Michelle Slatalla

Josh Quittner

(m. 1988)

Children3

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]

Early life and education

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]

Career

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]

Gardenista

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.

Personal life

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]

Books

Gardenista: The Definitive Guide to Stylish Outdoor Spaces (2016, Artisan Books) ISBN 1-579-65652-8
The Town on Beaver Creek: The Story of a Lost Kentucky Community (2006, Random House) ISBN 0-375-50905-4
Speeding the Net: The Inside Story of Netscape and How It Challenged Microsoft (1998, Atlantic Monthly Press) ISBN 0-871-13709-7
Shoofly Pie to Die by Joshua Quittner and Michelle Slatalla (1992 St Martins Pr) ISBN 0-312-06943-X
Masters of Deception by Joshua Quittner and Michelle Slatalla (1999 Library Binding) ISBN 0-7857-8744-5
Flame War: A Cyberthriller by Joshua Quittner and Michelle Slatalla (1998 Harper Perennial; Reprint edition) ISBN 0-380-72586-X
Mother's Day: A Novel of Suspense by Joshua Quittner and Michelle Slatalla (1993 St Martins Pr; 1st ed edition) ISBN 0-312-08850-7

References

^ Slatalla, Michelle (2018-04-03). "Why Kitchen Islands Are Ruining America's Kitchens". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2018-04-21.
^ "Michelle Slatalla". The New York Times. 2017-09-30. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-04-21.
^ Slatalla, Michelle (2000-09-11). "Brotherly Love". Time. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved 2018-04-21.
^ ^a ^b "Etiquette Questions, Answered". Real Simple. Retrieved 2018-04-21.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Gross, Jessica (2009-07-27). "The Writer's Life: Interview with New York Times Columnist Michelle Slatalla". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2018-04-21.
^ "Michelle Slatalla - Editor-in-chief of Gardenista.com". Gardenista. Retrieved 2018-04-21.
^ "Farewell Michelle: Changes at Gardenista". 15 June 2019.
^ "Mill Valley writer rescues hometown's memories". Retrieved 2018-04-21.
^ ^a ^b "Read About the Editorial Team and History of Gardenista". Gardenista. Retrieved 2018-04-21.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Popular Remodelista has a baby sister, and she's all about flowers". Dallas News. 2012-07-04. Retrieved 2018-04-21.
^ ^a ^b Peckham, Matt. "All 21 Xbox One Launch Day Games in One Place". Time. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved 2018-04-21.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Circuits Columnist: Michelle Slatalla".
^ Slatalla, Michelle (2001-11-29). "ONLINE SHOPPER; Visions of Sugarplums Dance on the Web". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-04-21.
^ Slatalla, Michelle (1998-02-26). "Computing; Parents' Dilemma: A Child's Own PC?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-04-21.
^ Slatalla, Michelle (1998-03-26). "USER'S GUIDE; Interview With the Spammer". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-04-21.
^ Slatalla, Michelle (2007-05-10). "No Nook Unbuttered, No Slice Unturned". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-04-21.
^ Slatalla, Michelle (2007-05-24). "Visits to Doctors Who Are Not in, Ever". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-04-21.
^ Slatalla, Michelle (2008-10-22). "Pondering Whether to Save for a Child's College Fund or for Your Own Retirement". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-04-21.
^ ^a ^b Slatalla, Michelle (2000-04-24). "My Baby Swears". Time. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved 2018-04-21.
^ "michelle-slatalla — Gawker". gawker.com. Retrieved 2018-04-21.
^ Slatalla, Michelle (2000-07-03). "Keep 'Em Moving". Time. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved 2018-04-21.
^ "Nonfiction Book Review: The Town on Beaver Creek: The Story of a Lost Kentucky Community by Michelle Slatalla, Author . Random $24.95 (242p) ISBN 978-0-375-50905-6". PublishersWeekly.com. Retrieved 2018-04-21.
^ "The Gardenista Manifesto". Gardenista. Retrieved 2018-04-22.
^ ^a ^b "Gardenista: The Definitive Guide to Stylish Outdoor Spaces - Gardenista". Gardenista. 2016-10-18. Retrieved 2018-04-22.
^ "Michelle Slatalla - Editor-in-chief of Gardenista.com". Gardenista. Retrieved 2018-04-22.
^ "Ella Quittner Author Archive". Man Repeller. 2018-04-16. Retrieved 2018-04-22.
^ Slatalla, Michelle (2016-10-03). "How I Created My Very First Garden From Scratch". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-04-22.