Leigh Flayton

About Leigh Flayton

I served as Editor-in-Chief of Arrive, Amtrak\'s award-winning magazine, for more than a decade, transforming the magazine into a culturally relevant must-read and showcasing cover features from Michelle Obama and Patti Smith to Amy Poehler and Lin-Manuel Miranda. In addition, I have extensive experience in content marketing, brand development, film & television production and more. As a writer, I have contributed to The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times Magazine, Salon, The Huffington Post, Lenny and Refinery29, among other publications. Some favorite topics include arts and entertainment, travel, culture and politics. I am also a playwright and, in 2015, Cherry Lane Theatre in New York City hosted a reading of my first play,\"The Generator,\" as part of its TONGUES reading series.\"Too Close to Home\" is in development with director Andy Sandberg. In 2018, two-time Tony winner Judith Light starred in an industry reading of the play, which was a semifinalist in that year\'s Eugene O\'Neill Theater Center\'s National Playwrights Conference. In August 2022, it was part of the Page to Stage Playwrights Festival in Brea, CA. On March 27, 2021,\"Classic Six,\" debuted at the virtual Powerstories Voices of Truth Theatre Festival, where it won the Founder\'s Choice Award. It also was a finalist in the 2021 Eugene O\'Neill Theater Center\'s National Playwrights Conference and a semifinalist in the Austin Film Festival playwriting competition. In 2022, it was one of four finalists in the Premiere Stages Play Festival and, in January 2023, it will be presented as part of The Rose Theatre\'s annual reading series in Washington, D.C. Philanthropy, education and the plight of refugees are special interests of mine, as well. In 2005, I worked on a project in the Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya on behalf of the Arizona Lost Boys Center. The following year, I established The Bohemia Foundation, whose mission is to help refugees and impoverished children receive an education. In 2014, I became a senior advisor to the CEO of To The Market/Survivor-Made Goods.

Experience

1. Senior Editor

   Casual Astronaut

   Apr 2019 — Present · New York, NY, US

   I serve as a content director for many clients, helping to conceive, create and manage new or rebranded websites and/or content hubs, and am responsible for overseeing multifaceted content programs for clients in several fields, including healthcare, travel, higher education, the arts and more. I also help plan, write and/or assign and edit myriad forms of content, from individual articles and special projects to annual reports, content strategies, newsletters, ad campaigns, print magazines, branding and messaging plans, etc.

Education

• State University of New York College at Oswego

  BA, English Writing Arts

  1987 — 1991

• Imperial College London

  Liberal Arts