He's reported from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia and Sudan, and contributed to such publications as National Geographic, the New York Times Magazine, Vanity Fair, The New Republic, New York Magazine, Washington Monthly, newyorker.com, Slate, and others. Until 2009, he was a contributing editor at the Conde Nast Portfolio magazine, where he was twice nominated for a National Magazine Award in the reporting category. Before that, he was a features contributor and columnist at The Los Angeles Times covering culture and the arts, and before that a staff writer at the New York Observer, covering business. In addition to Africa, his reporting has taken him to the Middle East, Russia, East Asia, India, and Latin America. Twitter: @JamesVerini