Ann Landers

Esther "Eppie" Pauline Friedman Lederer (July 4, 1918 – June 22, 2002) and Ruth Crowley were the main writers behind the public image of advice columnist Ann Landers and the syndicated advice column, of the same name. For about 45 years, the column was a regular feature in many newspapers across North America. People would write her letters to seek her advice concerning their personal problems, and she would publish her advice in her columns. Her writing style was direct, and often critical. She would often upbraid a letter-writer with the quip, "Watch it, bub!"

Early life

Lederer had an identical twin sister, Pauline Esther Friedman Phillips ("Popo"), who was 17 minutes younger than Eppie. The twins were daughters of Russian Jewish emigrants, and grew up in Sioux City, Iowa. Both sisters were alumni of Morningside College, and both wrote for the college's newspaper. They were then fond of each other, and at the age 21 in 1939, they had a joint wedding ceremony.

Lederer was married to Julius Lederer, a business executive. For many years, the Lederers' home was in Chicago, where they owned a large, well-furnished apartment. Lederer often said that she exercised regularly by walking the length of her apartment several times a day.

In March 1940, she gave birth to her first and only child, Margo. In 1944, Lederer's mother, Rebecca Friedman, died of cerebral hemorrhage at the age of 56. Julius had been conscripted for the war then, and Lederer and Margo had been living with Lederer's parents.

The "Ann Landers" column

The original "Ann Landers" was Ruth Crowley, a Chicago nurse who wrote the syndicated column for 26 newspapers from 1942 until her death (at age 48) on July 20, 1955. Lederer won a contest to become the new writer of the column, debuting on October 16, 1955. The column opened with a letter from a "Non-Eligible Bachelor", who despaired of getting married. Her advice was "You're a big boy now... don't let spite ruin your life." [ "Ann Landers", "The Post-Register" (Idaho Falls), October 16, 1955, pB-2] Lederer went on to advise thousands of other readers over the next several decades. Eventually, she became owner of the copyright. She chose not to have a different writer continue the column after her death, so the "Ann Landers" column ceased after publication of the few weeks' worth of material which she had written before her death. [ [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,924667-1,00.html Advice for the Lonely Hearts "Time", January 19, 1981. Accessed online May 24, 2007.] ]

Lederer sometimes expressed unpopular opinions in her column. She repeatedly favored legalization of prostitution and was pro-choice, yet denounced Madalyn O'Hair. [ [http://www.sexwork.com/subcontents/annlanders.html Ann Landers in favor of legalizing Prostitution Sex Worker Support Cyber Center. Accessed online January 10, 2008] ] In 1973, she wrote in support of the legalization of homosexual acts, saying that she had been "pleading for compassion and understanding and equal rights for homosexuals" for 18 years. Nevertheless, she described homosexuality as "unnatural," a "sickness," and a "dysfunction." [The Washington Post, Times Herald (1959-1973). Washington, D.C.: Jan 9, 1973. p. B11. Available on ProQuest.] [ The Washington Post, Times Herald (1959-1973). Washington, D.C.: Mar 2, 1973. p. B8. "I am with the psychiatrists who believe homosexuals are sick and that sex between two men or two women is unnatural."] [The Washington Post, Times Herald (1959-1973). Washington, D.C.: Apr 24, 1973. p. B6. "I have rethought my position and I believe my original conclusion is correct. Homosexuality is unnatural. Individuals who prefers members of their own gender as sex partners are sick."] Julius and Eppie divorced in 1975. In her column of July 1, 1975, Lederer wrote, "The sad, incredible fact is, that after 36 years of marriage, Julius and I are being divorced." She received 30,000 sympathetic letters in response. [ [http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1183965,00.html Ted Kennedy: The Dogged Achiever] , Time, April 14, 2006. Accessed online May 6, 2007.]

After the divorce, she moved to a new apartment at 209 East Lake Shore Drive, where she lived until 2002. [ [http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=209eastlakeshoredrive-chicago-il-usa] ] This was a 14-room, high-floor apartment.

While Lederer wrote the "Ann Landers" column, her twin sister wrote a similar personal advice column, "Dear Abby," under the name, Abigail Van Buren.

As competing columnists, the two sisters had a discordant relationship. They publicly reconciled in 1964, but acrimony between them persisted. [ [http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/Landers.html Ann Landers (1918-2002) by Robin Judd] , Jewish Virtual Library. Accessed online June 21, 2007.] Just a few years before Eppie's death, they were not on speaking terms. They were said to have reconciled before Lederer's death.

Lederer's daughter, Margo, was formerly married to actor Ken Howard. After their divorce, professionally she retained her last name, Howard. She has three children. In the 1990s, she wrote a personal advice column, "Dear Prudence." Currently, she writes the advice column, "Dear Margo." A collection of correspondence between Lederer and Margo was published after Eppie's death.

Death and legacy

Lederer was in good health almost all her life. She died of multiple myeloma in 2002 at the age of 83. Her ex-husband, Julius, had died on January 21, 1999.

After her death, the longtime editors of the "Ann Landers" column, Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar, started writing the "Annie's Mailbox" column. Her desk was purchased by Dan Savage, author of the sex column, "Savage Love", and former editor of "The Stranger".

In 2002, the Chicago City Council passed a two-page resolution to honor Lederer for epitomizing Chicago "with her strong opinion, her sage advice, her impeccable manners, and quick wit", and announced that a street sign, "Ann 'Eppie' Landers Way", would be installed at the corner of North Michigan Avenue and East Illinois Street, in front of the Chicago Tribune Tower, the headquarters of her home paper since 1987.

In 2006, playwright David Rambo wrote a play about the life and work of Lederer/Landers, called [http://www.pasadenaplayhouse.org/lady_with_all_the_answers.htm "The Lady With All the Answers."] The production was revived in 2008 at the Pasadena Playhouse in California, starring Mimi Kennedy.

Controversies

Pope John Paul II insult

In 1995, Eppie commented thus in "The New Yorker" about Pope John Paul II: "He has a sweet sense of humor. Of course, he's a Polack. They're very anti-women." Polish-Americans responded with outrage. She issued a formal apology, but refused to comment further. The "Milwaukee Journal Sentinel" canceled her column after that incident. In that same article, she had complained that President John F. Kennedy's father, Joe Kennedy Sr., was anti-Semitic.

Recycled columns

During 1982, Barbara Sandken, a part-time reporter for the "Pontiac (Illinois) Daily Leader", had been assigned the job of compiling "25 years ago in the Leader" columns, and recognized an "Ann Landers" letter in an old paper to be a rewrite of one she had read more recently. The Associated Press (AP) published Sandken's story nationwide on May 3, 1982. Lederer then apologized in her column and pledged to stop the practice.

Halloween candy panic

A 1995 "Ann Landers" column said, "In recent years, there have been reports of people with twisted minds putting razor blades and poison in taffy apples and Halloween candy. It is no longer safe to let your child eat treats that come from strangers." The vague warning was criticized for causing needless fear, as there have been no documented cases of children receiving poisoned candy during door-to-door Halloween trick-or-treating. [ [http://www.snopes.com/horrors/poison/halloween.asp Halloween Poisonings Snopes.com, October 27, 2005. Accessed online January 10, 2008.] ]

Mistaken legal advice

In her March 28, 1965 column, regarding ownership of wedding gifts, Lederer wrote that "the wedding gifts belong to the bride." She went on to state that the bride should "consult a lawyer about the cheques. In some states this could be considered community property." The advice was mistaken because only gifts given after the marriage would be considered community property in some states (or else because wedding gifts--if so designated--can be considered back-dated gifts to the bride). The column has provided teaching material for law professors and law students. [Reppy & DeFuniak, Community Property in the United States, pages 137-138 (Bobbs-Merrill 1975).]

See also

* Dear Abby
* Pauline Phillips
* Poisoned candy scare
* Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation

Further reading

* Aronson, Virginia. "Ann Landers and Abigail Van Buren". Women of achievement. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers, 2000. ISBN 0791052974. (children's book).
* Howard, Margo. "Eppie: The Story of Ann Landers". New York: Putnam, 1982. ISBN 0399126880.
* Landers, Ann, and Margo Howard. "A Life in Letters: Ann Landers' Letters to Her Only Child". New York, NY: Warner Books, 2003. ISBN 0446532711.
* Pottker, Janice, and Bob Speziale. "Dear Ann, Dear Abby: The Unauthorized Biography of Ann Landers and Abigail Van Buren". New York: Dodd, Mead, 1987. ISBN 0396089062.

References

External links

*http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/Landers.html