Last week, Maura Kelly struck a sour note Marie Claire readers when her story “Should ‘Fatties’ Get a Room? (Even on TV)” posted online. On November 22, she’ll be the guest instructor for Mediabistro’s “Personal Essay Workshop.” Awkward!!

Actually, in defending the piece, EIC Joanna Coles noted on the Fashionista blog that Kelly draws from personal experience in her writing: “Maura Kelly is a very provocative blogger. She was an anorexic herself and this is a subject she feels very strongly about.”

And both in the post and in her apology, Kelly notes her own body issues, making her qualified to deal with the items posted in the workshop description: How do you mine your life for timely, relevant stories that editors are looking for? How can you turn a deeply personal experience into an essay that resonates on a broader level?

Click here for more info about the workshop.

Stars of the show "Mike & Molly"

Marie Claire, which was recently embroiled in controversy over a story about health and food bloggers, has jumped into a vat of hot water over a story called “Should ‘Fatties’ Get a Room? (Even on TV?)” Somehow, an editor looked at this story and thought the headline needed quotes around the word “Fatties,” but saw nothing else wrong with it.

The story focuses on the program Mike & Molly, which is about a couple who meet through Overeaters Anonymous.

“So anyway, yes, I think I’d be grossed out if I had to watch two characters with rolls and rolls of fat kissing each other … because I’d be grossed out if I had to watch them doing anything,” the story reads.

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