ANN LANDERS
Name: Ann Landers
Born: 4 July 1918
Died: 22 June 2002
Esther "Eppie" Pauline Friedman Lederer (July 4, 1918 - June 22, 2002) was much
better known to the public as Ann Landers because of her popular syndicated
advice column, "Ann Landers." 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!" Her stated
opinions often seemed customized to appeal to her predominantly female
readership.
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. Eppie 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". 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.
Eppie sometimes expressed unpopular opinions in her column, e.g. she repeatedly
favored legalization of prostitution and was pro-choice, yet denounced Madalyn O'Hair.
After Eppie's death, the longtime editors of the "Ann Landers" column, Kathy
Mitchell and Marcy Sugar, started writing the "Annie's Mailbox" column.
Eppie had an identical twin sister, Pauline Esther Friedman Phillips ("Popo"),
who was 17 minutes younger than Eppie. The twins were daughters of Russian
Jewish immigrants, and grew up in Sioux City, Iowa. Both sisters were alumnae of
Morningside College, and both wrote for the college's newspaper. They were then
fond of each other, and at their age 21 in 1939, they had a joint wedding
ceremony.
Eppie 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. Eppie 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, Eppie's
mother, Rebecca Friedman, died of cerebral hemorrhage at the age of 56. Julius
had been conscripted for the war then, and Eppie and Margo had been living with
Eppie's parents.
Julius and Eppie divorced in 1975. In her column of July 1, 1975, Eppie 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.
While Eppie 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. Just a few
years before Eppie's death, they were not on speaking terms. They were said to
have reconciled before Eppie's death, but the reconciliation seems questionable
in view of the fact that "Abby" was and is suffering from Alzheimer's disease.
Eppie'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 Eppie and Margo was published after Eppie's
death.
Eppie was in good health almost all her life. She died of multiple myeloma in
2002 at the age of 83. (Her ex-husband, Julius, died on January 21, 1999.)
After Eppie's death, Dan Savage, author of the salacious sex column, Savage Love,
and editor of The Stranger, bought her desk.
In 2002, the Chicago City Council passed a two-page resolution to honor Eppie
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.
Name: Ann Landers
Born: 4 July 1918
Died: 22 June 2002
Esther "Eppie" Pauline Friedman Lederer (July 4, 1918 - June 22, 2002) was much
better known to the public as Ann Landers because of her popular syndicated
advice column, "Ann Landers." 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!" Her stated
opinions often seemed customized to appeal to her predominantly female
readership.
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. Eppie 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". 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.
Eppie sometimes expressed unpopular opinions in her column, e.g. she repeatedly
favored legalization of prostitution and was pro-choice, yet denounced Madalyn O'Hair.
After Eppie's death, the longtime editors of the "Ann Landers" column, Kathy
Mitchell and Marcy Sugar, started writing the "Annie's Mailbox" column.
Eppie had an identical twin sister, Pauline Esther Friedman Phillips ("Popo"),
who was 17 minutes younger than Eppie. The twins were daughters of Russian
Jewish immigrants, and grew up in Sioux City, Iowa. Both sisters were alumnae of
Morningside College, and both wrote for the college's newspaper. They were then
fond of each other, and at their age 21 in 1939, they had a joint wedding
ceremony.
Eppie 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. Eppie 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, Eppie's
mother, Rebecca Friedman, died of cerebral hemorrhage at the age of 56. Julius
had been conscripted for the war then, and Eppie and Margo had been living with
Eppie's parents.
Julius and Eppie divorced in 1975. In her column of July 1, 1975, Eppie 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.
While Eppie 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. Just a few
years before Eppie's death, they were not on speaking terms. They were said to
have reconciled before Eppie's death, but the reconciliation seems questionable
in view of the fact that "Abby" was and is suffering from Alzheimer's disease.
Eppie'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 Eppie and Margo was published after Eppie's
death.
Eppie was in good health almost all her life. She died of multiple myeloma in
2002 at the age of 83. (Her ex-husband, Julius, died on January 21, 1999.)
After Eppie's death, Dan Savage, author of the salacious sex column, Savage Love,
and editor of The Stranger, bought her desk.
In 2002, the Chicago City Council passed a two-page resolution to honor Eppie
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.