Kind words from talented people.
I consider Allison one of the most promising and accomplished feature writers I've had the pleasure to work with. She's a tenacious, precise reporter with the writing skills to pull off multi-layered, detailed portraits and is a complete professional to work with in every way.
--Glenn Stout, Editor, SB Nation Longform & Series Editor, The Best American Sports Writing
Allison has the qualities a young magazine journalist needs to be great someday—smarts, talent, ambition and passion. Sign her up now while she's good; you probably won't be able to afford her soon enough when she's great.
-- Walt Harrington, Journalism Professor, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Allison Vance continues to impress me with her enthusiasm for deeply reported, well-written stories—as does her hunger to develop into the kind of writer who can pull them off. Both of her features so far for Indianapolis Monthly highlight Vance’s ability to bring humanity and nuance to her subjects, from a teen-turned-supermodel to a mysterious millionaire who bequeathed his fortune to a bewildered town. I look forward to following and nurturing her career.
-- Amanda Heckert, Editor-in-Chief, Indianapolis Monthly
I would like to add my voice to the chorus of those recommending Allison Vance. Allison came to me on the recommendation of my colleague Walt Harrington, one of the premiere non-fiction writers and teachers of long form journalism in the country. I knew if Walt was impressed that this was someone worth tracking. And indeed, Allison has been everything Walt said and more. The first things that struck me were her persistence and passion. She has pursued her career with a tenacity I’ve rarely seen in young journalists. The bonus—and it’s a big one—is that she has both the writing and reporting chops to back that enthusiasm. As an example, I recently enlisted Allison as a research assistant on a very sensitive feature for Chicago, where I’ve been the senior feature writer for more than a decade. Allison exceeded my expectations in every way – from her willingness and ability to track down everything I asked, to the quality of the information she produced, to the writing in her memos. I look forward to watching her rise and can’t recommend her highly enough.
-- Bryan Smith, Senior Writer, Chicago magazine
Thoughtful and thorough, Allison Copenbarger Vance is everything you want in a freelance writer/journalist—and none of the things you don't. She knows how to conceive and execute pieces big and small, delivers copy on time and drafts in fighting shape, and has a flourishing sense of story. Best of all, Allison is bright, eager, and engaging—and that comes shining through in her work. As an up-and-coming writer, she's a steal.
-- Michael Rubino, Senior Editor, Indianapolis Monthly
Allison Vance brings a rare combination of talents together. She is a great story teller and a good reporter with the ability to write across a spectrum of media. From magazine-style features to straight news-type work to speeches or ghost-written personal essays, she has a talent for finding the right voice and the right language for the right time. Whether her byline appears on a piece or not, one thing is always true with Allison’s work – you read all the way to the end.
-- Chris Harris, Director of Strategic Communications, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Ms. Copenbarger Vance is a meticulous editor and researcher. In freelance work for our magazine, her copy-editing proved excellent and her fact-checking detailed and thorough. She was also swift in the delivery of her assignments, responding to queries immediately and completing tasks quickly. The energy and enthusiasm Ms. Copenbarger Vance brings to her work is impressive. I highly recommend her.
-- Mary Timmins, Former Senior Editor, Illinois Alumni Magazine