Maggie Menderski
✍️ Courier Journal Features Columnist
👑 A 2024 Most Admired Woman
📚Co-author 𝟣𝟧𝟢 𝘠𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘒𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘺 𝘋𝘦𝘳𝘣𝘺
😸 Quincy & Moxie’s Meow-ma
🐯 #MizzouMade
🏠 St. Louis born
📍 Germantown, Louisville
Writing portfolio: menderski.wordpress.com
- Many thanks to Heather and Henry for sharing their "real-life Hallmark Movie" with us this holiday season. Families come in all shapes and sizes, and their story is a good reminder that we all have the capacity to love more. www.courier-journal.com/story/news/l...
- Imagine, meeting a man on a blind date in 1986, marrying him, finding out 20+ years later you need a kidney .... and he's a rare, perfect match. Thank you to Don and Debbie for sharing their story of gratitude. Happy Thanksgiving. www.courier-journal.com/story/life/w...
- I counted the other day, and I think our Thanksgiving has welcomed more than 60 different people over the course of seven years. It's impossible to think of this holiday without all those people. This year I got to write about it. www.courier-journal.com/story/life/h...
- I am always proud to be a part of The Courier Journal newsroom, but genuinely, I'm in awe of the work my team has done since the horrific plane crash Tuesday night. I played a small part in the coverage yesterday. www.courier-journal.com/story/news/2...
- OH. And if you suspect you've got a ghost for a roommate, here are some tips and tricks from one of my favorite paranormal investigators for cohabitating with a spirit. www.courier-journal.com/story/life/h...
- Happy Halloween! Each October I spend some time exploring the lore around some of Louisville and Kentucky's most iconic, haunted places. This morning I've curated a list of some of my favorites for you. Let's start with... The Belle of Louisville. www.courier-journal.com/story/life/2...
- The Speed Art Museum is said to be haunted by the ghost of Hattie Speed. www.courier-journal.com/story/life/2...
- "The Gray Lady" has haunted Liberty Hall in Frankfort for 200 years. www.courier-journal.com/story/life/2...
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View full threadAnd while sometimes school can certainly be scary for students, these 11 Kentucky schools are actually said to be haunted. www.courier-journal.com/story/life/h...
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- Thank you LEO Weekly readers for naming me among the top five local writers in Louisville. I am thrilled and humbled to be No. 2 on this list 🤩 community.leoweekly.com/best-of/2025...
- I write stories about haunted places every year and people always ask me if I "believe in ghosts." To which I usually answer, "I would never tell a ghost I don't believe in it."
- Happy Sp0o0oky Season 🎃 What happens when you mix a haunted distillery, a haunted bar and a few paranormal investigators? You get a really fun, unique new bourbon experience. Thanks Buzzard's Roost, Hereafter and resident ghost Gandano for a fun night. www.courier-journal.com/story/life/f...
- He lost his family to the Rwandan genocide in 1994. Now he's helping thousands of African immigrants and refugees adapt to Louisville. My latest for the Courier Journal... www.courier-journal.com/story/news/l...
- It's 700 miles from Louisville to New Orleans, but the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina lives on here in a very unsuspected way. Louisville opened its heart to a 5x Grammy Award winning artist's family. Master P has spent 20 years repaying that kindness. www.courier-journal.com/story/news/l...
- She's 100. He's 98. They've been married 80 years. This story is even sweeter than you expect it to be. I promise. www.courier-journal.com/story/life/2...
- This is one of those stories, I will never forget. Many thanks to Anna Catherine's family for painting such a beautiful and accurate picture of her with their memories. I wish I could have met her. She sounds like such a force of creativity, spunk and love. www.courier-journal.com/story/life/e...
- Bob Hall has been going to the Kentucky State Fair since World War II, but it was only in 2024 that he decided to enter the culinary contest. He won a blue ribbon for his shortbread. This year, he's back trying for another one. www.courier-journal.com/story/life/e...
- This was a fun one to write. Check out these five show-stopping, memorable desserts in Louisville. (Spoiler alert: I can actually eat the one at Buck's. It's gluten free!) www.courier-journal.com/story/entert...
- Your feel good read for today. How a Louisville boy made medical history and learned just how colorful the world can sound. My latest for The Courier Journal: www.courier-journal.com/story/life/w...
- The tide is shifting on Buffalo Trace's coveted aged spirits — Eagle Rare, Blanton's, E.H. Taylor and Weller Special Reserve. After being so hard to find for the last decade, suddenly, there is much more product on the gift shop's shelves. www.courier-journal.com/story/life/f...
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- The deeper we get into this heatwave the more grateful I am for my sous vide. Nope, we are not grilling. We are not turning on the stove. We are not turning on the oven. Hell, I'm barely turning on the lights at this point.
- This week marks the 10th anniversary of marriage equality and the Obergefell v. Hodges U.S. Supreme Court ruling. Six of the couples involved in the lawsuit were from Kentucky. I had the privilege of catching up with three of them. www.courier-journal.com/story/news/l...
- What an egg-cellent story from @washingtonpost.com. This egg-based crime tale was a great read to crack into. www.washingtonpost.com/investigatio...
- THAT'S👏MY👏EDITOR👏👏👏 Congratulations Kathryn! www.courier-journal.com/story/life/2...
- As a reporter, I often get a unique look into intimate, powerful moments. I am so grateful to Bruce's wife for giving me a glimpse into his Alzheimer's. Bruce is in 6e of 7 stages of dementia, and he can't take care of himself – but he can ice skate. www.courier-journal.com/story/news/l...
- The day after the an EF-4 tornado hit London, Kentucky, Gov. Andy Beshear worried “there might be a block, a whole block out there where everybody is dead.” I went to that block on Thursday. My latest for The Courier Journal ... www.courier-journal.com/story/weathe...
- I am thrilled, honored and humbled to be listed alongside some of the best storytellers in the country. Thank you @wearesfj.bsky.social!
- FEATURE BEAT WRITING PORTFOLIO, DIV 1 A trio of standout stories from one writer, diving deep into a single feature beat. 🥇 1st Place: @amiejust.com 🥈 2nd Place: @maggiemenderski.bsky.social
- I was today-years-old when I learned that parts of stories by journalists are often used for the "how to use xxx in a sentence" part of Merriam-Webster.com. At some point I also had a sentences for "bootleg" (Oh, Kentucky!) and "distinguish," but they were later replace by other sentences.
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- Here's your fun fact for the day: The Courier Journal in Louisville started the national spelling bee. This time-honored tradition turns 100 this year. www.courier-journal.com/story/life/2...
- Kentucky Oaks has a long history of celebrating breast and ovarian cancer survivors. This year I spent some time with the O'Hern sisters, who will walk together in the Survivors Parade. Collectively, they've beaten breast cancer three times in 17 years. www.courier-journal.com/story/entert...
- Reposted by Maggie MenderskiBarry Blitt’s cover for this week’s issue, “The First Hundred Days.” #NewYorkerCovers nyer.cm/ysrCZ47
- I went out to find the man, who pushes the button that starts the Kentucky Derby — The Greatest Two Minutes in Sports. And I learned very quickly, his job is about so much more than pushing a button. Meet Scott Jordan the head starter at Churchill Downs. www.courier-journal.com/story/sports...
- In 1925 The Courier Journal + WHAS brought the Kentucky Derby to the world. The 51st Kentucky Derby was the first time the race was ever broadcasted over the radio. The recording is lost to time, but the CJ printed a word-for-word transcription. www.courier-journal.com/story/entert...
- A good friend and former colleague just described me as "a welcome wagon with a memory of steel" because I remembered one of her husband's food aversions (that she'd forgotten), as we were preparing a meal train for her family. I've gotta squeeze that lovely compliment somewhere on my resume 🤣
- Highly trained and in need of homes, this Kentucky organization facilitates adoptions for champion race horses and lovable also-rans. Meet Second Stride. www.courier-journal.com/story/entert...
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- Sure, let's add monstruous snake-fish hybrids to all the chaos of 2025. Why the hell not?
- I just invested in a sous vide! We're going to start experimenting with it this weekend. Got a favorite recipe? I'd love to have it.
- 100 years ago today "The Great Gatsby" hit the shelves for the very first time. Hidden in the pages are glimpse's of F. Scott Fitzgerald's love affair with the city of Louisville. The iconic author was stationed at Camp Taylor in 1918. www.courier-journal.com/story/entert...
- My mother also gifted me one of those trendy silicone warming trays that rolls up. I found that on my cousin-in-law-to-be's registry. Those were definitely not a popular thing when we got married in 2022.
- I celebrated my birthday last week and was given a very generous gift card. One of my favorite ways to figure out what luxury I don't know I'm missing is to puruse wedding registries. I am now the proud owner of sous vide and a heating pad that wraps around your shoulders to relieve tension.
- Looking to read something that doesn't make your head and heart hurt? Step back in time with me to Louisville's own little Kentucky Derbytime Woodstock. Meet the "The Derby Hostel." It was a U of L tradition from the 1970s to the early 1990s. www.courier-journal.com/story/entert...
- Hello BlueSky algorithm! I'm interested in seeing more posts about storytelling, journalism and cooking. As much as I've been enjoying all the c@t$ content, I need a little more mental nourishment. Thank you!
- This April marks the 100th anniversary of The Great Gatsby's debut. F. Scott Fitzgerald was stationed at Louisville's Camp Taylor in 1918, and the mere weeks he spent here are immortalized in small ways in the iconic novel's pages. My latest ... www.courier-journal.com/story/entert...
- In the weeks leading up to the 5-year anniversary of Breonna Taylor's death, it was a privilege to spend time w/ some of the people who loved her. This is the first in a series of stories The Courier Journal will be publishing over the next few months. www.courier-journal.com/story/news/2...
- Saturday while leading a St. Pat’s Parade Day toast, I learned Gov. Beshear named me a Kentucky Colonel, which is “the highest title of honor bestowed by the Governor of Kentucky.” I’ve been calling Louisville my adopted home for awhile now, but wow I feel lucky ☘️ to be embraced by the state.
- I spend all year looking for a love story for our Valentine's Day edition. This man's wife (and middle school sweetheart!) coded twice after the birth of their third child. And after nearly 30 years together, he couldn't imagine his life without her. www.courier-journal.com/story/life/w...
- This Louisville institution started in 1949 inside the old Otto Drugs in Louisville's south end. Clater Jewelers began with a World War II veteran, who had a knack for tinkering with tiny parts, and eventually, he expanded his skillset to selling jewelry. www.courier-journal.com/story/life/s...
- When I found 17 days worth of headlines about this Kentucky man trapped in a cave, I genuinely could not stop reading. Floyd's horrific death became one of the biggest news stories between WWI and WWII. And it all happened 85 miles south of Louisville. www.courier-journal.com/story/news/h...
