E. Benjamin Skinner
New York, NY USA
"The distance between a dream and reality is oftentimes a lot closer than you think. What it takes more than anything is faith that you have the ability to do it."
Career Roadmap
E. Benjamin's work combines: Writing, Journalism, and Communicating / Sharing Stories
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
You don't have to have an amazing, extensive vocabulary or an intensive education in writing to write the stories that I do. While writing and speaking are fundamental skills for this profession, the true lifeblood of my work comes from connecting with people and listening to their stories. If you have a passion for connecting with your subjects and hearing those stories, you have what it takes to do this.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Sociology
Wesleyan University
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life has been direct
1.
I was born in Wisconsin and grew up in both Wisconsin and Northern Nigeria, where my father worked.
2.
I graduated with a degree in sociology from Wesleyan University in Connecticut.
3.
After college, I moved to New York and spent a couple of years working as a research associate at the Council on Foreign Relations.
4.
A mentor encouraged me to look into the issue of modern-day slavery—I knew little about it at the time, but took it on because it would allow me to travel and see places that most people don’t get to.
5.
I started by interviewing slavery survivors that had escaped to the U.S. and then traveled internationally to continue my investigation.
6.
An assignment for Newsweek International took me to Sudan—by the end of my time there, I had enough of a story assembled in my head to secure a book advance from a publisher.
7.
By this time, I was incredibly passionate about getting this story out—as an investigative writer, I infiltrated trafficking networks, slave quarries, illegal brothels, and urban child markets.
8.
My book “A Crime So Monstrous” about modern-day slavery came out in March 2008.