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Leslie Gray Streeter

Leslie Gray

Leslie Gray Streeter is a columnist excited about telling Baltimore stories — about us and the things that we care about, that touch us, that tickle us and that make us tick, from parenting to pop culture to the perfect crab cake. She is especially psyched about discussions, no matter how big or small, that we don't usually have. Open mind and a sense of humor required. When she was a sophomore at Baltimore City College High School in the 80s, she met her first newspaper columnist, and thought ""Wait? They'll pay you to write about your opinions? Sign me up!"" And since then, that's all she has wanted to do, and mostly all she has done. She went from City to the University of Maryland and then up and down the east coast until she found herself here as the lifestyle columnist for the Baltimore Banner. It's a perfect circle and honestly she's directing the emotional movie montage in her head right now. There's a lot of Janet Jackson in it. At the Banner, she wants to build on the expertise she has gained as a staffer at The Miami Times (weekly), York Dispatch and the Palm Beach Post, with freelance gigs including writing about for The Washington Post, opining about grief for O, The Oprah Magazine, to weekly recaps of ""The Bachelorette"" for the Seattle Times. That's a lot of ground to cover, but as a Features writer and columnist for almost 30 years she has learned that we, as humans, cover a lot of ground, too, so what we read should, too. We are what we care about, eat, watch, listen to and gab over Twitter about, and it means even more when it's about where we live. And that's what her column is going to be. She is the author of one book, the memoir ""Black Widow"" (Little Brown), and an international speaker about grief, culture, parenting and a lot of other stuff. She is also a widowed single mom of one son named Brooks Robinson, because as she said, they're really really really from Baltimore, which they returned to in July 2020. She is a very slow run-walker, a fan of true crime documentaries and podcasts, and a bad guitarist who sings loud over the chords she can't reach.

Latest content by Leslie Gray Streeter

It seems like the end of the world. Put down the phone, take a deep breath and focus on things you can control.
How to cope with the end of the world
It’s the (possible) end of the world as we know it, and we don’t feel fine. But we can control how we think, talk and breathe our way through it.
The debate between vice presidential candidates Sen. JD Vance, left, and Gov. Tim Walz, seemed more civil, at least on the surface.
The winner of the vice presidential debate? It’s complicated
Who came out on top in the debate between vice presidential candidates Sen. JD Vance and Gov. Tim Walz was based on your expectations.
Baltimore Banner columnist Leslie Gray Streeter with her cat, Cass Streeter-Zervitz.
How a 22-pound, 8-year-old cat became our newest family member
We adopted a fluffy, mysterious senior kitty named Cass from BARCS. Maybe you should adopt one, too?
Janet Jackson is an icon. That doesn’t mean we have to support everything she says — especially when it’s wrong.
I’m a lifelong Janet Jackson fan and it’s OK to admit I think she messed up
Janet Jackson’s recent misstatements about Vice President Kamala Harris’ racial identity remind me that defending celebrities at all costs is a risky proposition.
Reed Diamond played Det. Mike Kellerman on Homicide: Life on the Street
‘Homicide’ actor talks ‘the greatest character I have had the opportunity’ to play
Reed Diamond, who played Detective Mike Kellerman, talks about his love of the show ‘Homicide,’ now streaming on Peacock, and of Baltimore itself.
Rockville’s Joan Vassos is the star of “The Golden Bachelorette.”
Six takeaways from the ‘Golden Bachelorette’ premiere and its Maryland star
Rockville’s Joan Vassos shines as ABC’s first “Golden Bachelorette.” Here are my thoughts from the premiere.
Vice President Kamala Harris' $800 Tiffany earrings caught the attention of some debate viewers.
Kamala Harris wore $800 Tiffany earrings for the debate. And?
Kamala Harris got some flack for wearing $800 earrings during the recent debate. Local women think people need to mind their own business.
Crowds in Portland, Maine, watch a live broadcast of the debate between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024.
Kamala Harris channeled Clair Huxtable to counter Donald Trump’s debate falsehoods
There were moments during Trump’s ranting that Harris’ face in the split-screen shot said it all — “Go ahead and keep talking, kid.”
Maryland native Karen Potts, 19, competes in the “American Ninja Warrior” finals.
Why a Maryland woman’s turn on ‘American Ninja Warrior’ is bigger than TV
Maryland native Karen Potts focuses on the fun and not the falling on “American Ninja Warrior,” inadvertently proving why Title IX is so important for women in sports.
Scott Baio during his speech on the first day of the Republican National Convention on July 18, 2016, in Cleveland, Ohio.
Election rhetoric is all fun and games until a former heartthrob targets you online
A local native and author got a reminder several years ago of the perils of social media politics when a celebrity insulted her to his followers. Expect more of that this election cycle.
"Office Space," the 1999 movie starring Ron Livingston, is the ultimate workplace comedy.
Labor Day: 10 workplace movies to watch and celebrate that you don’t work there
From "The Devil Wears Prada" to "Monsters Inc," here are ten workplace comedies to delight you and make you happy you're not working there.
As students head back to school for the first week, it’s a relief for parents, as it the break they need from their kids.
The kids are back in school. Thank goodness.
The end of summer means kids are back in school and the end of being with your kids 24/7. Ring those school bells!
Blake Lively’s choice of florals and themed cocktails on a press tour for “It Ends With Us,” a movie about domestic violence, generated criticism. Here, she attends the London premiere on Aug. 8.
Blake Lively’s movie is about a serious issue. Her press tour mostly isn’t.
Blake Lively’s press tour for her latest movie, “It Ends With Us,” seemed more about florals, friends and self-promotion than domestic violence.
Moses Ingram as Cleo Johnson in the season finale of "Lady in the Lake."
‘Lady in the Lake’ season finale recap: Life and/or death
Follow along as we recap the season finale of the Apple TV+ series “Lady in the Lake,” based on the book by Laura Lippman and starring Natalie Portman and Baltimore native Moses Ingram.
Vice President Kamala Harris, at Prince George’s County Community College on Thursday, hasn’t sat for press interviews. Our columnist Leslie Gray Streeter says she gets it.
Candidate Kamala Harris hasn’t sat for interviews. I don’t blame her.
Vice President Kamala Harris has avoided sit-down interviews since entering the presidential race. Even though I'm a journalist, I get it.

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