Julia Reed is an author and writer. She is a contributing editor for Newsweek, where she writes the monthly “Food and Drink” column, and has written for Vogue, The New York Times Book Review, The New York Times, The Spectator and Southern Accents. She is the author of Queen of the Turtle Derby and Other Southern Phenomena, Ham Biscuits, Hostess Gowns and Other Southern Specialties and The House on First Street.