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Barbara Raskin

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Barbara Raskin
BornBarbara Bellman
(1935-08-25)August 25, 1935
Minneapolis, Minnesota
DiedJuly 23, 1999(1999-07-23) (aged 63)
Baltimore, Maryland
OccupationJournalist, novelist
NationalityAmerican
SpouseMarcus Raskin (div. 1980)
Children3; including Jamie Raskin

Barbara Raskin (August 25, 1936 – July 23, 1999) was an American journalist and novelist. She was known for her 1987 best-selling novel Hot Flashes.

Biography

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Raskin née Bellman was born on August 25, 1935, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.[1] She attended the University of Minnesota, and the University of Chicago.[2]

Raskin worked for time as a flight attendant before settling in Washington, D.C. Raskin wrote for a variety of publications including The New Republic, The New York Times and The Washington Post.[3]

Raskin wrote five novels; The National Anthem (1977), Out of Order (1979), Hot Flashes (1987), Loose Ends (1988), and Current Affairs (1990).[3] Hot Flashes was her best-selling novel, staying on The New York Times Best Seller list for four months[4] and selling 1.5 million copies in hardcover and paperback.[5]

Raskin was involved with organizations associated with writing and journalism. She served as chair of the National Writers Union from 1982 to 1983. She was a co-founder of Washington Independent Writers (now the American Independent Writers). In 1982 she was the recipient of a fiction award from the National Endowment for the Arts.[1]

Raskin was married to the political activist Marcus Raskin[4] with whom she had three children, including Congressman Jamie Raskin.[6] They divorced in 1980. In 1984 she married Anatole Shub. That marriage ended in divorce.[7]

Raskin died on July 23, 1999, in Baltimore, Maryland of complications after surgery for a vascular disease.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Pear, Nancy (30 November 1999). "Barbara Raskin". Gale Literature: Contemporary Authors. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  2. ^ Pace, Eric (26 July 1999). "Barbara Raskin, a Chronicler Of Women's Lives, Dies at 63". The New York Times. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  3. ^ a b "Barbara Raskin". DC Writers' Homes. 24 August 2017. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  4. ^ a b Levy, Claudia (24 July 1999). "'Hot Flashes' Author Barbara Raskin Dies". Washington Post. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  5. ^ Warren, Tim (16 September 1990). "Chronicler of the Washington Wife – Barbara Raskin paid her dues as writer and political insider". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  6. ^ "Rep. Jamie Raskin On Surviving A Double Blow of Tragedy and Finding the Strength to Lead". Vogue Magazine. Retrieved 2023-12-24.
  7. ^ "Obituary: Barbara Raskin". The Independent. 1 August 1999. Retrieved 27 September 2023.

Further reading

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