Michelle Slatalla | |
---|---|
Born |
Elmhurst, Illinois, U.S. |
Alma mater |
Indiana University Columbia University |
Occupation | Columnist |
Spouse | |
Children | 3 |
Michelle Slatalla is an American journalist and humorist. Currently, she writes a monthly column for the Wall Street Journal about interior design. [1] Previously, she was a columnist for The New York Times, [2] TIME magazine, [3] Real Simple, [4] and a reporter for Newsday. [5] In 2012 she created the outdoor design blog Gardenista, [6] and was the editor in chief of the site for seven years. [7] She has written several books, including Gardenista: The Definitive Guide to Stylish Outdoor Spaces and The Town on Beaver Creek: The Story of a Lost Kentucky Community. [8]
Slatalla launched Gardenista in 2012 as an offshoot of the remodeling blog Remodelista, [9] ten years after meeting Remodelista founding editor Julie Carlson through a mutual friend. [10] TIME magazine named Gardenista to its list of the year's "25 Best Blogs" in 2012. [11]
Slatalla was born in Elmhurst, Illinois, [12] a suburb of Chicago. [13] She has three younger brothers.
She graduated from Indiana University in 1984 with a Bachelor's degree in Journalism and English, [12] and later attended Columbia University, from which she graduated in 1985 with an Master's degree in Literature. [12]
After graduating from Columbia University in 1985, Slatalla was hired as a reporter for Newsday. [5]
Throughout the following decade, she co-wrote several works of fiction primarily focused on the internet with her husband Josh Quittner, including Mother's Day: A Novel of Suspense, Flame War: A Cyberthriller, Masters of Deception (about the eponymous New York-based hackers the Masters of Deception), Shoofly Pie to Die, and Speeding the Net: The Inside Story of Netscape and How It Challenged Microsoft.
In 1998, she was hired as a humor columnist by The New York Times to cover the internet. [14] Her work largely explored the intersection of technology and her home life through a comedic lens. [5] Slatalla's column was initially called "User's Guide," [15] and was then retitled "Online Shopper" from October 1999 through May 2007. [16] It was then briefly renamed "Cyberfamilias" [17] until October 2008, when it was retitled, "Wife/Mother/Worker/Spy." [18] Slatalla's column had a large fan base [5] [10] [19] as well as select critics, including gossip blog Gawker, which criticized Slatalla's humorous approach to detailing personal family interactions. [20]
Slatalla has also contributed as a columnist to TIME magazine [19] [21] and Real Simple. [4]
In 2006, she wrote The Town on Beaver Creek: The Story of a Lost Kentucky Community, a humorous narrative about Martin, a century-old eastern Kentucky town that was bulldozed in 2004 for a federal flood-relief project, where her ancestors previously lived. [22]
Slatalla launched Gardenista with Julie Carlson in 2012 as an offshoot of the remodeling blog Remodelista, [9] ten years after meeting Carlson (Remodelista founder and Editor in Chief) through a mutual friend. [10] Gardenista's stated mission is to serve as the definitive guide to stylish outdoor spaces. TIME magazine named Gardenista to its list of the year's 25 Best Blogs in 2012. [11] Today, Gardenista has over 5,000 posts, including a section on garden design, DIY guides, garden visits, and reviews of and suggestions for gardening products. [23]
Slatalla wrote Gardenista: The Definitive Guide to Stylish Outdoor Spaces, which was published in October 2016. [24] The book features Slatalla's own home garden in Mill Valley, California, along with twelve other gardens, including that of Manhattan-based designer and antiques dealer John Derian.
Slatalla lives in Mill Valley, [25] with her husband Joshua Quittner. They have three children, including Ella Quittner who is also a journalist. [26] Slatalla's Mill Valley home garden is featured in Gardenista: The Definitive Guide to Stylish Outdoor Spaces, including in the first chapter. [24] Slatalla's home garden was photographed for The New York Times. [27]