Hasta La Ideas

As the introduction penned this week by Louisville Courier-Journal’s newest reporter makes clear, Sarah Ivens brings a wealth of experience to the Kentucky beat.

Born and raised in London, where she worked for various magazines and newspapers, she eventually came to New York to launch the U.S. version of OK! magazine. A brief stint in LA followed, and now she’s settled back in the hometown of her husband. From her piece:

If I’d have known how hard it [OK! Magazine] was going to be, I’d never have done it. I had to hire 50 people, plan budgets and circulation, woo publicists and advertisers. Then I had to get a magazine out every week.

For the five years I was editor in chief, I lived in constant fear I would be fired, sued, slandered or bullied and slept with my Blackberry under my pillow. There were amazing times – I went to the Oscars every year, sat front row at New York Fashion Week, had a corner office in the shadow of the Empire State Building – but I was exhausted, stressed and a bit bored. I didn’t care about Kim Kardashian and was finding it harder to fake it.

Ivens also writes about how instrumental the Sweet Valley High book series was in her choice of journalism as a career. Later this month, she will kick off the newspaper’s new “Coffee with The Courier” events series by chairing a Q&A with local writers.
 
[Photo via: @SarahIvens]