Arlene Alda facts for kids

Arlene Alda (born Arlene Weiss on March 12, 1933) is an American artist. She is a talented musician, a skilled photographer, and a popular writer. She started her career playing the clarinet professionally. Later, she became well-known for her photography and for writing children's books. Arlene Alda is married to the famous actor Alan Alda.

Arlene Alda's Early Life and Talents

Arlene Alda was born Arlene Weiss in the Bronx, New York City. Her parents were Jewish. She went to Evander Childs High School and then to Hunter College. She graduated in January 1954 with a degree in music.

A Musician's Journey

Arlene was a very talented clarinet player. She was part of the National Orchestra, which is a special training orchestra. She also played assistant first clarinet and bass clarinet for the Houston Symphony Orchestra. This was under the direction of a famous conductor named Leopold Stokowski. She also played first clarinet in the Ridgefield Orchestra.

Becoming a Photographer

Even while playing music, Arlene was interested in photography. She studied with different teachers to learn more about it. Eventually, she decided to change her career. She became a professional photographer and writer.

As a photographer, Arlene Alda had many special shows where her pictures were displayed. Her photos have been in famous magazines like The Saturday Evening Post, Vogue, and People Magazine. She even won an award for a series of photos called "Allison's Tonsillectomy."

Arlene Alda's Books

Arlene Alda has written 15 books for children. Many of these books are very popular.

Popular Children's Books

One of her best-selling books is Sheep, Sheep Sheep, Help Me Fall Asleep, published in 1992. Her book Arlene Alda's 1,2,3 (1998) won a special award from the American Library Association. Other well-known books include The Book of ZZZs (2005) and Did You Say Pears? (2006). She also wrote Hurry Granny Annie (1999) and Iris Has a Virus (2008). For many of her children's books, Arlene Alda used her own photographs as illustrations.

Other Writings

Arlene Alda has also written books for adults. She wrote On Set (1981), which has many of her photographs. She also co-wrote The Last Days of Mash (1983) with her husband, Alan Alda.

Her most recent book is Just Kids from the Bronx (2015). This book shares stories from 64 people who grew up in the Bronx. Some of the famous people interviewed include Al Pacino, Colin Powell, and Neil deGrasse Tyson.

Arlene Alda's Family Life

Arlene Alda is married to the actor Alan Alda. They got married on March 15, 1957. They have three daughters: Eve, Elizabeth, and Beatrice. They also have eight grandchildren.

Awards and Special Recognition

In 2015, Arlene Alda was honored by The New Jewish Home. This was part of their "Eight Over Eighty Gala" event.