Cheers
to
Hometown History
BY NICOLE TAFE
eters Township alum Cody McDevitt is
bringing the history of Pittsburgh’s cocktails,
nightlife and bartending tradition to life with
the release of his book “Pittsburgh Drinks,”
co-written by Sean Dwyer Enright.
McDevitt, 32, is a 2003 Peters graduate and
son of Holly Frank and Jerry McDevitt. While
at Peters Township High School, he played
basketball and was a member of the ski club.
His favorite teachers included librarian Mrs.
Morrison, Mrs. Hodgin-Frick and Mr. King
who helped to instill a fascination with politics.
Media was McDevitt’s favorite subject, though
he did not seriously begin writing until he
attended college.
“My brother Casey and I had a close-
knit group of friends while in high school
that we’ve stayed in touch with to this day,”
notes McDevitt. “He and I socialize in the
same circles—we did then, and we do now.
It’s surprising how many of my high school
friendships became lifelong.”
McDevitt went on to attend the University
of Colorado at Boulder and graduated in 2007
with a Bachelor of Science in Journalism and
a focus on newspapers. He later returned to
Pittsburgh, where he earned a master’s degree in
journalism from Point Park University in 2012.
“One of my college professors, Doug
Cosper, taught me the work ethic I needed
to be a good writer,” says McDevitt, who
cultivated his writing skills throughout his
undergraduate years. “He gave me William
Zinsser’s book ‘On Writing Well,’ which I think
should be required reading for anyone who
wants to make a living in nonfiction
writing.” He also studied with
William Moushey of the Innocence
Institute while in college. “He
taught me a lot of indispensable
research skills and about the effort
it takes to write a good story,” notes
McDevitt. “He’s been a reference
Peters Township graduate Cody McDevitt finds
success with the release of his first published book.
P
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