When I was five, my family lived in Wisconsin for a year. Honestly, I don’t remember much about those 12 months. It was cold. It snowed. A lot. But I can still recall the squeak of my first cheese curd, sampled at the Dane County Farmers’ Market in Madison. I’m pretty sure I ate the whole bag that afternoon, and to this day I have boundary issues when it comes to blocks of aged cheddar and crackers, especially at night.
Now this curd enthusiast is all grown up (and has called Somerville, a suburb just north of Boston and Cambridge, home for the last ten years). Since graduating from Boston University’s School of Communications—with internships at Rolling Stone and the Improper Bostonian under my belt—I’ve been a news reporter for the Patriot Ledger, an online editor and multimedia reporter for The Boston Globe, and most recently, a senior lifestyle editor at Boston magazine, where I covered fashion and retail, but also wrote about travel, the New England restaurant scene, running, you name it. I’ve worn many hats in the last decade, but finding and sharing stories has always been my passion—whether I’m introducing readers to or informing them about a new oyster company, a local high-end handbag maker, or a small-town fire chief.
The author enjoying a local brew at Somerville’s annual Fluff Festival.
And there are so many stories to share behind the cheese we eat and love. It’s a thrilling time for food journalism, and culture magazine is at the intersection of several trends and issues: gourmet living, entertaining and the DIY ethos, the maker movement, policy, and food-related travel. As the new editor-in-chief at culture, I’m excited to help fuel the increasing interest around cheese and to meet the farmers, artisans, mongers, chefs, and enthusiasts involved in its production, sale, and consumption. I’m also excited to meet goats—lots and lots of goats.
I love good food—either home-cooked or shared with friends at Boston’s great eateries—and craft beer, and I can’t wait to develop my cheese palate (in other words: eat a lot of wedges and wheels). My latest curd-level revelation has been really aged gouda, with its addictive, crunchy crystals. So, join me on this tasty, educational journey. If you have questions or comments, or ideas for the content you’d like to see in the magazine or on our website, you can always drop me a line at editor@culturecheesemag.com.
Photo Credit: Featured image of editor proofing courtesy of Shutterstock
Courtney Hollands
Former editor Courtney Hollands came to culture with more than a decade of experience writing and editing for magazines, newspapers, and the web. She started her career as a small-town reporter and has covered everything from fashion and travel, to music and beer for Boston magazine, The Boston Globe, The Guardian, even Rolling Stone.
