Nicole Kristal is a professional journalist, gifted songwriter and award-winning author — but most people remember Nicole for her article, "Tutoring Rich Kids Cost Me My Dreams," which ran in Newsweek in 2005 and covered her three-year experience as an illicit academic paper writer for wealthy high school and college students in Los Angeles. She appeared on the CBS Evening News discussing her experiences, the Leslie Primeau and Dom Giordano radio shows, and continues to be asked about the experience. (US Weekly called in Dec. 2007 to inquire about whether or not Spencer Pratt of The Hills was one of her former clients).

Nicole Kristal

 

Her writing has appeared in publications such as Back Stage, Back Stage West, The Hollywood Reporter, Premiere, MSN.com, and AfterEllen.com (see Articles). In 2006 her book, The Bisexual's Guide to the Universe: Quips, Tips, and Lists for Those Who Go Both Ways, won a Lambda Literary Award. Nicole is currently employed as the writers' assistant for the new CBS primetime show, The Eleventh Hour.

 

A talented musician and songwriter who has played classical piano since age eight and the acoustic guitar since age 14, Nicole has written roughly a hundred songs, seven of which appeared on her first album Radiate in 2002. She has been recording her very belated sophomore album since 2006, which she hopes to complete with the help of cellist Aniela Perry, who has toured with bands such as Cursive and Sea Wolf and most recently appeared on ABC's Brothers & Sisters.