It was November 2008 and I was getting worried...

The publications for which I had long been writing—Elle Decor, Interior Design, Bookforum—were no longer calling me with assignments. Having always relied on their contacting me rather than my pitching them, I realized that I now had to do some research and find a good idea, a bright architect, or a beautiful home to propose as a story. But I was getting nowhere. I felt out of the loop and out of favor. It took me a few months to realize that I was experiencing the impact of the recession on my line of work...