St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Publishing dubbed Richie Frieman a “Modern Day Renaissance Man” due to a career that spans life as an author, illustrator, artist, etiquette expert, Modern Manners Guy, entrepreneur, and even a champion professional wrestler.  Frieman is a #1 bestselling and award-winning author and illustrator of eight books across multiple genres, with work sold worldwide.

Frieman’s success has landed him on media outlets across the globe, including MSNBC and FOX News Entertainment, where he has appeared live on numerous radio and TV shows. He has been featured in Time Magazine, Money Magazine, Yahoo, Martha Stewart, Forbes Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneur Magazine, Huffington Post, Fast Company, USA Today, Fox Business News, Publishers Weekly, Parade, Story Monsters Ink, Shape Magazine, HOW, The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore’s Child, The Daily Journal, Baltimore and The Examiner, along with dozens of others. Frieman currently lives in Baltimore, Maryland, with his beautiful wife, Jamie, their amazing daughter, Maddy, their awesome son, Cole, and an incredibly hyper puppy, Tucker.

He attended the University of Maryland, College Park (UMD), graduating in 2001 with a degree in Fine Arts (Graphic Design concentration). During his time at UMD, Richie dove headfirst into a career in the arts, immersing himself in illustration, painting, graphics, sculpture, and literature. Upon graduation, Richie began what has become a very adventurous artistic career.

Life as a Writer…

PensEyeView.com has allowed Frieman to interview and cover over 1,100 musicians, artists, and visionaries from all over the globe – a different one every 48 hours – along with reviews of style, food, CDs, and live events.  Richie written reviews on such artists as Three Doors Down, LIfehouse, OneRepublic, OAR, Henry Rollins, Lisa Loeb, Lonestar, Cake, The Wailers, Third Eye Blind, Puddle Of Mudd, Brett Dennen, Mat Nathanson, and many others. As well, regarding style, Frieman has also covered fashion brands such as Bonobos, LL Bean, Warby Parker, Tokyo Bay, and many more in the PensEyeView Style section.

In 2008, Frieman was awarded a Laureate medal at the 2008 Computerworld Honors Program, formerly known as the Smithsonian Award, nominated by the CEOs of Research In Motion (RIM), the creators of BlackBerry, for the work he’s done with PensEyeView.com.

Frieman’s 2018 debut middle-grade fiction book, “Maddy & Cole: The Food Truck Grand Prix (Vol 1)” became a #1 best seller on Amazon as well, telling the story of siblings (Maddy and Cole) who help their grandfather win a food truck competition. Led by Maddy, we learn that “every underdog has a tale.”

Frieman’s seventh book, “Snowballs For Severance: The Terrifically True Story of Dane Best and the Snowball Ban” is the true story of 9-year-old, Dane Best who overturned a nearly 100 year old snowball ban in his tiny Colorado town.  Dane made worldwide news for his remarkable legal win. The book skyrocketed to #1 in Children’s New Releases in less than a day.  In 2019, Baltimore Magazine named “Snowballs for Severance” as one of their 10 Favorite Books of 2019, alongside Baltimore icon John Waters and radio host/writer, Dan Rodricks. “Snowballs for Severance” is currently under contract for a major motion picture.

Frieman’s most recent project, The Optimistics, marks his debut memoir and skyrocketed to a #1 New Release and became a national award-winner in 2024. This memoir tells the poignant story of three men diagnosed with Young Onset Dementia (YOD) in their 50s who created a unique mantra of hope in the Alzheimer’s community. Dennis, Mike, and Jim were all strangers when they met one evening at a local support group for YOD individuals.

As a result of seeing themselves – and mutual struggles – in one another, they became best friends through their shared journey.  Seeing a light of hope in their new bond, the men started calling themselves “The Optimistics,” which has inspired a rallying cry for countless others nationwide fighting dementia and Alzheimer’s.  The book has been called a mix between Tuesdays With Morrie and Chicken Soup for the Soul.

For The Optimists, Frieman interviewed not only the original three men but also more than 70 other YOD individuals and their care partners, uncovering profoundly personal and inspiring stories of resilience. Each chapter of the book offers a heartfelt glimpse into the real lives of families navigating the challenges of dementia while finding moments of light in the darkness.

The Optimistics debuted as a #1 New Release in three categories—Alzheimer’s, Dementia, and Friendship—and reached the #2 spot in overall Alzheimer’s books. Frieman’s memoir recently won two prestigious honors at the Best Independent Book Awards (BIBA): “Best Non-Fiction Book” and the overall prize of “Book of the Year.” BIBA is an international literary award celebrating excellence in independent publishing, university presses, and private institutions. 25% of Frieman’s profits from The Optimistics sales are donated to The Alzheimer’s Association and The Young Onset Dementia Education and Support (YES!) group.