Shamontiel (pronounced Shuh mawn tee el) Latrice Vaughn is the author of two novels ("Round Trip" and "Change for a Twenty"); the Chicago Tribune's Digital News Editor (Breaking News, Health and National Travel pages, previously updated the Food & Dining page and produced health chats); and has over 800 articles in various print and online publications, including Yahoo! Contributor Network (formerly Associated Content); and Examiner.com's Chicago Relationship Examiner, Chicago News and Events Examiner, Chicago Black Hair and Health Examiner and Chicago Fragrance Examiner. Her work can also be found in Spoken Vizions magazine, Underlined Magazine, Citizens in America magazine, Fate Magazine, AT&T, Redeye, TheFrisky.com, HyPaChicago.org, Yahoo! News and Yahoo! TV.
This Chicago native graduated Cum Laude from Lincoln University (MO) with a Bachelor of Arts in English/Creative Writing. Shamontiel has also taken courses at Northern Michigan University; University of Chicago; and DePaul University. She studied writing, communications, Spanish and criminal justice. In 2003, she received the Missouri Writer's Guild Walter Williams Outstanding Student Award. In 2007, she was honored at Lincoln University (Missouri) with the Master Student award. Shamontiel is also a member of the International English Honor Society, Sigma Tau Delta, and is the Message from Montie blogger for ChicagoNow.com (owned by the Chicago Tribune). She has previously been an Assistant Copyeditor for Kaplan Financial (Dearborn Publishing), the Web Editor and newsletter editor for D'PUC Credit Union, and a Staff Writer and Web Editor for The Chicago Defender newspaper.
Shamontiel participated in various political and news events like promoting and raising money for the Obama campaign, reporting on the Schlumberger and Jena 6 trial, embracing the vegetarian lifestyle, speaking up for animal rights and opposing racism. She is equally passionate about raising awareness about safe sex, educating people about STD and STI testing, and correct condom usage.
Although literature will always be her favorite, music and dancing are a close second. A hardcore lover of positive hip-hop, R&B, jazz and neo-soul, Shamontiel has participated in numerous dance performances and hip-hop classes, and interviewed several music, book and TV celebrities. You can check Other Publications to read her news, reviews, op/ed articles and celebrity interviews.
| Shamontiel's 2010-2011 Media Kit |
Author Photos and Chicago Photos by Shamontiel L. Vaughn | ©2008 Shamontiel L. Vaughn| All rights reserved
