Writing Portfolio

For several years, I covered music, culture, political, and social news stories at esteemed hip-hop publication Ambrosia For Heads under my pseudonym, Bonita.
I also wrote long-form pieces ranging from artist interviews to album retrospectives. You can read those here.
Pell’s glbl wrmng Collective Is Closing Gaps in the New Orleans Music Economy
Rebels Without a Pause: The Oral History of New Orleans’ The Soul Rebels
Baton Rouge’s Rap Underground Seeks To Put Their City On The Map
Click here to read a two-part investigative series on a scam in hip-hop.
Click here to read some of the extensive writing I did during my three-year tenure as Digital Editor at OffBeat Magazine in New Orleans.
Click here to check out a retrospective on Kurtis Blow.

Academic Portfolio

Social Justice Nonprofits in the U.S. South: Cases for Study and Practice

Chapter 4, “Breaking News: Truth-Telling and Nonprofit Journalism in the Deep South”

Client Work (PR)

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Client Work (PR) *

“Amanda is a talented writer and editor who brings professionalism and charisma to all her projects. More importantly, she’s a genuine fan and eternal student of the subject matter she covers.”

GRAMMY-Award winning musician and member of the GRAMMY-nominated band The Rumble, Ari Teitel.
"Amanda is incredibly organized & motivated. She is a gifted wordsmith & editor, & is a great motivator for her clients & their fans."

- “Bassy” Bob Brockmann, GRAMMY-winning engineer @LosDepressos
"In a landscape where media clicks are driven by empty metrics in the name of "the culture" it is refreshing to encounter a thinker like Amanda Mester. Mester is not only more than capable in the writing that is increasingly being divorced from cultural critique, but also equipped with a passionate dedication to being attentive to what serves the very culture she profiles."

Hip-hop artist Cavalier. @cavwins
“Amanda works diligently & creatively for her clients. She has a dedication to elevating diverse styles of music not always associated with New Orleans. She has a keen ear for talent & is fully engaged in the music scene of our city.”

- Gene Meneray, Co-founder of legal advocacy non-profit, Ella Project
“Amanda is an innovative & caring multi-faceted creative I’ve been fortunate to work with in a lot of different capacities within the New Orleans music industry. In every position, she brings her care, professionalism, & top-notch attention to detail to the table.”

- Nate Cameron, Jr., Co-founder of Them People Productions and glbl wrmng
“Amanda is the person who if they say something will get it done, it gets done. Always felt confident in working with her in any regard because she’s right there every step of the way."

-Award-winning hip-hop artist, Alfred Banks. @underdogcentral / www.underdogcentral.com

Writing Portfolio

Ambrosia for Heads

Audiomack

DJ Booth

Genius

Medium

OffBeat Magazine

Hip Hop Golden Age

Academic Portfolio

Social Justice Nonprofits in the U.S. South: Cases for Study and Practice

Chapter 4, “Breaking News: Truth-Telling and Nonprofit Journalism in the Deep South”

Client Work (PR)

*

Client Work (PR) * Client Work (PR) *

“Amanda is a talented writer and editor who brings professionalism and charisma to all her projects. More importantly, she’s a genuine fan and eternal student of the subject matter she covers.”

"Amanda is incredibly organized & motivated. She is a gifted wordsmith & editor, & is a great motivator for her clients & their fans."

“Amanda works diligently & creatively for her clients. She has a dedication to elevating diverse styles of music not always associated with New Orleans. She has a keen ear for talent & is fully engaged in the music scene of our city.”

“Amanda is an innovative & caring multi-faceted creative I’ve been fortunate to work with in a lot of different capacities within the New Orleans music industry. In every position, she brings her care, professionalism, & top-notch attention to detail to the table.”

“Amanda is the person who if they say something will get it done, it gets done. Always felt confident in working with her in any regard because she’s right there every step of the way."

Client Work (PR) *