Shana Alexander facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Shana Alexander
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Alexander c. 1978
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| Born | Shana Ager October 6, 1925 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | June 23, 2005 (aged 79) Hermosa Beach, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Journalist |
| Alma mater | Vassar College |
| Notable works | Anyone's Daughter (1979), Happy Days: My Mother, My Father, My Sister & Me (1995) |
Shana Alexander (born October 6, 1925 – died June 23, 2005) was an American journalist. She was the first woman staff writer and columnist for Life magazine. Many people knew her from her debates on the TV show 60 Minutes in the late 1970s. She often debated with a conservative journalist named James J. Kilpatrick.
Early Life and Journalism Career
Shana Alexander was born Shana Ager in New York City on October 6, 1925. Her mother, Cecelia Ager, was a columnist. Her father, Milton Ager, was a composer who wrote famous songs like "Happy Days Are Here Again" and "Ain't She Sweet".
Shana graduated from Vassar College in 1945, where she studied anthropology. She started her writing career by chance. She took a summer job as a copy clerk at a New York City newspaper called PM, where her mother worked.
After that, she worked as a freelance writer for magazines like Junior Bazaar and Mademoiselle. In 1951, she became a researcher at Life magazine. During the 1960s, she wrote a popular column for Life called "The Feminine Eye."
In 1962, Shana wrote an important article for Life magazine. It was called "They Decide Who Lives, Who Dies: Medical miracle puts moral burden on small committee." This article started a big discussion across the country. It made people think about how to decide who gets important medical treatments, like kidney dialysis.
60 Minutes and Later Work
In 1969, Shana Alexander became the first female editor at McCall's magazine since 1921. However, she left in 1971. She felt it was not a real leadership role and that the environment was unfair to women.
In 1975, while writing for Newsweek magazine, she joined 60 Minutes. She took part in the "Point-Counterpoint" debates with James J. Kilpatrick for four years. She didn't think this TV role was her most important work. In 1979, she said she cared more about her writing for magazines like Life and Newsweek.
Her debates with Kilpatrick became very famous. They were even made fun of on the TV show Saturday Night Live. Actress Jane Curtin played Shana Alexander on the "Weekend Update" part of the show.
Shana Alexander also wrote many non-fiction books. One of her books, Anyone's Daughter, was about a kidnapped heiress named Patricia Hearst. Another book, Nutcracker, was about a famous court case. This book was later made into a TV miniseries in 1987.
Personal Life
Shana Alexander was married and divorced two times. Her first marriage happened when she was 19 and ended quickly. Her second marriage lasted 12 years.
In February 1987, her only daughter, Katherine Alexander, passed away at age 25.
Death
Shana Alexander died from cancer on June 23, 2005. She was 79 years old. She passed away in an assisted living facility in Hermosa Beach, California. For many years, she had lived in Manhattan and Wainscott, New York. She was survived by her sister, Laurel Bentley, and a niece.
Books
- Talking Woman (1976)
- Anyone's Daughter (1979)
- Happy Days: My Mother, My Father, My Sister & Me (1995), her autobiography
- Very Much a Lady: The Untold Story of Jean Harris and Dr. Herman Tarnower (1983), which won an Edgar Award
- Nutcracker (1985)
- When She Was Bad (1991)
- The Astonishing Elephant (2000)
