Mary Ellen Greenfield (December 27, 1930 – May 13, 1999), known as Meg Greenfield, was an American editorial writer who worked for the Washington Post and Newsweek. She was also a Washington, D.C., insider, known for her wit. Greenfield won a Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing.
Meg Greenfield | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Mary Ellen Greenfield December 27, 1930 Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
| Died | May 13, 1999 (aged 68) |
| Alma mater | |
| Occupation | Editorial writer |
| Employers | |
Life and career
editGreenfield was born in Seattle, the daughter of Lorraine (Nathan) and Lewis James Greenfield.[3] Her family was Jewish. She attended The Bush School and graduated summa cum laude from Smith College in 1952. She also studied at Cambridge University as a Fulbright Scholar and was friends there with Norman Podhoretz, who also went on to a career in journalism.
From 1954 until her death in 1999, she was married to James Greenfield.
She became influential in a male-dominated world and a close confidante of Post publisher Katharine Graham. She spent 20 years as the editorial page editor for The Washington Post and 25 years as a columnist for Newsweek. She influenced generations of Washington Post writers.[4]
When diagnosed with cancer, Greenfield partly retired to Bainbridge Island in her native Washington, where she wrote a posthumously published memoir entitled Washington. She died of the disease, at age 68.[5][6]
Greenfield was portrayed by Carrie Coon in 2017 film, The Post.
Awards and honors
edit- Greenfield won the 1978 Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing.[7]
Bibliography
edit- Greenfield, Meg (2001). Washington. Public Affairs. ISBN 978-1586480271.
References
edit- ^ Jill Abramson (April 23, 2001). "Meg Greenfield's Secret Book Offers Insights but No Dish". The New York Times.
- ^ Adam Clymer (April 29, 2001). "Big Potomac High School: Posthumously, Meg Greenfield says what she thinks of Washington". The New York Times.
- ^ Harmon, Daniel P. "Meg Greenfield Biography". University of Washington. Retrieved January 12, 2018.
- ^ McManus, Jeanne (May 25, 2014). "My Mercurial, brutal, brilliant woman boss". The Washington Post. p. A17.
- ^ Smith, J. Y. (May 14, 1999). "Newsweek Columnist Meg Greenfield Dies". The Washington Post. p. A1.
- ^ Barringer, Felicity (May 14, 1999). "Meg Greenfield, Who Shaped Washington Post's Editorial Page, Dies at 68". The New York Times.
- ^ "Meg Greenfield of The Washington Post". Pulitzer Prize. Retrieved January 12, 2018.