美国名人专栏作家安·兰德斯.docx

美国名人专栏作家安兰德斯AnnLanders,1918-2002:SheHelpedMillionsofPeopleDealWithTheirProblemsplaystopmutemaxvolume00:00-15:41repeatByCatyWeaver2008-11-8VOICEONE:mMaryTillotson.VOICETWO:AndI'mSteveEmberwiththeVOASpecialEnglishprogramPEOPLEINAMERICA.Today,wetellaboutadvicewriterAnnLanders.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:AnnLandersManynewspapersintheUnitedStateshavewriterswhogiveadvice.Someareexpertsaboutissueslikegardening,food,healthormoney.Peoplewillwritetotheexpertaboutaproblemandheorshewilltrytosolveit.Therealsoareadvicewriterswhodealwiththemorepersonalissuesinlife.Theyanswerquestionsaboutallkindsofthingslove,children,mentalhealthproblems,morals.ThiswasthekindofadvicecolumnthatEstherLedererwrote.ShewroteitunderthenameofAnnLanders.VOICETWO:MizLedererdidnotstudytobecomeanewspaperwriter.Infact,shedidnotfinishheruniversitystudiesatMorningsideCollege,inSiouxCity,Iowa.ShewasborninSiouxCityonJulyfourth,nineteeneighteen.HerparentsnamedherEstherPaulineFriedman.Esther'syoungersisterwasbornafewminuteslater.Shewasgiventhesametwofirstnamesinoppositeorder-PaulineEsther.Thetwins,EppieandPopoastheywerecalled,hadtwooldersisters.Theirfather,AbrahamFriedman,hadcometotheUnitedStatesfromRussia.Hesoldchickenswhenhefirstarrived.Soon,hebecameasuccessfulbusinessmanwhoownedmovietheatersinseveralstates.EppiesaidsheowedalottoherparentsandherchildhoodintheMiddleWest.Shesaysbothprovidedherwithmoralsandvaluesthathelpedheralotinlife.VOICEONE:EppieFriedmanwasincollegewhenshemetJulesLederer.Sheleftschooltomarryhiminnineteenthirty-nine.MisterLedererwasabusinessman.HehelpedestablishacarservicecalledBudgetRent-A-Car.Itbecameverysuccessful.MisterandMissusLedererhadtheirfirstandonlychild,Margo,innineteenforty.ForyearsEppieLedererwashappytostayhomeandraiseherchildwhileherhusband'sbusinessgrew.TheylivedinWisconsinatfirst.MissusLedererbecamepoliticallyactiveintheDemocraticPartythere.Innineteenfifty-five,theLederersmovedtoChicago,Illinois.Thatsameyear;theChicagoSun-Timesnewspaperheldacompetitionamongitsemployees.ThepaperwantedtofindareplacementforitsadvicecolumnistwhowroteunderthenameAnnLanders.EppieLedererheardaboutthecompetitionfromafriendatthepaperanddecidedtoenter.Shewasoneofthirtypeoplewhosoughtthejob.Thecompetitionwassimple.Competitorsweregivenseverallettersfrompeoplerequestinghelpondifferentissues.Thepersonwhowrotetheanswersthenewspaperofficialslikedbestwouldwinthejob.VOICETWO:MissusLedererusedthehelpofpowerfulfriendstodecidethebestadvice.Forexample,oneletterwriteraskedaboutatreethatdroppednutsonherproperty.Thetreegrewonlandownedbysomeoneelse.Theletterwriterwantedtoknowwhatshecoulddowiththenuts.EppieLedererdecidedthatthiswasreallyalegalquestionsoshesoughthelpfromafriendwhoknewaboutthelaw.ThatfriendjusthappenedtobeajudgeontheUnitedStatesSupremeCourt!AnotherletterwasaboutaRomanCatholicChurchissue.SoEppieLederertalkedtothepresidentofafamousCatholicuniversity,NotreDame.TheChicagoSunTimesreportedlycalledMissusLedererafewdaysafterthecompetitionended.Whensheansweredthetelephoneanewspaperofficialsaid"GoodMorning,AnnLanders."(MUSIC)VOICEONE:ThenewAnnLandersdiscoveredthejobwasnoteasy.Shereportedlywasdeeplyaffectedbymanyofthesadlettersshereceivedfromtroubledpeople.MissusLedererlatersaidthatoneSun-Timeseditorhelpedherhardenherselftothosestories.Hesaidshemustseparateherselffromherreadersandtheirproblems.Shesaidshewouldnothavebeensuccessfulinherworkifitwerenotforthatadvice.AnnLanders'popularitygrewquickly.Sheimmediatelyestablishedherselfasdifferentfromadvicewritersofthepast.Shebecameknownforhereasywritingstyleandheroftenfunnyanswers.Sherelatedtoherreadersasiftheywereoldfriends.Sheseemedtosayexactlywhatshethought,evenwhendoingsomighthurtthefeelingsofthoseseekinghelp.MostpeopleconsideredAnnLanders'advicetobegood,commonsense.Forexample,earlyinherworkayoungpersonwrotetoaskAnnLanders'opinionofsexualactivityamongteenagers.Sheexplainedherobjectiontosuchactivitybysaying,"alemonsqueezedtoomanytimesisconsideredgarbage."VOICETWO:AsAnnLandersgainedfamesodidmanyofherwords.Peoplebegantorepeatsomehershort,pointedsentences.Oneofthemostfamousofthesewaswhenshetoldreadersto"wakeupandsmellthecoffee."Shewouldusethiscommentwhenadviceseekersseemedtobedenyingsituationsthatmadethemunhappyoruncomfortable.Anotherwell-knownAnnLanderssayingwas"fortylasheswithawetnoodle."Shewouldsaythisifshebelievedsomeonehaddonesomethingmean,dishonestorjuststupid.AnnLandersdidnotprotectherselffromsuchcriticism,however.Sheoftenpublishedlettersfromreaderswhoarguedagainstadviceshehadgiven.Whensheagreedwiththeircriticism,shesometimesorderedthefortylashesforherself!AnnLanderstookalotofrisksinhercolumn.Shespokeoutaboutmanyissuesthatsomepeopleconsideredoffensiveorsociallyunacceptable.Shediscussedhomosexuality,alcoholism,drugdependencyandmistreatmentofchildrenbyparents,tolistafew.VOICEONE:AnnLandersalsospokeoutonpoliticalissues.SheexpressedherstrongoppositiontoAmericaninvolvementintheconflictinVietnam.Shewasamajorsupporterofguncontrolandtherightofawomantochoosetoendapregnancy.Shealsosupportedusinganimalsinmedicalresearch.Theseopinionsmadeheranenemyofseveralgroups,includingtheNationalRifleAssociation,abortionopponents,andanimalprotectionorganizations.But,theirpressuredidnotappeartoworryAnnLanders.Infact,sheoncesaidshefeltproudthatthesegroupshatedher.Herpoliticalactivismwassometimespowerful.Sheexpressedhersupportoflegislationforcancerresearchinhercolumninnineteenseventy-one.PresidentRichardNixonreceivedhundredsofthousandsofcopiesofthecolumnfromAnnLandersreaders.HesoonsignedtheonehundredmilliondollarNationalCancerAct.(MUSIC)VOICETWO:Innineteenseventy-five,EppieLederer'slifechanged.Herhusband,Jules,toldherhewasinvolvedwithanotherwoman.Thatrelationshiphadbeengoingonforseveralyears.MisterandMissusLedererseparated.ThisexperienceaffectedAnnLanders'adviceaboutseriouslytroubledmarriages.Shehadalwaysadvisedcouplestostaytogethertoavoidhurtingtheirchildren.Afterherseparationfromherhusbandshewroteacolumnaboutherdecisiontoendhermarriage.Shereceivedtensofthousandsoflettersfromherreadersofferingtheirsupportandsympathy.AnnLanderscontinuedtosuggestthatahusbandandwifeinatroubledmarriageseekcounseling.Butshewasnowmorewillingtoconsiderthatamarriagemightbebeyondrepair.VOICEONE:EppieLederer'ssisterPopoalsobecameanadvicecolumnist.Hercolumnwascalled"DearAbby."LikeAnnLanderszDearAbbywaspublishedinthousandsofnewspapers.Somereportssaythecompetitionbetweenthetwoadvicecolumnsledtoadisputebetweenthetwinsisters.Theyreportedlydidnotspeakforfiveyears.EppieLederer'sdaughter,MargoHoward,isanadvicecolumnistaswell.But,neitherherdaughternorhersisterwonthekindoffameandfollowingthatAnnLandersdid.HercolumnappearedinTheChicagoTribuneandaboutonethousandtwohundredothernewspapersaroundtheworld.Heradvicereachedtensofmillionsofpeopleeveryday.Thatwashergoal.Shesaidhavingmanyreaderswasmoreimportanttoherthanwinningafamousprize.VOICETWO:InJanuary,twothousandtwo,doctorsdiscoveredthatEppieLedererhadmultiplemyeloma.Itisaveryseriousformofcancerofthebonemarrow.Herdeathcamejustsixmonthslater,onJunetwenty-second.Shewaseighty-three.EppieLedererownedtherightstotheAnnLandersnameanddidnotwantittobeusedaftershedied.SomillionsofpeoplearoundtheworldhavereceivedthelastwordsofadvicefromAnn1.anders.(MUSIC)VOICEONE:ThisVOASpecialEnglishprogramwaswrittenandproducedbyCatyWeaver.I'mMaryTillotson.VOICETWO:AndmSteveEmber.JoinusagainnextweekforanotherPeopleinAmericaprogramontheVoiceofAmerica.