Hi, I'm Alysia Gray Painter

But you can call me AGP if you're in a rush. 

Here are some of the things I do, have done, and love:

NBC: Travel, trends, food, movies, theater, nightlife, animals, comedy, festivals, and holidays are part of my NBC Los Angeles blogging beat; I also cover California travel and getaways for NBC Bay Area and NBC San Diego (2008-present). You can find me at agraypainter@gmail.com.

LinkedIn: Some highlights? I served as West Coast Managing Editor for AOL CityGuide. The West Wing was where I spent some happy time as a writer's assistant. Receiving a regional Emmy nomination for a PBS youth variety show I wrote for during college, and just after, was a delightful surprise. And I've hosted hundreds of PBS pledge breaks, many with a perky puppet co-host.

McSweeney's: Several of my pieces have appeared on the McSweeney's site, and in books, over the years. McSweeney's also kindly runs my Butterball Help-Line Help-Line every Thanksgiving weekend. Here's an interview I did with the humor site about how the piece came together and an article in The Onion that referenced it (I am beyond honored and quite tickled).

Q&A: For a closer look at what I do, please check out this I Want Her Job interview. And my chat with Forever Young Adult focuses on fiction.

Wilfair: A big-hearted heiress, the handsome moteliers next door, and a magical Los Angeles hotel are the stars of these cheerful, teen-sweet books.

Hotel Me More: Hotel culture -- the towels, the carpet, room service, tradition, and history -- fascinates me. Chatting about my favorite topics, and my childhood spent living in hotels, is what this blog is all about.

Books: My essays and/or humor pieces have been featured in...

Keep Scrolling Till You Feel Something: 21 Years of Humor from McSweeney's Internet Tendency

Created in Darkness by Troubled Americans: The Best of McSweeney's Humor Category

Dog is My Co-Pilot: Great Writers on the World's Oldest Friendship

May Contain Nuts: A Very Loose Canon of American Humor


Howl: A Collection of the Best Contemporary Dog Wit

Mountain Man Dance Moves: The McSweeney's Book of Lists

DogJoy: Happiest Dogs in the Universe

The Dreaded Feast: Writers on Surviving the Holidays

More Mirth of a Nation: The Best Contemporary Humor

101 Damnations: The Humorists' Tour of Personal Hells

Thank you for visiting!

agraypainter@gmail.com