words), April 01, 1995