Upton’s love of the English language was inspired by teachers in the 7th and 10th grade who championed his writing style and ability to grasp Old English—long live Beowulf! He wrote poetry and fiction throughout high school and during a four-year tour aboard the United States Navy’s USS John F. Kennedy aircraft carrier. While serving, he found a love of culture and the excitement of discovering new places.
After his honorable discharge, Upton settled in the western foothills of Maine where he enrolled at the University of Maine at Farmington and under the tutelage of Professor Michael D. Burke, discovered a passion and honed the crafts of creative nonfiction and feature writing, which would eventually become his main literary style. At UMF he found employment in the surrounding Maine cities covering municipal events for newspapers. Upton graduated with a B.F.A. in Creative Writing.
Upton then returned to his native Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, where he was once again employed by newspapers covering municipal meetings and special events, while writing the occasional feature story. Ultimately, he grew restless of meeting coverage, and at the recommendation of his wife, focused his writing on what appealed to him the most: arts and leisure subjects. Upton penned a long-running movie review column for Lancaster County Weeklies and continues to provide small town publications with theatre reviews and a biweekly beer column, Hop’in Around. Upton was also a founding writer of the multi-platform Revelo magazine (Lancaster, PA—defunct) which allowed him to interview subjects on camera and pen personal profiles. Most of his current work is published by regional print and international online magazines where he focuses on travel and entertainment trends.
TravelMag.com – travel features
Lancaster County Magazine – feature stories, entertainment/local travel column
Pennsylvania Magazine – feature stories
Virginia Living – feature stories, news
AllWays Traveller – travel accommodation features
Extended Weekend Getaways – travel features
The Ephrata Review (Ephrata, PA) – beer columnist, theater reviews, features
Lititz Record-Express (Lititz, PA) – beer columnist, features
Revelo – co-founding writer, personal profiles
Philadelphia Medicine – features
Recreation News –travel features
FLY magazine and Fly After 5 – food features, restaurant and bar reviews
Fine Living Lancaster – interviews, feature stories
Fine Financial – feature stories
Philly Beer Scene – travelfeature
BusinessWoman magazine – feature stories
She Spot and Local Living Woman – personal profiles
Lancaster County Woman – personal and business profiles
Local Living – feature stories
bmagazine – feature stories
The Good Life – restaurant reviews, feature stories
Beer magazine –feature story
Home Business Connection – interviews
At Home magazine – feature stories
Craft Business Daily – event coverage
Taysted – feature stories
DrinkWire – contributor
Around Town in 80 Beers – contributor
Sea Level – feature stories
Beer Universe – staff writer
WorldsBestBars.com – contributor (Philadelphia, New Orleans, Washington D.C.)
Demand Studios –contributor (Howto.com; essortment.com)
The Elizabethtown Advocate (Elizabethtown, PA) – beer columnist, movie columnist
Media News Group – Sunday Money, Business Weekly, special sections, Weekend (syndicated)
LNP Sunday magazine – features
Lancaster Newspapers (Lancaster, PA) – wine and beer columnist, special features
Sunday News (Lancaster, PA) – Entertainment section contributing writer
Intelligencer Journal (Lancaster, PA) – news correspondent
New Era (Lancaster, PA) – features correspondent
York Daily News (York, PA) – features correspondent
Morning Sentinel (Augusta, ME) – correspondent
The Sun Journal (Lewiston, ME) – correspondent
“Greater Than a Tourist: Lancaster County, PA” (CZYK Publishing 2021) – authored
“Glimpses of Medicinal Botanics: A Journey to Machu Picchu from Puerto Maldonado” (Waratah Communications 2008) – edited
“The Quiet in the Land” (Trafford 2005) – edited and abridged
“Beware of Rotors, Props, & Jetblasts” (Somebodies Productions 1994)
Member, SATW-The Society of American Travel Writers
Member, International Travel Writers Alliance
Member, International Association of Professional Writers and Editors
Member, Society for Features Journalism
Member, PEN America
Member, New Holland Farmer’s Fair – Children’s Day Executive Committee
Past member, Fulton Theatre Community Engagement & Education Advisory Committee
Past member, Ephrata Performing Arts Center
Kids4Kids Advisory Committee
Past member, Ephrata Library Special Events Committee
