Myra MacPherson

Myra Lea MacPherson
Born	1935 (age 89–90) estimated
Residence	Palm Desert, California Washington, D. C.
Education	BA, journalism, 1956
Alma mater	Belleville High School, 1952 Michigan State University College of Communication Arts
Occupation	Journalist, writer
Employer	Argus (summer) Michigan State Daily (college) Detroit Free Press (1950s) New York Times Washington Evening Star (1960s) Washington Post (1968–1991)
Organization	National Abortion Rights Action League
Agent	c/o Author Mail, Indiana University Press, 601 North Morton St., Bloomington, IN 47404
Home town	Ann Arbor, Michigan
Board member of	Hospice Foundation of America
Spouse(s)	Morrie Siegel (1964–1985 div) Jack David Gordon (~1987–2005 his death)
Children	son, Michael Siegel daughter, Leah Siegel (deceased) step-children
Parent(s)	Douglas MacPherson
Awards	Detroit Free Press Front Page award New York Times publisher's award 1976 MSU Communications alumni award 1984 Pulitzer prize nomination for Long Time 1986–1987 Fulbright grant 2006 Boston Globe's Best Nonfiction for All Governments Lie 2006 Rocky Mountain News Best Book for All Governments Lie mid-2006 to mid-2007, Booklist, American Library Association: All Governments Lie One of top 10 books 2007 Ann M. Sperber Biography Award 2007 finalist, USA Pen Literary Award for All Governments Lie
Website	www.myramacpherson.com
Notes

Myra MacPherson (born circa 1935) is an American author, biographer, and journalist known for her books and articles about politics, the Vietnam War, feminism, and death and dying. Although her work has appeared in a number of publications, she had a long affiliation with The Washington Post newspaper. She was hired in 1968 by Post executive editor Ben Bradlee to write for the paper's Style section, and remained with the Post for over two decades until 1991. While there, she profiled the Watergate criminals and wrote a series on Vietnam veterans that led to her 1984 book Long Time Passing: Vietnam and the Haunted Generation. It was the first trade book to examine post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and, according to Vietnam expert Arnold R. Isaacs, one of the first to "break the long national silence" about the war.

Her 2006 biography of I.F. Stone, All Governments Lie! The Life and Times of Rebel Journalist I. F. Stone, won the 2007 Ann M. Sperber Award for media biography, and was a finalist for a 2008 PEN Center USA literary award.

Biography

Employment discrimination against women affected her early career. Restaurateur Toots Shor once told her, "We're not interested in what you think, you're only here because of Morris". And he said as far as I'm concerned – and [MacPherson has] never forgotten the phrase – "All broads are a piece of raisin cake". She reports that when she covered the Indy 500 in 1960, she was allowed in neither the press box nor gasoline alley.

Bibliography

Selected periodicals

• review of Shrub by Molly Ivins and Louis Dubose

Books

• on Victoria Woodhull and Tennessee Celeste Claflin

Further reading

• Booklist, December 15, 1998, Danise Hoover, review of She Came to Live out Loud: An Inspiring Family Journey through Illness, Loss, and Grief, p. 708.
• Library Journal, January 1999, Bette-Lee Fox, review of She Came to Live out Loud, p. 131.
• Los Angeles Times Book Review, June 10, 1984, Elizabeth Janeway, review of Long Time Passing: Vietnam and the Haunted Generation, pp. 1, 7.
• Nation, June 23, 1984, p. 763.
• National Review, December 19, 1975, Anne Crutcher, review of The Power Lovers: An Intimate Look at Politics and Marriage, pp. 1489–1490.
• New York Times, June 24, 1984, Donald Knox, review of Long Time Passing, p. 9.
• New York Times Book Review, November 30, 1975, Jane O'Reilly, review of The Power Lovers, pp. 8, 17
• New York Times Book Review, May 9, 1999, Sara Ivry, review of She Came to Live out Loud, p. 27.
• Publishers Weekly, January 4, 1999, review of She Came to Live out Loud, p. 81.
• Washingtonian, May 1999, p. 50.
• Washington Post Book World, August 31, 1975, review of The Power Lovers, p. 1
• Washington Post Book World, June 3, 1984, Jack Beatty, review of Long Time Passing, pp. 1, 14.
• review of All Governments Lie
• review of All Governments Lie (subscription required)

External links

• Appearances on C-SPAN

• Biography in Context.