The editor-in-chief of Italy Magazine, Mary' Gray’s journey into writing has been marked by a focus on art, culture, and immigration. Originally from Mississippi, she made Florence her home 13 years ago, drawn by a study abroad experience that forged a profound connection with the city. Gray honed her knack for identifying newsworthiness in art and culture during her time at The Florentine, a local magazine in Florence. Her engaging slice-of-life stories about renting in Florence evolved into her book Rental Diaries. She sat down with us at a local café, as she shared insights into her fulfilling journey in Florence, shedding light on the diverse facets of her career in writing, editing, and freelancing.
Q. Could you share a bit about your journey into journalism and what inspired you to pursue writing?
A. I just always wrote as a way of processing and exploring other interests. I’m from Mississippi originally, and my dad worked for the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal for 23 years, so I definitely think that influence was there. I almost didn't see him as a journalist but more like this community figure.
Q. What led to settling in Florence?
A. I studied abroad here and it was my first time in a real city, and I loved it. After college, after a long trajectory, I spent some time in Rome and then came to Florence. I saw that The Florentine was hiring. Florence over time became my home.
Q. What do you enjoy writing about?
A. I think it depends a lot on the audience. There are plenty of things in Florence that catch my attention, but that wouldn't necessarily appeal to an international editor. When I was at The Florentine, which is such a hyper-local publication, everything was kind of fair game if there was a Florence angle to it. What always caught my attention was I like doing slice-of-life stories. I got a little bored doing the best events of the month. But what interested me more was what's happening in contemporary Florence and how people are living. I liked exploring also the relationship that people in Florence have with tourism, for example.
Q. How do you balance being editor-in-chief of Italy Magazine while maintaining your freelance writing for publications like the Washington Post, Forbes Travel Guide, and Qantas magazine?
A. I can be too much of a perfectionist. Sometimes done is better than perfect, I think I need this year to concentrate more on continuing to invest in quality but not getting too emotionally attached to every newsletter, etc.
Q. Considering your diverse audience, both within Italy and internationally, what do you hope readers take away from your stories?"
A. Italy Magazine is for travelers who know about Italy, not people who are coming here for the first time. I want Italy Magazine to feel like a place where a first-time visitor can read the content and be educated and inspired but not feel guilty that they don't already know about it. I want it to be accessible but not dumbed down for those who are so deeply familiar with the country. I think that in writing about Italy, there are just so many cliches. We want to go beyond that. I like to say we want people to understand Italy and not just consume it, to get people to not just think about the great place they want to go and think why it's so great.
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