About Linda Stasi
Who Am I?
Let Me Set the Story Straight...
“Writing isn’t just what I do—It’s who I am.” - Linda Stasi
I've spent my life chasing stories that matter, looking for truth wherever it leads me, and using words to shake up the status quo. Whether I'm covering scandals in my newspaper columns, exploring theological mysteries in my novels, or teaching other journalists how to forge their own path in reporting, I approach every subject with fierce curiosity and zero tolerance for bullshit.
My journey has taken me from newsrooms to mountain tops, from ancient religious sites to modern courtrooms. I don't sit in an ivory tower–I get my hands dirty. I travel, I research, I experience, and then I write. Sometimes, I even talk to dead people (but we’ll get to that later).
“She’s the boss—
don’t get in her way.”
- Al Sharpton
FROM HEADLINES TO HARDCOVERS
“I cut my teeth in the rough-and-tumble world of New York City tabloids...”
…becoming one of the most widely-read columnists at the New York Daily News, New York Post, and Newsday. My specialty? Taking pop culture and spinning it with an unexpected POV, always keeping readers engaged.
Inside every journalist, though, is a novelist desperate to escape. After writing five non-fiction books, I finally let mine out with The Sixth Station and Book of Judas—debuts that hit Amazon's Top 25 and had fellow author Nelson DeMille calling my work "a helluva religious thriller."
I'm not your typical novelist. I like to get out there and immerse myself in the world of my stories. For my first novel, I drove alone through three countries, hiked mountains in France, and traveled with an exorcist priest from the Vatican. For my second book, I climbed down into a 3,000-year-old burial cave in Israel. Most recently, I've been digging through family history, newspaper archives, and firsthand accounts to tell the real story of how the American West was settled.
THE SEEN AND UNSEEN
“What most people don't know about me–until now— is that I've been psychic since childhood.”
It's a gift (sometimes a curse) that runs in my Italian family, and it's one I kept hidden during my journalism career to maintain credibility. Now I'm embracing this part of myself openly.
I've had encounters with those who've passed and photographed things that defy explanation. I saw a vision of the Twin Towers from Long Island the day before they fell, in a place where they weren't visible. A deceased friend has visited me in her car with her dog in tow. The Vatican's top exorcist fainted when I showed him photos I took of the Veil of Veronica that changed appearance with each click of my camera. Two of the most famous psychic mediums in the world–John Edward and James Van Praagh–have even asked me to read for them.
I now realize that this openness to what exists beyond our understanding doesn't contradict my commitment to journalistic integrity.
FAMILY MATTERS...
Despite my tough exterior, those who know me best would tell you I'm kind, generous, and fiercely devoted to my family.
I raised my daughter Jessica as a single mother with no child support, watching her graduate cum laude from Wellesley College before becoming the only female founder and CEO of a major games company in America.
These days, I’m a proud grandmother of three incredibly talented grandkids, including a nationally recognized artist whose self-portrait won Scholastic's Gold Medal and was displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
“Sunday dinners together are especially sacred, even in our untraditional, boundary-pushing Italian-American family.”
JUSTICE DOESN’t WRITE ITSELF
Growing up in a family that experienced discrimination firsthand taught me early that justice doesn't come without a fight.
As an officer of the developing Museum of Civil Rights in New York City, I'm helping build an institution that will document the struggles not just of African Americans, but of all immigrant and minority groups who fought for equality in this country.
When Reverend Al Sharpton appointed me to the board, he understood that I bring both passion and perspective to the table. I've helped expand the museum's focus to include the stories of European immigrants, women, LGBTQ+ communities, and others who fought to make America live up to its promises.
This work connects directly to my writing about "unconscious bigotry" and the stereotypes that still plague Italian Americans and other groups.
“Above all, social justice requires both remembering history honestly and challenging the narratives that keep prejudice alive today.”
On Air and Unfiltered
When The Red Light Goes On,
So Does My Unfiltered Honesty.
For 15 years, I served as on-camera co-host with Mark Simone on NY1's "What a Week!" and currently host "Uncensored" for CUNY TV, where thoughtful conversations unfold without pretense. I can also be heard on iHeartRadio's Mark Simone Show and Boston's "Matty In The Morning.”
I've also appeared on:
The Bottom Line
At the end of the day, what matters most to me are the same things that have always mattered…
Telling great stories, fighting for what's right, and being there for my family. My strength comes from my Italian-American heritage, from the women in my family who defied expectations generations ago, and from the conviction that words still have the power to create change.
I've never been afraid to speak my mind, take on the powerful, or stand up for the overlooked. Whether I'm writing a column, a novel, or teaching the next generation of writers, I bring the same passion, research, and authenticity to everything I do.
I may not be everyone's cup of tea—and I'm perfectly fine with that. The people who get me, really get me…
And those who don't? Well, they make for great material.
Awards and Recognition
Named "One of the Fifty Most Powerful Women in NYC" by the New York Daily News
Winner of "Best Columnist" by the Newswomen's Club of New York
Winner of "Best Humor Columnist"
Finalist for the Mary Higgins Clark Award for "The Sixth Station"
Named with husband Sid Davidoff by "City & State" as one of NYC's 100 top power couples
Award winning photographer
ORGANIZATIONS AND CLUBS
Where You Can Find Me
Newsomen’s Club of NY
Columbus Citizen’s Club
Author’s Guild
Mystery Writers of America
National Italian American Foundation
The Historical Writer’s Association
VIEWS FROM MY WINDOWS
Let's Talk
For media inquiries, speaking engagements, or book club appearances, please contact me:
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