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Lauren Collins
James Beard Award winner
- Discipline
- Other
i. Biography
The New Yorker’s long-form profile tradition depends on reported patience, structural control, and sentence-level pressure. Lauren Collins entered that system first as a contributor from 2003 to 2008, then became a staff writer in 2008. The continuity matters: the work developed inside one editorial culture rather than through a series of unrelated posts. Magazine reporting changes when the writer’s base changes. Since moving to Paris in 2015, Collins has written stories mainly from France, using proximity to language, culture, politics, daily habit, and national character as reporting material rather than scenery.
The Path
The contributor track at The New Yorker is a practical apprenticeship in range, restraint, and accumulation. From 2003–2008, Lauren Collins worked in that role, building pieces through observation, scene, social detail, and the weight carried by individual sentences. The staff-writer role at The New Yorker requires sustained voice under institutional standards. Collins became a staff writer in 2008, extending the same editorial affiliation from contributor work into a permanent role. The progression is notable for its continuity: one publication, one set of demands, and a steadily clarified method.
The Work Today
A Paris base gives reporting a particular angle when the beat runs mainly through France. Since 2015, Collins has worked from that position, treating place as a vantage point for close reading of language, public life, food culture, politics, and everyday behavior. The shape of the work is linear rather than episodic: contributor first, staff writer next, Paris-based reporting after that. The through-line is The New Yorker’s literary-journalism frame, with Collins’s later France-centered work extending the same practice through a different geography.
In Their Words “Even a few hours of dodging pots and zesting the occasional lemon was grueling work—I emerged with a lot of respect for people who manage to do it every day.” “Novelty is America’s tradition. In the culinary realm, this manifests as an aggressive metabolism for other nations’ foods.”
Acclaim
Lauren's honors include 100 Notable Books of 2016 for “When in French: Love in a Second Language” (2016).
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Lauren
Where did Lauren Collins work before?
Lauren Collins's earlier career included The New Yorker.
What recognition has Lauren Collins received?
100 Notable Books of 2016 for “When in French: Love in a Second Language” (2016).
