About Stephanie Hayes

Stephanie Hayes

Stephanie Hayes

Stephanie Hayes is a columnist with the Tampa Bay Times. She has been at the Times since 2003, when she became an editorial assistant and just kind of hung around until her bosses gave her more jobs. Before taking on her current role writing humor, she was an editor, leading arts and lifestyle coverage. In that capacity, she oversaw a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and James Beard Award, as well as winners of the National Headliner Awards, Society for Features Journalism and more. Prior to editing, she was a reporter covering local governments, higher education, nightlife, feature obituaries, fashion and performing arts. She won first place for criticism in the Green Eyeshade Awards and a first place National Headliner Award for lifestyle blogging. She’s the author of the novel "Obitchuary," inspired by her time on the death beat. She is a graduate of the University of South Florida and lives in Dunedin, Florida, with her husband, stepdaughter, giant cat and tiny dog. Read her column here.

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Controversial Opinions While We Still Have Free Speech Jan 31, 2026

The words "constitutional crisis" get thrown around plenty, but, well. It's just that the outlook appears shaky for the Bill of Rights. The first 10 amendments to the Constitution are on the way to becoming the Bill of Vibes, or the Bill of Suggestio... Read More

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What A Year This Month Has Been Jan 24, 2026

What do you mean it's still January? From Minneapolis to Venezuela to Greenland, a year's worth of current events have unfolded in a matter of weeks. Here are a few things that feel as long as the first few weeks of January have felt: The first worko... Read More

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Deploying to the War on Protein Jan 17, 2026

Mother, why do you gaze out the window so forlornly? Because your father has gone to fight in the war, and I don't know when he might return. Which war, Mother? The war in Ukraine? The war in the Middle East? No, child. Is it the immigr... Read More

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Instead of Resolutions, Try the Reset Method Jan 03, 2026

Allow me, a moderately cluttered person whose Christmas tree may still be up by next Festivus, to espouse the benefits of a reset. A reset is not a deep clean, not an all-day parade of squeegees. It simply means taking an hour-ish for basic tidying, ... Read More