Helena Andrews-Dyer

About Helena Andrews-Dyer

In over two decades in publishing Helena Andrews-Dyer has told hundreds, probably thousands of stories. At the Washington Post she\'s written about Cynthia Erivo’s “second coming” in “Wicked,” Method Man’s commitment to keeping his shoes unlaced, actress Angela Bassett\'s “thing,” Oscar winner Da\'Vine Joy Randolph\'s impostor syndrome, Jada Pinkett Smith’s hurricane of a book tour and so much more. As a journalist her specialty is the unprofile – the real and relatable story hiding behind the glitz. Her third book, “The Mamas: Parenting in the Age of Everything,” will be released by Crown on August 23, 2022. Helena’s second book, “Reclaiming Her Time: The Power of Maxine Waters” co-written with R. Eric Thomas, was published in 2020. Her first book, the memoir-in-essays “Bitch is the New Black,” was published in 2010. “Grey’s Anatomy” creator Shonda Rhimes optioned “Bitch is the New Black” as a feature film for Fox Searchlight Pictures. In 2020, Helena was awarded two National Association of Black Journalists’ Salute to Excellence Awards for her longform feature “This Isn’t Another Horror Story About Black Motherhood.” Before joining The Post Helena was a contributing editor at xoJane, a digital women’s magazine founded by Jane Pratt. Helena’s work has appeared in Oprah Magazine, Marie Claire, Glamour, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Washington Post Magazine, Essence, and OUT among other national publications. Helena has appeared on ABC’s “Nightline,” CBS\'s “Early Show,” CNN, MSNBC, XM Radio, NPR and NY1. She lives in Washington with a husband whose laugh can be heard for miles and two equally carefree daughters.

Experience

1. Pop Culture Reporter

   The Washington Post

   Mar 2020 — Present · Washington, DC, US

Education

• Northwestern University

  Master's, Journalism

  2004 — 2005

• Columbia University

  Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), English Language and Literature/Letters

  1998 — 2002