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Local Voices Go Live

Thursday, April 5, 2012


Charleston Grit's homepage features recent posts by a curated list of local bloggers on topics like family, relationships, events around town, fashion, and pop culture.


April 5, 2012

Local Voices Go Live
A new, “gritty” blog site that we call
Charleston magazine's hip, edgy niece launches this week

Have you had your Grit today? If not, you could be missing out on Charleston’s most colorful online commentary.

Charlestongrit.com, a compilation blog site—featuring an array of notable voices like sex and marriage self-help author Carolyn Evans; former Post and Courier humor columnist Bryce Donovan; and food writer and reviewer Holly Herrick— launched this week, brimming with everything from beauty and fashion tips to musings on noteworthy events. The best part? It’s all local.

“There are tons of national blog sites out there—political, entertainment, pop-culture, you name it—but we really haven’t seen a site like Grit,” says editorial director Ellen McGauley. “It’s a fresh, exciting concept to have a blog that focuses entirely around a city like Charleston and the voices in it.”

The idea was simple: scour the Lowcountry for a diverse group of bloggers—well-known writers and up-and-comers alike—and invite them to post on a common blog. Audiences are shared, and each blogger’s profile links back to his or her own site.

The result is a fast-growing collection of local ideas and opinions, observations and images, ranging from interior designer Cortney Bishop’s plum wallpaper picks (“Paper Envy…”) to newcomer Evans Craddock’s experiences with cohabitation (“Living in Sin: The Dark Side”) and Donovan’s irreverent takes on the final episodes of ABC’s The Bachelor (with titles like “And Then There Were Three(somes)” and “Episode 11: The Final STD”).

The site, which is owned by the publishers of Charleston magazine, is updated daily. “It’s already become an everyday read for me,” says Chassity Evans, the style-minded gal and Grit contributor whose Look Linger Love blog site scored a “Best Of” listing in the City Paper’s 2012 awards. “And that’s saying a lot because I have plenty of sites I check everyday. Charleston Grit is like a melting pot of design and fashion trends, beauty tips and sex theories, straight from local experts.”

Plus, “Video Grit” features hot-topic YouTube videos, like local American Idol finalist Elise Testone’s rendition of Foreigner’s I Want to Know What Love Is and a King Street tasering incident caught on camera. Readers can get in on the action, too, by submitting their own locally relevant videos and pictures to Grit editors.

“We’re always looking for new, well-informed bloggers to bring on, particularly those who follow hot-button Charleston topics, nightlife, music, and events,” says McGauley. “We’re adding new bloggers every day.”

The criteria? “What everyone at Charleston Grit shares in common—along with colorful, well-researched content—is a love of the city,” says Herrick. “We have many different voices and perspectives, but the idea of Grit is really that simple.”

If you'd like to apply to become a Charleston Grit blogger, click here.

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