Several years ago, I would’ve shrugged my shoulders and lamented my lack of direction if you’d asked me what I wanted to do. I didn’t know. After being instructed in the art of writing by my grandfather, that changed. I began experimenting with the craft in my own way by writing awful videogame reviews for Game Informer’s defunct user blog community. But it was something. I adored the hobby in my spare time, so I continued to hone my skills until I realized hammering my keyboard for hours on end in the name of videogames was what I loved most. See? God has a sense of humor.

I committed to this eccentric career path for better or worse and landed at High Point University in 2013. Not only was it less than an hour from home, but also offered a recently instated Bachelor’s degree in Game and Interactive Media Design. Talk about providence. With classes focused on game theory, game criticism, and journalism, I graduated in 2015 and have been contributing writing to Push Square since late 2013. I also have a Master’s degree in English from Gardner-Webb University, wrote a bit for TechRaptor and Gamechurch, and interned at Game Informer during the winter of 2018. I’m currently a contributing writer and editor for Love Thy Nerd. I have plans to dabble here and there in freelance videogame journalism, but otherwise, I’ve come to treat it as a hobby for the time being. In other words, you’ll mostly see personal content here and stuff over on LTN on a sporadic basis.

I would’ve never dreamed I’d make it this far, but this field is my passion. I love the people in the industry and desire to not only critique their work, but also tell their stories and the history of this medium. I strive to emphasize the “journalism” in videogame journalism. I crave to infuse meaning and worth into the substance of my work, whether that emanates from myself or the people and videogames I cover. I’m still discovering my voice and figuring out loads of things, but I hope you’ll come along for the ride.

You can peruse the social media and categories above to see more. My website is essentially an ever-updating resume that chronicles all of my work, so that’s convenient for both of us. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at joeyathurmond(at)gmail.com.