Melissa Lafsky
Encyclopedia
Melissa Lafsky is an American writer who is known as the author of the Opinionistas blog
, which formerly focused on the dehumanizing aspects of law firm
s.
in Washington D.C., and then Dartmouth College
in 2000. She then received her J.D. from The University of Virginia School of Law. She began writing Opinionistas anonymously while working as a junior associate at a law firm in New York City
. After her blog was discovered by Gawker in April 2005, it became very popular and was profiled in The New York Times
. She then resigned her law firm position in December 2005 to pursue a career in writing, and revealed her identity to the New York Observer
in January 2006.
, The New York Post, Salon
, Wired
, The New York Observer, Gawker and The Christian Science Monitor
. She spent a year as a contributor and then associate editor at The Huffington Post
, where she wrote reported pieces, editorials and media commentary. In May 2007, she was hired as editor of the Freakonomics
blog, which features content by the authors of the internationally best-selling book. Freakonomics.com then became part of The New York Times
Online, and is now featured in the Opinion Section. In March 2008 she left The Times to become the Web editor at Discover magazine
, where she wrote features and the science and politics blog Reality Base. She left Discover in November 2009 to become editor in chief of Infrastructurist.com and has become a regular commentator on Fox Business. She is also the editorial director for the fashion/technology site TheHighLow.com, and she consults on other sites. As of September 2009, she still writes Opinionistas, which has been syndicated on Yahoo and other sites.
In August 2009, following the death of Ted Kennedy
, she wrote a controversial article about the Chappaquiddick incident, in which she speculated that the victim of that incident, Mary Jo Kopechne
, might have felt that the injustice of Kennedy's not facing jail time was "worth it" because it spurred Kennedy's later accomplishments. The comment was attacked by the conservative media. Rush Limbaugh
said on his show that it meant that "liberal young women like to die for the cause of advancing Kennedys’ careers" and Rick Moran in The American Thinker
called the comment a "kind of incredible, tone deaf, idiocy." Lafsky responded by criticizing the right wing media for using out-of-context soundbites to stir up controversy.
Lafsky also writes the "Horror Chick" column for The Awl
about horror movies.
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
, which formerly focused on the dehumanizing aspects of law firm
Law firm
A law firm is a business entity formed by one or more lawyers to engage in the practice of law. The primary service rendered by a law firm is to advise clients about their legal rights and responsibilities, and to represent clients in civil or criminal cases, business transactions, and other...
s.
Education and legal career
Lafsky graduated from National Cathedral SchoolNational Cathedral School
National Cathedral School is an independent Episcopal private day school for girls located on the grounds of the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C...
in Washington D.C., and then Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
in 2000. She then received her J.D. from The University of Virginia School of Law. She began writing Opinionistas anonymously while working as a junior associate at a law firm in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. After her blog was discovered by Gawker in April 2005, it became very popular and was profiled in The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
. She then resigned her law firm position in December 2005 to pursue a career in writing, and revealed her identity to the New York Observer
New York Observer
The New York Observer is a weekly newspaper first published in New York City on September 22, 1987, by Arthur L. Carter, a very successful former investment banker with publishing interests. The Observer focuses on the city's culture, real estate, the media, politics and the entertainment and...
in January 2006.
Writing career
Lafsky has written for publications including The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, The New York Post, Salon
Salon.com
Salon.com, part of Salon Media Group , often just called Salon, is an online liberal magazine, with content updated each weekday. Salon was founded by David Talbot and launched on November 20, 1995. It was the internet's first online-only commercial publication. The magazine focuses on U.S...
, Wired
Wired (magazine)
Wired is a full-color monthly American magazine and on-line periodical, published since January 1993, that reports on how new and developing technology affects culture, the economy, and politics...
, The New York Observer, Gawker and The Christian Science Monitor
The Christian Science Monitor
The Christian Science Monitor is an international newspaper published daily online, Monday to Friday, and weekly in print. It was started in 1908 by Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of the Church of Christ, Scientist. As of 2009, the print circulation was 67,703.The CSM is a newspaper that covers...
. She spent a year as a contributor and then associate editor at The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post is an American news website and content-aggregating blog founded by Arianna Huffington, Kenneth Lerer, and Jonah Peretti, featuring liberal minded columnists and various news sources. The site offers coverage of politics, theology, media, business, entertainment, living, style,...
, where she wrote reported pieces, editorials and media commentary. In May 2007, she was hired as editor of the Freakonomics
Freakonomics
Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything is a 2005 non-fiction book by University of Chicago economist Steven Levitt and New York Times journalist Stephen J. Dubner. The book has been described as melding pop culture with economics, but has also been described as...
blog, which features content by the authors of the internationally best-selling book. Freakonomics.com then became part of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
Online, and is now featured in the Opinion Section. In March 2008 she left The Times to become the Web editor at Discover magazine
Discover (magazine)
Discover is an American science magazine that publishes articles about science for a general audience. The monthly magazine was launched in October 1980 by Time Inc. It was sold to Family Media, the owners of Health, in 1987. Walt Disney Company bought the magazine when Family Media went out of...
, where she wrote features and the science and politics blog Reality Base. She left Discover in November 2009 to become editor in chief of Infrastructurist.com and has become a regular commentator on Fox Business. She is also the editorial director for the fashion/technology site TheHighLow.com, and she consults on other sites. As of September 2009, she still writes Opinionistas, which has been syndicated on Yahoo and other sites.
In August 2009, following the death of Ted Kennedy
Ted Kennedy
Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy was a United States Senator from Massachusetts and a member of the Democratic Party. Serving almost 47 years, he was the second most senior member of the Senate when he died and is the fourth-longest-serving senator in United States history...
, she wrote a controversial article about the Chappaquiddick incident, in which she speculated that the victim of that incident, Mary Jo Kopechne
Mary Jo Kopechne
Mary Jo Kopechne was an American teacher, secretary, and political campaign specialist who died in a car accident in Chappaquiddick Island, Massachusetts on July 18, 1969, while a passenger in a car being driven by U.S. Senator Edward M...
, might have felt that the injustice of Kennedy's not facing jail time was "worth it" because it spurred Kennedy's later accomplishments. The comment was attacked by the conservative media. Rush Limbaugh
Rush Limbaugh
Rush Hudson Limbaugh III is an American radio talk show host, conservative political commentator, and an opinion leader in American conservatism. He hosts The Rush Limbaugh Show which is aired throughout the U.S. on Premiere Radio Networks and is the highest-rated talk-radio program in the United...
said on his show that it meant that "liberal young women like to die for the cause of advancing Kennedys’ careers" and Rick Moran in The American Thinker
The American Thinker
American Thinker is a daily conservative online magazine dealing with American politics, foreign policy, national security, Israel, economics, diplomacy, culture, and military strategy. American Thinker has been mentioned in other media including Le Monde, The Guardian, Inter Press Service, Campus...
called the comment a "kind of incredible, tone deaf, idiocy." Lafsky responded by criticizing the right wing media for using out-of-context soundbites to stir up controversy.
Lafsky also writes the "Horror Chick" column for The Awl
The Awl
The Awl is a website about current events and culture. The site was founded in 2008 by David Cho and former Gawker editors Choire Sicha and Alex Balk.The site employs an editorial staff of writers....
about horror movies.