Meet the Member: Darcy Lewis, “Accidental” ASJA President
When Darcy Lewis said yes to an invitation to help ASJA develop and launch a new website, she had no idea it would eventually lead to stepping into the role of president of North America’s premier organization for professional nonfiction freelance writers.
The Chicago area writer took over as the organization’s commander in chief from immediate past president Emily Paulsen on Jan. 1.
Lewis was instrumental in the 2021 launch of the website. “The more I succeeded in the role, the more I realized continuing my ASJA service felt inevitable,” she said in an email interview.
Following that volunteer effort, Lewis joined the ASJA board and served as secretary and vice president in quick succession. “Now here I am, the ‘accidental’ president,” she said.
If you’re attending ASJA: Always in Fashion, NYC2025, Feb. 24-26, Lewis will kick off the event with a welcome on Monday, Feb. 24, at 1 p.m. Eastern time. If you see her, be sure to say hello.
In the interview, Lewis talked about her start as a writer, how she came to specialize in covering medical and health topics, and her musician alter ego. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.
How did you get into freelancing?
I started my career in marketing and advertising at Young & Rubicam and related agencies. I quickly realized that, while the senior account staff dreaded writing lengthy client reports, it was my favorite part of the job, so the bosses all delegated them to me. When the agency cut my job following the loss of a big client, I used my severance to fund getting an editing certificate from the University of Chicago Publishing Program. Without editorial contacts (and no internet!) freelancing started really small for me, but I stuck with it. Around the time I completed editorial work on the AIA Guide to Chicago several years later, I was newly pregnant and ready to ditch office life. That baby is now 30 years old and has two children of his own.
How did you come to specialize in writing about health care?
I spent more than a decade deeply immersed in learning about and managing my own serious illness, as well as those of my mother and brother-in-law. Beyond the emotional challenges, I came to see that I have an unusual ability to work through medical algorithms to find clarity. It became clear that my writing could help patients and families make good decisions and help clinicians do their jobs better. It’s been about 15 years of all-medicine-all-the-time and it’s a great fit.
When and why did you join ASJA?
I joined ASJA relatively late in my career, about a decade ago. Before then, joining felt truly aspirational, and the organization did not look as favorably on the trade magazine writing I specialized in as it does now. I heard from other writers that the ASJA forums were prone to dustups, temper tantrums, and hurt feelings. As someone with a deep need for harmony, that was enough to dissuade me. Happily, by the time I applied to join, both of those situations had been resolved for the better. ASJA has been only warm, collegial, and supportive during my years as a member.
How did your past ASJA volunteer positions prepare you to step into the president’s role?
Past president Laura Laing recruited me to lead the website task force in early 2020. She and previous leaders like Sherry Beck Paprocki had prioritized the need to retire ASJA’s 1990s-era website, which had been lovingly built and maintained by Bruce Miller but had reached the end of its useful life. I’m not at all techy but the role appealed to me because working with the company that developed the website, I could be the client for a change. It also played to my strengths of strategic thinking and motivating volunteers. I liked the fact that it was a time-limited role, unlike chairing a standing committee. The more I succeeded in the role, the more I realized continuing my ASJA service felt inevitable.
How would you describe ASJA’s current mission and benefits?
ASJA’s mission hasn’t changed, but its importance has as modern life—and freelance writing specifically—becomes more fractured, confusing, and uncertain. To quote part of ASJA’s About Us boilerplate: “As First Amendment and right-to-freelance advocates, ASJA stands up for writers’ rights and offers extensive networking and educational opportunities that benefit members and the freelance writing profession as a whole.”
The internet offers unlimited access to information and ways to connect with other humans, and yet many people—including many writers—report feeling lonely and isolated. ASJA is the antidote to that, serving up a heaping helping of relevant, actionable professional educational opportunities and ways to connect with people who do what you do and understand the work’s joys and frustrations.
Additionally, 2025 has brought a new level of political turmoil. ASJA’s ability to be a voice for First Amendment protections sets us apart from the many online writing groups that have sprung up across Facebook and other platforms. ASJA has just signed on as a signatory on a First Amendment-related issue and we expect to receive many more such requests in the weeks and months to come.
ASJA will soon hold its first in-person conference since 2022 – what are you looking forward to the most?
I can’t wait to look out into the crowd as I open the conference with the obligatory president’s welcome to see all my friends, colleagues, and new colleagues I just haven’t met yet smiling back at me, eager to connect, eager to network, eager to learn. Six years after our most recent sojourn in Manhattan, ASJA is BACK. It will be a powerful moment.
For ASJA members who’ve resolved to get more involved, where does the organization need volunteers?
I’m not a big fan of New Year’s resolutions—except that one! For a relatively small organization, ASJA’s level of programming is enormous. It is all due to the dedication of our volunteers. ASJA also has a long history of a cadre of passionate members volunteering to the point of burnout. What if we could convince more members to volunteer at a more moderate level? I think we can. The first thing that comes to mind is judging the ASJA Awards, which will soon open. Judging awards is a good jumping-off point to give back: it’s quick, easy, fun, and a great way to meet other ASJAers.
Committees that always welcome new volunteers include awards, virtual education, and member engagement. Last year, we had an ASJA book club and, despite its warm reception, the founding member has stepped away. Would another member like to take it over? Virtual Pitch Slam is one of ASJA’s most popular events, and yet we aren’t offering it because we don’t have anyone to lead it. We would like to explore increasing ASJA’s nonpartisan advocacy of First Amendment and related issues but need volunteers to do it. If you want to know more about volunteering, send me a note at asjaoffice@asja.org. Or log into the members-only portion of the website and fill out the Volunteer Opportunities form to indicate your interest in helping.
When you’re not writing, what do you do for fun?
Many people are surprised to learn that I have a secondary career as a violist, playing gigs and teaching students from my home studio. That’s how I met my cellist husband. To this day, we perform in two orchestras together.
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Michelle Rafter is a Portland Oregon, ghostwriter specializing in management, people, technology, and workforce issues. She’s ASJA’s publications chair, and part of ASJA’s 2025 conference planning committee.