Kim Severson

{{Infobox person

| name = Kim Marie Severson

| image= Kim Severson.jpg

| caption = Kim Severson speaks at the 2011 Alaska Press Club conference.

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1961|9|12|mf=y}}

| birth_place = Eau Claire, Wisconsin

| occupation = Journalist

| credits = The New York Times

}}

Kim Marie Severson (born September 12, 1961) is a reporter for The New York Times. She won a Pulitzer Prize for public service in 2018 as part of The New York Times coverage of sexual harassment and abuse and is a four-time James Beard award–winner for food writing. Severson has published multiple cookbooks and a cooking themed memoir.

Severson wrote for the Anchorage Daily News 1991–1998 as a features writer.{{Cite web |last=Dunham |first=Mike |date=April 2, 2011 |title=Former Anchorage critic examines life through food |url=https://www.adn.com/arts/article/former-anchorage-critic-examines-life-through-food/2011/04/03/ |access-date=August 16, 2022 |website=Anchorage Daily News |language=en}} She wrote for the San Francisco Chronicle{{'}}s food section from 1999{{Cite web |last1=Severson |first1=Kim |last2=Staggs |first2=Bill |date=October 13, 1999 |title=Wonton-Lovers: Get Thee to the Richmond |url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/restaurants/article/Wonton-Lovers-Get-Thee-to-the-Richmond-2901868.php |access-date=August 16, 2022 |website=San Francisco Chronicle |language=en-US}} to 2004.{{Cite web |date=January 7, 2005 |title=Alameda County DINING |url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/restaurants/article/Alameda-County-DINING-2740866.php |access-date=August 16, 2022 |website=San Francisco Chronicle |language=en-US}} She joined the New York Times in 2004. Severson covered sexual harassment in the restaurant industry for the New York Times;{{Cite news |last1=Moskin |first1=Julia |last2=Severson |first2=Kim |date=December 12, 2017 |title=Ken Friedman, Power Restaurateur, Is Accused of Sexual Harassment |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/12/dining/ken-friedman-sexual-harassment.html |access-date=August 16, 2022 |issn=0362-4331}} the paper received the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service for coverage on sexual harassment.

Biography

Severson worked for the Anchorage Daily News from 1991 to 1998 as a features writer. Severson wrote for the San Francisco Chronicle{{'}}s food section around 1999–2005.{{Cite web |last=Severson |first=Kim |date=January 14, 2004 |title=DIET & DEMOGRAPHICS / EATING AT 50 / At midlife, it's not looks or loot that counts, It's diet. |url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/health/article/DIET-DEMOGRAPHICS-EATING-AT-50-At-midlife-2812730.php |access-date=August 16, 2022 |website=San Francisco Chronicle |language=en-US}} She joined The New York Times in 2004.{{cite news |title=Times Topics - Kim Severson |url=http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/people/s/kim_severson/index.html |newspaper=The New York Times}} In 2010, she became the Atlanta bureau chief for the Times.{{Cite web |last=Alvarez |first=Alex |date=July 28, 2010 |title=New York Times Food Writer Kim Severson To Take Over Atlanta Bureau |url=https://www.adweek.com/performance-marketing/new-york-times-food-writer-kim-severson-to-take-over-atlanta-bureau/ |access-date=August 16, 2022 |website=AdWeek |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=July 19, 2010 |title=Kim Severson to Take Over The New York Times Atlanta Bureau |url=https://observer.com/2010/07/kim-severson-to-take-over-emthe-new-york-timesem-atlanta-bureau/ |access-date=August 16, 2022 |website=Observer |language=en-US}} In 2014, she joined the Times{{'}}s new digital cooking initiative and began reporting on national food news and trends.{{Citation needed|date=August 2022}}

At present, Severson's New York Times author profile says that Severson reports on national food news and culture, and contributes to NYT Cooking.

Severson's most recent book, Cook Fight, was co-authored with Julia Moskin, a New York Times food writer, and was published by Ecco Press, an imprint of HarperCollins, in 2012. Her memoir, Spoon Fed: How Eight Cooks Saved My Life, was published by Riverhead Press on April 15, 2010.{{cite web |title=Spoon Fed |url=http://us.penguingroup.com/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9781594487576,00.html |publisher=Penguin Group}} A new edition of her first cookbook, The New Alaska Cookbook, came out in June 2009. Her first book, The Trans Fat Solution: Cooking and Shopping to Eliminate the Deadliest Fat from Your Diet, was published by Ten Speed Press in 2003.

Severson served as vice-president of the National Gay and Lesbian Journalists Association. She has written about the economic and cultural impact of being a lesbian without the benefits of legal marriage.{{cite web |date=July 3, 2005 |title=I'm Not Willing to Settle for Crumbs |url=http://www.newsweek.com/id/50424 |work=Newsweek}}{{cite news |last1=Severson |first1=Kim |date=May 18, 2008 |title=Thinking About California. Maybe Gonna Get Married. |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/18/weekinreview/18severson.html}}

Awards

Severson's James Beard awards are for:

2000 Winner in Newspaper Feature Writing About Restaurants and/or Chefs. "The Rise and Fall of a Star: How the King of California Cuisine Lost an Empire"{{Cite web |title=Awards Search {{!}} James Beard Foundation |url=https://www.jamesbeard.org/awards/search?year=&keyword=kim+severson |access-date=August 16, 2022 |website=www.jamesbeard.org |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Severson |first=Kim |date=September 29, 1999 |title=THE RISE & FALL OF A STAR / How the king of California Cuisine lost an empire |url=https://www.sfgate.com/restaurants/article/THE-RISE-FALL-OF-A-STAR-How-the-king-of-2906407.php |access-date=August 16, 2022 |website=SFGATE |language=en-US}}
2003 Winner in Newspaper Series: "The Most American of Meals Draws Rookies: The Bay Area's Worst Cooks Vie for a Chance to Learn with a Pro", "The Challenge Begins: Our Winner Learns to Plan, Shop, and Prep", "Countdown to Thanksgiving: Our Training Camp Recruit Tackles the Turkey"{{Cite web |date=May 4, 2003 |title=Food awards go to Chronicle writers |url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/news/article/Food-awards-go-to-Chronicle-writers-2618738.php |access-date=August 16, 2022 |website=San Francisco Chronicle |language=en-US}}
2003 Winner: Newspaper Feature Writing Without Recipes. San Francisco Chronicle. "High Stakes: Bay Area at the Forefront of the Big-Bucks Battle Between Backers of Grass-Fed Beef and Traditional Cattlemen"
2004 Winner: Newspaper Feature Writing Without Recipes. San Francisco Chronicle. "A Lot of Cooks in the MRE Kitchen"{{cite web |title=Newspaper Feature Writing without Recipes - 2004 James Beard Awards |url=http://www.jamesbeard.org/awards/search/Kim+Severson? |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304053610/http://www.jamesbeard.org/awards/search/Kim+Severson |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |access-date=January 28, 2015}}
2018 Nominee in Investigative Reporting, New York Times: "Ken Friedman, Power Restaurateur, is Accused of Sexual Harassment"

Severson won a Pulitzer Prize for public service in 2018 as part of The New York Times coverage of sexual harassment and abuse in the spheres of Hollywood, politics, the media and restaurants.{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/16/business/media/pulitzer-prizes.html |title=New York Times and New Yorker Share Pulitzer for Public Service |last=Grynbaum |first=Michael M. |date=April 16, 2018 |work=The New York Times |access-date=April 18, 2018 |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}} She has won four James Beard awards for food writing.{{cite web |title=Newspaper Feature Writing About Restaurants and/or Chefs - 2000 James Beard Awards |url=http://www.jamesbeard.org/awards/search/Kim+Severson? |access-date=January 28, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304053610/http://www.jamesbeard.org/awards/search/Kim+Severson |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |url-status=dead}}{{cite web |title=Newspaper Feature Writing without Recipes - 2003 James Beard Awards |url=http://www.jamesbeard.org/awards/search/Kim+Severson? |access-date=January 28, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304053610/http://www.jamesbeard.org/awards/search/Kim+Severson |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |url-status=dead}}{{cite web |title=Newspaper Series - 2003 James Beard Awards |url=http://www.jamesbeard.org/awards/search/Kim+Severson? |access-date=January 28, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304053610/http://www.jamesbeard.org/awards/search/Kim+Severson |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |url-status=dead}} She also won the Casey Medal for Meritorious Journalism for her San Francisco Chronicle work, along with fellow reporter Meredith May, on childhood obesity in 2002.{{cite web |title=2002 Casey Medals for Distinguished Coverage of Children and Family Issues |url=https://www.questia.com/googleScholar.qst;jsessionid=L3FXGfC0VZpbGX9P1gRGhQ97vJvT7BJDxGQK6SDm9V1y9Pln5R4p!-499334569!-348092591?docId=5000678404}}{{cite news |title=Obesity Series Honored - Chronicle Food staff also wins 5 awards |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2002/10/06/MN58228.DTL |newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle |date=September 5, 2010}}

Personal

As of 2016, Severson lives in Atlanta, Georgia, and has one child.{{Cite web |last=Malone |first=Tess |date=July 1, 2016 |title=NYT food journalist Kim Severson recalls tracking down Sarah Palin in Alaska |url=https://www.atlantamagazine.com/dining-news/nyt-food-journalist-kim-severson-recalls-tracking-sarah-palin-alaska/ |access-date=August 16, 2022 |website=Atlanta Magazine |language=en-US}}

Severson affirmed her partnership with Katia Emilia Hetter in 2006. The two divorced in 2012. {{Cite news |date=April 23, 2006 |title=Katia Hetter and Kim Severson |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/23/fashion/weddings/katia-hetter-and-kim-severson.html |access-date=August 16, 2022 |issn=0362-4331}}

Bibliography

(2003) The Trans Fat Solution: Cooking and Shopping to Eliminate the Deadliest Fat from Your Diet
(2009) The New Alaska Cookbook
(2010) Spoon Fed: How Eight Cooks Saved My Life
(2012) CookFight, with Julia Moskin (ISBN 978-0061988387)

References

External links

[http://www.kimseverson.com Official website]
[http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/people/s/kim_severson/index.html Biography: Kim Severson, The New York Times]
[http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/people/s/kim_severson/index.html Recent and archived articles in The New York Times]
[http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/ Diners Journal: New York Times blog]

Category:1961 births

Category:Living people

Category:American food writers

Category:Editors of Alaska newspapers

Category:American LGBTQ writers

Category:The New York Times journalists

Category:American LGBTQ journalists

Category:San Francisco Chronicle people

Category:Cookbook writers

Category:American women food writers

Category:James Beard Foundation Award winners

Category:American women newspaper editors