Mary Ann Lindley was a newspaper columnist for nearly 40 years, primarily for the Tallahassee Democrat. Her commentaries on Florida politics, community issues, and most frequently, trends and curiosities throughout American culture received state and national awards.
Ms. Lindley started working in a small weekly newsroom in her native Northwest Missouri at the age of 16. She was immediately captivated by journalism and went on to graduate from the University of Missouri School of Journalism.
During her career, she managed the capital bureau of the New York Times’ Florida news group, writing about state government and the courts in the 1970s. She was a state-news editor at The Miami Herald and, beginning in 1979, a full-time columnist, and later editorial page editor, of the Tallahassee Democrat.
She left journalism in 2011 to run for and win a seat on the Leon County Commission, which she held from 2012 until 2020, stepping down to return to her writing career. She’s a community volunteer in Tallahassee, where she lives with her husband, Charlie.
Word of South is excited to welcome Mary Ann Lindley as part of our 2026 lineup! She’ll be appearing in conversation with Mary Jane Ryals.