Maura Judkis

Maura Louise Judkis is an American journalist and writer.[1] She has also received recognition as a humorist, essayist, food taster, and video presenter. Since 2011, she has written for the Washington Post and is currently a general assignment reporter for the paper's style section.[2]

Maura Judkis
Born1984 or 1985 (age 38–39)
Occupation(s)journalist, essayist, writer
Notable credit(s)“Doritos is Developing Lady-Friendly Chips Because You Should Never Hear a Woman Crunch”,"Pumpkin Spice Life"

Early life and education

Judkis grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Her father, Jim Judkis, is a freelance photographer and her mother is an art professor.[1][3] In 2007, she graduated from George Washington University with a degree in journalism and a minor in art history.[2] While in college, she wrote for the University's paper The Hatchet, reviewing museums and concerts and providing cultural commentary.[4]

Career

After college, Judkis worked for U.S. News & World Report and the since closed publication, TBD.com.[2] Other bylines also included pieces for the Washington City Paper and the Huffington Post.[5] She sought to cover a range of topics and fields as a way to diversity her skills and earning new assignments.[6]  While an art, theater and culture reporter for TBD.com she completed an arts journalism fellow with the National Endowment for the Arts and the University of Southern California.[7]

Judkis joined the staff of the Washington Post in 2011 as a style section producer.[2] Her goal was to cover art and culture in the city. Her initial focus with on visual arts, which she has linked to her parents' work as artists.[6]

Judkis next worked as a reporter in the Weekend section, and joined the food section in 2014.[2] Her coverage included articles about harassment in the food industry, for which she received and dismissed criticism that food writers should only write about food.[8][9] She has reviewed food documentaries, chronicled the life of figures in the DC food scene, and the arc of food institutions.[10][11][8]

In 2018, Judkis launched a series, Is it Good?, in which she tastes various new foods and tests food products. The feature was released on YouTube, Snapchat, and Amazon.[2]

In 2019, it was announced that Judkis was moving within the paper, leaving the food section to become a general assignment reporter for the style section.[2]

Recognition

Judkis won the James Beard Foundation award in 2017 for humor. She was nominated for her article that described the history, nuances, and cultural significance of pumpkin spice, for which she collected and sampled more than 40 products featuring the distinctive fall flavor. She was again nominated in 2019, for an earlier essay, “Doritos is Developing Lady-Friendly Chips Because You Should Never Hear a Woman Crunch”, about Doritos' efforts to make their product more appealing to women. [12][13]

Personal life

In 2013, Judkis married Scott Gilmore, a lawyer. [1] They have two adopted dogs - Milky, a white Coton de Tulear mix, and Milou. The dogs have received consultations from a specialist for their problematic behavior, an experience Judkis compared to therapy.[14][15] During the COVID-19 pandemic Judkis allowed her hair to go grey, a decision made by other women, and a change she embraced. [16]

References
  1. "Maura Judkis and Scott Gilmore". New York Times. New York. October 20, 2013. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
  2. WashPostPR (July 1, 2019). "Maura Judkis becomes a Style general-assignment reporter". Washington Post. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
  3. Judkis, Maura (January 7, 2013). "Mister Rogers viral image: The story of the boy". Washington Post. Washington, DC. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
  4. "Maura Judkis". gwhatchet.com. GW Hatchet. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
  5. Judkis, Maura (February 15, 2008). "25 Questions for a Jewish Mother". Washington CIty Paper. Washington DC. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
  6. "#22 – How the Washington Post's Maura Judkis covers art, inaugural balls and D.C. weekends". ItsAllJournalism. January 25, 2013. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
  7. "21 Top Journalists Chosen for Fellowships to USC Annenberg's NEA Theater Institute". arts.gov. National Endowment for the Arts. May 4, 2011. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
  8. SIDMAN, JESSICA (July 11, 2018). "People Keep Telling Me to Stay Out of Politics and "Stick to Food." I Hate to Break This to You…". Washingtonian. Washington DC. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
  9. WashPostPR (May 2, 2018). "Maura Judkis wins James Beard Foundation Media Award". Washington Post. Washington DC. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
  10. "MOVIE REVIEWS ONLY". rottentomatoes.com. Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
  11. Judkis, Maura (July 12, 2019). "Dean & DeLuca's future is bleak. But when it opened it was a game-changer". Washington Post. Washington DC. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
  12. JBF Editors (March 27, 2019). "THE 2019 JAMES BEARD AWARD NOMINEES". JBF. Retrieved December 23, 2019. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  13. SPIEGEL, ANNA (March 27, 2019). "Here Are the DC-Area Finalists for the 2019 James Beard Awards". Washingtonian. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
  14. Judkis, Maura (March 20, 2013). "Dog trainer took questions about your pet's problem behavior". Washington Post. Washington, DC. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
  15. Judkis, Maura (March 20, 2013). "When dogs need therapy". Washington Post. Washington, DC. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
  16. Judkis, Maura (April 12, 2021). "Some young women embraced their gray hair during the pandemic. They might not go back". The Washington Post. Washington Dc. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
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