Alice-Leone Moats (1908–1989) was an American
journalist and author who was born in Mexico to wealthy and socially prominent American parents. She attended convent schools in
Mexico City,
Rome and
Paris, as well as the
Brearley School in
Manhattan and the Fermata School for Girls in
Aiken, South Carolina.
Early life
Moats was born in Mexico to American parents. She was the only child. Her family were rich and lived in luxury. Moats grew up in a family with servants. Her father was a businessman who owned a lumber business in Mexico City. Her mother made her learn five languages as a child. Moats enrolled at the
Brearley School in New York as a ten-year-old, later moving on to schools in Rome and Paris.
Moats completed high school in Mexico and at the Fermata School in
Aiken, S.C. She then got admission into
Oxford University. However, her stay at Oxford lasted only three days.
Career
Moats began her writing career in 1933 when she was commissioned to write ''No Nice Girl Swears,'' a somewhat tongue-in-cheek book of etiquette. She then served as a foreign correspondent for
Collier's magazine in
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
,
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
, the
Soviet Union, and other countries. In 1943 she used these experiences to write her favorite book, ''Blind Date with Mars,'' about a journey through the Far East. She later became a columnist for
The Philadelphia Inquirer. A political conservative, and
Roman Catholic, she contributed to the
National Review in the 1960s.
After several decades of reporting, traveling to countries that were war zones, and writing nine books and hundreds of magazine articles, Moats limiting her writing in her last decade to a column she wrote for the Commentary page of
''The Inquirer''. The column was a huge hit. Many newspapers syndicated her columns. She used her acerbic, witty, and disposed style to cover topics such as international politics or profiling a simple civil servant she met.
Although she wrote quite frequently on political issues, Moats did not like to be hemmed in by choosing between
Democrat
Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to:
Politics
*A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people.
*A member of a Democratic Party:
**Democratic Party (United States) (D)
**Democratic ...
and
Republican. Even in her last column she criticized the feminists of her country for failing to rally behind U.S. Sen.
Nancy Kassebaum, who had voted against the appointment of
John Tower as secretary of defense. The author of a book entitled ''No Nice Girl Swears'' was stubborn, argumentative, and uncompromisingly honest.
Though she claimed to have been engaged eight times, Moats never married.
Works
Books
According to the Library of Congress catalog, Moats wrote:
* ''No Nice Girl Swears'' (1933)
* ''Off to Mexico'' (1935)
* ''Blind Date With Mars'' (1943)
* ''No Passport for Paris'' (1945)
* ''Violent Innocence'' (1951)
* ''At Home Abroad'' (1954)
* ''Lupescu'' (1955)
* ''Roman Folly'' (1965)
* ''Million Dollar Studs'' (1977)''Million Dollar Studs'' (1978)
[
]
Articles
* "Britain's Best Bet: Meet the new ambassador," ''Collier's Weekly'' (1940)
* "Beware, Honorable Spy!" ''Collier's Weekly'' (1941)
* "Courage to Burn" (review of ''The Russian Guerrilla''), ''Collier's Weekly'' (1941)
* "
She Lives in Fear," ''American Weekly'' (1952)
* "The Strange Past of
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (; ; 13 August 1926 – 25 November 2016) was a Cuban revolutionary and politician who was the leader of Cuba from 1959 to 2008, serving as the prime minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976 and president from 1976 to 200 ...
," ''National Review'' (1957)
* "
Gomulka's Poland," ''National Review'' (1959)
* "The Riddle of
Pope Paul VI," ''National Review'' (1963)
* "Can Anyone Free Cardinal Mindszenty," ''National Review'' (1963)
* "The Confession," ''National Review'' (1969)
* "
Giscard at the Helm," ''National Review'' (1974)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Moats, Alice-Leone
1908 births
1989 deaths
American columnists
American Roman Catholics
People from Mexico City
20th-century American women writers
Mexican women writers
Brearley School alumni
20th-century American non-fiction writers
American women columnists
American expatriates in Mexico