Gail Sheehy
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Gail Sheehy (born Gail Henion; November 27, 1936
/ref> – August 24, 2020) was an American author, journalist, and lecturer. She was the author of seventeen books and numerous high-profile articles for magazines such as ''New York'' and ''Vanity Fair''. Sheehy played a part in the movement Tom Wolfe called the
New Journalism New Journalism is a style of news writing and journalism, developed in the 1960s and 1970s, that uses literary techniques unconventional at the time. It is characterized by a subjective perspective, a literary style reminiscent of long-form non- ...
, sometimes known as creative nonfiction, in which journalists and essayists experimented with adopting a variety of literary techniques such as scene setting, dialogue, status details to denote social class, and getting inside the story and sometimes reporting the thoughts of a central character. Many of her books focused on cultural shifts, including ''Passages'' (1976), which was named one of the ten most influential books of our times by the Library of Congress. Sheehy penned biographies and character studies of major twentieth-century leaders, including
Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...
, both presidents Bush, Prime Minister
Margaret Thatcher Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (; 13 October 19258 April 2013) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. She was the first female British prime ...
, Egyptian President
Anwar Sadat Muhammad Anwar el-Sadat, (25 December 1918 – 6 October 1981) was an Egyptian politician and military officer who served as the third president of Egypt, from 15 October 1970 until his assassination by fundamentalist army officers on 6 ...
, and Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev. Her most recent book, ''Daring: My Passages'' (Sept. 2014), is a memoir. Sheehy's article "The Secret of Grey Gardens", a cover story from the January 10, 1972 issue of ''New York'', brought the bizarre bohemian life of Jacqueline Kennedy's aunt
Edith Ewing Bouvier Beale Edith Ewing Bouvier Beale (October 5, 1895 – February 5, 1977) was an American socialite and singer known for her reclusive and eccentric lifestyle. Known as Big Edie, she was a sister of John Vernou Bouvier III and an aunt of Jacqueline ...
and cousin Edith "Little Edie" Bouvier Beale to public attention. Their story was the basis for the film ''
Grey Gardens ''Grey Gardens'' is a 1975 American documentary film by Albert and David Maysles. The film depicts the everyday lives of two reclusive, upper-class women, a mother and daughter both named Edith Beale, who lived in poverty at Grey Gardens, a ...
'' and a Broadway musical of the same name.


Early life and education

Gail Sheehy was born in
Mamaroneck, New York Mamaroneck ( ) is a town in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 31,758 at the 2020 United States census over 29,156 at the 2010 census. There are two villages contained within the town: Larchmont and the Village of M ...
, to Lillian Rainey Henion and Harold Merritt Henion. Her mother's family was Scots-Irish. Her grandmother, Agnes Rooney ran away from
Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
to the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
as a mail-order bride. Another part of her mother's family was Scottish and worked the
Ulster plantation The Plantation of Ulster ( gle, Plandáil Uladh; Ulster-Scots: ''Plantin o Ulstèr'') was the organised colonisation (''plantation'') of Ulstera province of Irelandby people from Great Britain during the reign of King James I. Most of the set ...
for English landowners. Growing up, Sheehy was close to her paternal grandmother, Gladys Latham Ovens. Ovens' husband had died of a stroke during the Great Depression—and after he died, Ovens went to work as a real estate agent in a career that lasted for over 40 years. Ovens bought Sheehy her first typewriter at age 7. When as an adolescent, Sheehy began to sneak into
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
on Saturday mornings to explore, her grandmother kept her secret. In 1958, Sheehy graduated from the
University of Vermont The University of Vermont (UVM), officially the University of Vermont and State Agricultural College, is a public land-grant research university in Burlington, Vermont. It was founded in 1791 and is among the oldest universities in the United ...
with a
Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four year ...
in
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...
and
home economics Home economics, also called domestic science or family and consumer sciences, is a subject concerning human development, personal and family finances, consumer issues, housing and interior design, nutrition and food preparation, as well as texti ...
. She later returned to school in 1970, earning her
Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Th ...
in
journalism Journalism is the production and distribution of reports on the interaction of events, facts, ideas, and people that are the " news of the day" and that informs society to at least some degree. The word, a noun, applies to the occupation (pro ...
from Columbia University, where she studied on a Rockefeller Foundation fellowship under the
cultural anthropologist Cultural anthropology is a branch of anthropology focused on the study of cultural variation among humans. It is in contrast to social anthropology, which perceives cultural variation as a subset of a posited anthropological constant. The portman ...
Margaret Mead Margaret Mead (December 16, 1901 – November 15, 1978) was an American cultural anthropologist who featured frequently as an author and speaker in the mass media during the 1960s and the 1970s. She earned her bachelor's degree at Barnard C ...
.


Career


1960s

Sheehy's first job after college was working for the J. C. Penney department store chain. Sheehy traveled across the country putting on educational fashion shows for college home economics departments. It was here that Sheehy began writing professionally—she wrote for the company's magazines and worked with ad agencies to make informational
filmstrip The filmstrip is a form of still image instructional multimedia, once commonly used by educators in primary and secondary schools (K-12), overtaken at the end of the 1980s by newer and increasingly lower-cost full-motion videocassettes and la ...
s. The next few years, a young married Sheehy supported her husband through medical school and began her work as a journalist. Sheehy moved to
Rochester, New York Rochester () is a city in the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Monroe County, and the fourth-most populous in the state after New York City, Buffalo, and Yonkers, with a population of 211,328 at the 2020 United States census. Located in W ...
where she found a job as a journalist for the '' Democrat and Chronicle'' in 1961. She wrote for the
women's page The women's page (sometimes called home page or women's section) of a newspaper was a section devoted to covering news assumed to be of interest to women. Women's pages started out in the 19th century as society pages and eventually morphed into ...
and for the Sunday feature section. Sheehy and her husband then moved to the East Village in New York City. Sheehy became a mother, but continued to work for various publications including the ''World Telegram'' for a brief time in 1963 and then the '' New York Herald Tribune'' from 1963 to 1966. Sheehy decided to leave her daily reporting job to become a
freelance journalist ''Freelance'' (sometimes spelled ''free-lance'' or ''free lance''), ''freelancer'', or ''freelance worker'', are terms commonly used for a person who is self-employed and not necessarily committed to a particular employer long-term. Freelance w ...
. Sheehy and her husband divorced in 1968. Sheehy participated in a number of important and significant cultural events in the 1960s including covering
Robert F. Kennedy Robert Francis Kennedy (November 20, 1925June 6, 1968), also known by his initials RFK and by the nickname Bobby, was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 64th United States Attorney General from January 1961 to September 1964, ...
's campaign and
Woodstock Woodstock Music and Art Fair, commonly referred to as Woodstock, was a music festival held during August 15–18, 1969, on Max Yasgur's dairy farm in Bethel, New York, United States, southwest of the town of Woodstock. Billed as "an Aq ...
. Sheehy was one of the original contributors to
New York magazine ''New York'' is an American biweekly magazine concerned with life, culture, politics, and style generally, and with a particular emphasis on New York City. Founded by Milton Glaser and Clay Felker in 1968 as a competitor to ''The New Yorker' ...
and contributed from 1968 through 1977.
Clay Felker Clay Schuette Felker (October 2, 1925 – July 1, 2008) was an American magazine editor and journalist who co-founded ''New York'' magazine in 1968. He was known for bringing numerous journalists into the profession. ''The New York Times'' wrote ...
, founder of the magazine, and Sheehy's future husband, encouraged Sheehy to write "big" stories; one of the first was following Robert Kennedy on the campaign trail in 1968. She traveled with the campaign to the West Coast and had access to interview Kennedy directly. Sheehy was en route back to New York when Kennedy was assassinated in California. Sheehy covered the rise of amphetamine use in New York after her sister became addicted. Sheehy helped her sister get off drugs and they attended Woodstock in order to hide from her sister's drug pusher. In 1969–70, Sheehy was awarded a Rockefeller Foundation fellowship to attend graduate school at Columbia University. While there, she studied under professor and anthropologist
Margaret Mead Margaret Mead (December 16, 1901 – November 15, 1978) was an American cultural anthropologist who featured frequently as an author and speaker in the mass media during the 1960s and the 1970s. She earned her bachelor's degree at Barnard C ...
who was then in her seventies. Inspired by Mead, Sheehy investigated cultural trends with articles on "The Fractured Family" in ''New York'' magazine. During a commencement speech given at the
University of Vermont The University of Vermont (UVM), officially the University of Vermont and State Agricultural College, is a public land-grant research university in Burlington, Vermont. It was founded in 1791 and is among the oldest universities in the United ...
, Sheehy credited Mead with encouraging her to become a cultural interpreter: 'Whenever you hear about a great cultural phenomenon—a revolution, an assassination, a notorious trial, an attack on the country—drop everything. Get on a bus or train or plane and go there, stand at the edge of the abyss, and look down into it. You will see a culture turned inside out and revealed in a raw state."


1970s

In the 1970s, Sheehy's portfolio of high profile articles grew and she began to author books. In addition to writing for '' New York'' magazine, she also wrote a monthly article for '' Cosmopolitan''--her first story had her travel to India to meet Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and his disciples. Several of Sheehy's articles for ''New York'' magazine were developed into books. This includes her novel ''Lovesounds'' (1970), ''Panthermania: The Clash of Black against Black in One American City'' (1971), and ''Hustling: Prostitution in Our Wide Open Society'' (1973). Lovesounds is a
psychological novel In literature, psychological fiction (also psychological realism) is a narrative genre that emphasizes interior characterization and motivation to explore the spiritual, emotional, and mental lives of the characters. The mode of narration exami ...
that deals with the dissolution of a marriage based on her own first marriage. Her
Random House Random House is an American book publisher and the largest general-interest paperback publisher in the world. The company has several independently managed subsidiaries around the world. It is part of Penguin Random House, which is owned by Germ ...
editor, Nan Talese, suggested that Sheehy use a Rashomon-style for the novel, alternating the story between the wife and husband. Talese also loaned Sheehy the use of an apartment to write in. In 1971, Sheehy wrote a series of articles on prostitution for ''New York'' magazine called the "Wide Open City." She used the New Journalism style which includes vivid description and narration for the article "Redpants and Sugarman." Sheehy later came under fire for fictionalizing a character which was a composite. Clay Felker accepted blame for taking out the paragraph describing the use of composites within the article. Sheehy's story was chronicled in the book ''Hustling'' and later made into an
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
1975 television movie of the same name, starring
Jill Clayburgh Jill Clayburgh (April 30, 1944 – November 5, 2010) was an American actress known for her work in theater, television, and cinema. She received the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Ac ...
as Redpants and
Lee Remick Lee Ann Remick (December 14, 1935 – July 2, 1991) was an American actress and singer. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for the film '' Days of Wine and Roses'' (1962), and for the 1966 Tony Award for Best Actress in ...
as the journalist. According to producer, George Pelecanos, Sheehy was the inspiration for a reporter character in the HBO series, '' The Deuce''. The summer of 1971, Sheehy and Felker rented a house in East Hampton. Sheehy and her daughter found an abandoned box of kittens and since they could not take them back to New York, Sheehy's daughter suggested they take the kittens to the "witch house" across the street. It was there that Sheehy first encountered Little Edie Beale and her mother Big Edie Beale, the reclusive cousins of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis living in a dilapidated 28 room mansion called
Grey Gardens ''Grey Gardens'' is a 1975 American documentary film by Albert and David Maysles. The film depicts the everyday lives of two reclusive, upper-class women, a mother and daughter both named Edith Beale, who lived in poverty at Grey Gardens, a ...
. Sheehy spent the next few weekends of that summer on the beach with Little Edie learning about their story. Sheehy profiled the two women in ''New York'' magazine in "The Secret of Grey Gardens". After the article was published, Onassis came forward with a check for $25,000 to help clean up the property. Little Edie and Big Edie were profiled in 1975 in the
Grey Gardens ''Grey Gardens'' is a 1975 American documentary film by Albert and David Maysles. The film depicts the everyday lives of two reclusive, upper-class women, a mother and daughter both named Edith Beale, who lived in poverty at Grey Gardens, a ...
documentary by the
Maysles brothers Albert Maysles (November 26, 1926 – March 5, 2015) and his brother David Maysles (January 10, 1931 – January 3, 1987; ) were an American documentary filmmaking team known for their work in the Direct Cinema style. Their best-known films i ...
. Sheehy traveled to Northern Ireland in 1972 to report on the Irish women involved in the Irish civil rights movement. The British government had created the Special Powers Act that allowed British soldiers to round up Catholic men. The women and family members left behind became fierce fighters. She was next to a young boy right after a march, and as British soldiers moved in, the boy was struck in the face by a bullet. That day, January 30, 1972, became known as
Bloody Sunday Bloody Sunday may refer to: Historical events Canada * Bloody Sunday (1923), a day of police violence during a steelworkers' strike for union recognition in Sydney, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia * Bloody Sunday (1938), police violence aga ...
or the Bogside Massacre. Sheehy was trapped inside a Catholic ghetto which was under the authority of the
IRA Ira or IRA may refer to: *Ira (name), a Hebrew, Sanskrit, Russian or Finnish language personal name *Ira (surname), a rare Estonian and some other language family name *Iran, UNDP code IRA Law *Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, US, on status of ...
. She made her escape in a car over pastureland to
Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 c ...
. There Sheehy traveled to several safe houses and interviewed Rita O'Hare. The whole experience affected Sheehy deeply and on her return to the States she had a difficult time writing the story and developed a fear of airplanes which she later described as PTSD or
posttraumatic stress syndrome Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental and behavioral disorder that can develop because of exposure to a traumatic event, such as sexual assault, warfare, traffic collisions, child abuse, domestic violence, or other threats on a ...
. It was at this time in the mid-seventies that Sheehy began work on her book, ''Passages''. After conducting about forty interviews for a book on couples—Sheehy noticed a theme within her interviewees who were in their late thirties and early forties. The subjects expressed being unsettled. At this time, Sheehy began studying work by Elliott Jacques on mid-life crisis between the ages of thirty-five and forty as well as works by Erik Ericson on adult life stages. Sheehy coined the term "Second Adulthood" to describe the equilibrium that follows the crisis. It was during this time that Sheehy's long-time editor Hal Scharlatt died and the book was taken over by Jack Macrae, the publisher of Dutton. Sheehy was awarded a fellowship by the Alicia Patterson Foundation to allow her to finish the book. Sheehy's editor was concerned that the title would make readers think that it meant "excerpts," but Sheehy was confident they would understand the title once they read the book. Passages was published in 1976. Sales spread through word-of-mouth when it landed on ''The New York Times'' Best Seller List where it would remain for three years. During this time period, Sheehy, as both a writer for ''New York'' magazine and Felker's partner, was a front-row witness to
Rupert Murdoch Keith Rupert Murdoch ( ; born 11 March 1931) is an Australian-born American business magnate. Through his company News Corp, he is the owner of hundreds of local, national, and international publishing outlets around the world, including ...
's hostile takeover of Clay Felker's ''New York'' magazine. Felker was forced out of the magazine. Felker purchased ''Esquire'' magazine in 1978 and Sheehy wrote for the magazine including publishing a profile and interview with Anwar Sadat. In 1977, Sheehy became an associate of the
Women's Institute for Freedom of the Press Women’s Institute for Freedom of the Press (WIFP) is an American nonprofit publishing organization that was founded in Washington, D.C. in 1972. The organization works to increase media democracy and strengthen independent media. Mo Basic info ...
(WIFP). WIFP is an American nonprofit publishing organization. The organization works to increase communication between women and connect the public with forms of women-based media. Sheehy began work on her next book, ''Pathfinders'', in 1978. The book examined the lives of those who had led lives that many would consider to have led full lives, and attained a sense of well-being. In developing the book, Sheehy worked with social psychologists at
New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then- Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, th ...
to develop a Life History questionnaire which was given to many people, including "corporate chiefs, congressmen, men & women lawyer, etc." The questionnaire was also published in '' Redbook'' and ''Esquire'' magazines. Sheehy then conducted hundreds of phone interviews for the book, where she identified that those who attained well-being have a willingness to take risks and have experienced one or more important transitions in their adult years which they handled in an unusual, personal, or creative way.


1980s

Sheehy began her work with Cambodian refugees in the early 1980s. Sheehy was invited by First Lady
Rosalynn Carter Eleanor Rosalynn Carter ( ; née Smith; born August 18, 1927) is an American writer and activist who served as First Lady of the United States from 1977 to 1981 as the wife of President Jimmy Carter. For decades, she has been a leading advocate ...
to participate with other prominent Americans in a Cambodia Crisis Center. While visiting
Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
in 1981, Felker pointed out a story about a camp of Cambodian orphans which prompted Sheehy to visit the camp. It was at this camp that Sheehy met and later adopted her second daughter, Mohm. Sheehy also worked with Catherine O'Neill to publicize the plight of refugees through the Women's Refugee Commission. Sheehy and Mohm chronicled their journey in the 1986 book, ''Spirit of Survival''. '' Vanity Fair''s editor,
Tina Brown Christina Hambley Brown, Lady Evans (born 21 November 1953), is an English journalist, magazine editor, columnist, talk-show host, and author of ''The Diana Chronicles'' (2007) a biography of Diana, Princess of Wales, '' The Vanity Fair Diarie ...
, invited Sheehy to write political profiles for the magazine beginning in 1984. Her first profile was of U.S. presidential candidate Gary Hart. Sheehy followed this up with pieces on other presidential candidates including George H. W. Bush,
Al Gore Albert Arnold Gore Jr. (born March 31, 1948) is an American politician, businessman, and environmentalist who served as the 45th vice president of the United States from 1993 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. Gore was the Democratic no ...
, Bob Dole and Jesse Jackson. These profiles also served as the basis for her 1988 book, ''Character: America's Search for Leadership''. Sheehy helped organize the
Sag Harbor Sag Harbor is an incorporated village in Suffolk County, New York, United States, in the towns of Southampton and East Hampton on eastern Long Island. The village developed as a working port on Gardiner's Bay. The population was 2,772 at the 2 ...
Initiative with William Pickens, Pat Pickens, and
Walter Isaacson Walter Seff Isaacson (born May 20, 1952) is an American author, journalist, and professor. He has been the President and CEO of the Aspen Institute, a nonpartisan policy studies organization based in Washington, D.C., the chair and CEO of CNN, ...
among others in 1987. The initiative was initially a three-day event put on by "liberal intellectuals and concerned citizens" who wanted Americans across the country to hold town meetings to discuss urgent social issues. Isaacson went on to be president and CEO of Aspen Ideas Festival.


1990s

During the 1990s, Gail Sheehy published five books including ''Gorbachev: The Making of the Man Who Changed the World'' (1990), ''The Silent Passage'' (1992), ''New Passages'' (1995), ''Understanding Men's Passages'' (1998), and '' Hillary's Choice'' (1999). In 1989, Tina Brown asked Sheehy to expand her character profiles for ''Vanity Fair'' to include international figures. Sheehy researched and interviewed both
Margaret Thatcher Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (; 13 October 19258 April 2013) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. She was the first female British prime ...
and Mikhail Gorbachev. Her article on Thatcher was published as "The Blooming of Margaret Thatcher" in 1989. Her profile of Gorbachev made the February 1990 ''Vanity Fair'' cover as "Red Star: The Man Who Changed the World". Sheehy expanded her research on Gorbachev, and published the book ''The Man Who Changed the World: The Lives of Mikhail S. Gorbachev'' just as he won the
Nobel Peace Prize The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Swedish industrialist, inventor and armaments (military weapons and equipment) manufacturer Alfred Nobel, along with the prizes in Chemistry, Physics, Physiolog ...
and a few short months before he was deposed. Charmed by the relationship between Gorbachev and Thatcher, Sheehy also wrote a play based on a fantasy romance called ''Maggie and Misha''. The play was produced as a two-week workshop production off-Broadway. Sheehy published the book ''The Silent Passage'' about
menopause Menopause, also known as the climacteric, is the time in women's lives when menstrual periods stop permanently, and they are no longer able to bear children. Menopause usually occurs between the age of 47 and 54. Medical professionals often ...
in 1992. Sheehy noticed that no one was talking about menopause and she, herself, was beginning to experience it. After a June 1992 appearance on ''
The Oprah Winfrey Show ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', often referred to as ''The Oprah Show'' or simply ''Oprah'', is an American daytime syndicated talk show that aired nationally for 25 seasons from September 8, 1986, to May 25, 2011, in Chicago, Illinois. Produced ...
'', the book went back for a number of reprints and eventually hit the #1 spot on the ''New York Times'' bestseller list. Sheehy received a million-dollar advance from
Simon & Schuster Simon & Schuster () is an American publishing company and a subsidiary of Paramount Global. It was founded in New York City on January 2, 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. As of 2016, Simon & Schuster was the third largest pu ...
for the
paperback A paperback (softcover, softback) book is one with a thick paper or paperboard cover, and often held together with glue rather than stitches or staples. In contrast, hardcover (hardback) books are bound with cardboard covered with cloth, ...
rights. Sheehy and Felker moved to the Bay Area of California in 1994 where Felker taught and founded the Felker Magazine Center at the
University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant u ...
. Sheehy profiled
Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...
a total of three times for the pages of ''Vanity Fair'' in the 1990s, beginning with her time as First Lady and through her run for the New York Senate. The articles and work culminated in the publication of the biography, '' Hillary's Choice''.


2000s and 2010s

Despite caring for Felker as he was suffering from cancer, Sheehy continued to write and publish through the 21st century. In 2006, she published ''Sex and the Seasoned Woman'' in which she interviewed "over 400 women from the ages of 23 through 98." She published an article with ''Parade'' magazine, "Who Cares for the Caregiver?" After Felker's death in 2008, Sheehy was named AARP's Caregiving Ambassador in 2008 and began working with the AARP on a series of articles, interviews of caregivers through video, and blog posts. She eventually wrote a book on the subject of caregiving, ''Passages in Caregiving: Turning Chaos into Confidence'' which was published in 2010. She also wrote a play, ''Chasing the Tiger'', about her relationship with Felker. Sheehy published her own memoir in 2014, ''Daring: My Passages''. In 2019, she was an Audio Podcast Fellow at Stony Brook University, where she created and produced her podcast series ''Kid Rebels with Gail Sheehy.''


Personal life

In 1960, Sheehy married Albert Francis Sheehy, a medical student at the
University of Rochester The University of Rochester (U of R, UR, or U of Rochester) is a private university, private research university in Rochester, New York. The university grants Undergraduate education, undergraduate and graduate degrees, including Doctorate, do ...
. They had one daughter, Maura, and divorced in 1968. In 1984, Sheehy married editor
Clay Felker Clay Schuette Felker (October 2, 1925 – July 1, 2008) was an American magazine editor and journalist who co-founded ''New York'' magazine in 1968. He was known for bringing numerous journalists into the profession. ''The New York Times'' wrote ...
, with whom she adopted a Cambodian child, Mohm. Felker died in 2008. Sheehy died in Southampton, New York, on August 24, 2020, from complications of pneumonia at age 83.


Selected articles


1969: "Speed City: The Explosion of Amphetamines", ''New York'' magazine

Sheehy wrote the cover story for ''New York'' magazine about the growing problem of amphetamine use among young people in East Village. The article arose out of Sheehy's own experience—her sister had become addicted to the drug. The cover for the story was created by
Milton Glaser Milton Glaser (June 26, 1929June 26, 2020) was an American graphic designer. His most notable designs include the I Love New York logo, a 1966 poster for Bob Dylan, and the logos for DC Comics, Stony Brook University and Brooklyn Brewery. In 195 ...
of a snake writhing out of a drug capsule.


1971: "Redpants and Sugarman", ''New York'' magazine

Sheehy gained notoriety in 1971, after ''New York'' magazine published a series she wrote about prostitution called "Wide Open City". Part 2 is called "Redpants and Sugarman". Sheehy told ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'' that she had created a "composite character" for "Redpants" in order to trace the full life cycle of a
streetwalker Street prostitution is a form of sex work in which a sex worker solicits customers from a public place, most commonly a street, while waiting at street corners or walking alongside a street, but also other public places such as parks, benches, e ...
, but the explanation was edited out of the story.


1989: "The Blooming of Margaret Thatcher", ''Vanity Fair''

Published in June 1989: French President Francois Mitterrand says Britain's prime minister "has eyes like Caligula and the mouth of
Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe (; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; 1 June 1926 4 August 1962) was an American actress. Famous for playing comedic " blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and early 1960s, as wel ...
." She also has the nerves of a five-star general and increasingly, the sexual charisma of a woman in her prime. She manipulates her court of bedazzled male advisors with the skill of
Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was List of English monarchs, Queen of England and List of Irish monarchs, Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is ...
. And as she completes her unparalleled tenth year in office, the most powerful woman in the world has vanquished the opposition, gagged the media, and booted out the critics in her own party. So who is there left to tell her when she goes too far?


1992: "What Hillary Wants", ''Vanity Fair''

Sheehy's 1992 article on
Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...
created a stir by quoting her mentioning rumors of an affair between President George H. W. Bush and a woman named "Jennifer". Sheehy reported that Clinton complained that the media had made much about Gennifer Flowers' affair with
Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...
but did not look into the Bush transgression. Clinton considered that portion of the interview off the record, but Sheehy disagreed, and independently confirmed the "private conversation" Hillary had described by interviewing Hillary's confidante, ''
Atlanta Journal & Constitution ''The Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' is the only major daily newspaper in the metropolitan area of Atlanta, Georgia. It is the flagship publication of Cox Enterprises. The ''Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' is the result of the merger between ...
'' owner
Anne Cox Chambers Anne Beau Cox Chambers (December 1, 1919 – January 31, 2020) was an American media proprietor, diplomat, and philanthropist who served as United States Ambassador to Belgium from 1977 to 1981. She co-owned the family company Cox Enterprises, ...
, who repeated the conversation word for word. Fact checkers for '' Vanity Fair'' alerted editor
Tina Brown Christina Hambley Brown, Lady Evans (born 21 November 1953), is an English journalist, magazine editor, columnist, talk-show host, and author of ''The Diana Chronicles'' (2007) a biography of Diana, Princess of Wales, '' The Vanity Fair Diarie ...
to a potential problem, based on their review of the transcript of the interview, but Brown declined to remove the quote. The interview received wide coverage in the press.


1995: "The Inner Quest of Newt Gingrich", ''Vanity Fair''

Sheehy learned the back story of Newt Gingrich's life from his mother, who revealed that she was a lifelong manic-depressive. Kit Gingrich's first husband abandoned young Newt to a stepfather in exchange for forgiveness of a few months of child-support payments. "Isn't it awful, a man willing to sell off his own son?" Kit Gingrich told Sheehy. Speaker of the House Gingrich told Sheehy that both his fathers were totalitarian and modeled "a very male kind of toughness". He did not blink when Sheehy asked him if he thought he had a genetic predisposition to
bipolar disorder Bipolar disorder, previously known as manic depression, is a mental disorder characterized by periods of depression and periods of abnormally elevated mood that last from days to weeks each. If the elevated mood is severe or associated with ...
. He said he did not know, then applauded the special powers of leaders who are thought to have been bipolar. " Churchill had what he called his 'black dog'.
Lincoln Lincoln most commonly refers to: * Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the sixteenth president of the United States * Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England * Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S. * Lincol ...
had long periods of depression." He speculated that leaders who are able to think on several levels at once may have a different biochemical makeup. "You have to have a genetic toughness just to take the beating" he told Sheehy. Her article also revealed that his wife at the time, Marianne Gingrich, did not want him to become president and threatened to make a revelation that would torpedo his 1995 presidential campaign.


2000: "The Accidental Candidate: George W. Bush", ''Vanity Fair''

Sheehy found a possible source of the
malapropisms A malapropism (also called a malaprop, acyrologia, or Dogberryism) is the mistaken use of an incorrect word in place of a word with a similar sound, resulting in a nonsensical, sometimes humorous utterance. An example is the statement attributed to ...
for which Governor Bush was mocked: a history of dyslexia in the
Bush family The Bush family is an American dynastic family that is prominent in the fields of American politics, news, sports, entertainment, and business. They were the first family of the United States from 1989 to 1993 and again from 2001 to 2009, and w ...
. Diagnostic experts told her that "The errors you've heard Governor Bush make are consistent with dyslexia," and that "a language-disordered person cannot take in a lot of information at once." Sheehy predicted that if Bush became president, "he would have to develop a work-style where others pre-organized and pre-digested information for him." Karl Rove and Dick Cheney, she suggested, organized much of the candidate's speeches and decisions.


2008: "Hillaryland at War", ''Vanity Fair''

Published June 30, 2008: Hillary Clinton's campaign had it all: near-death moments, hard-won triumphs, dysfunctional relationships—and a staff consumed with infighting over how to sell their candidate. It was a battle that revealed why she came so close to victory, as well as why she did not make it.


Professional affiliations

In 2009 Sheehy was named AARP's Caregiver Ambassador. In 2011 she became a Chairwoman for the National Osteoporosis Foundation's "Generations of Strength" campaign.


Television and other media appearances

Sheehy was a frequent guest on NBC's ''
The Today Show ''Today'' (also called ''The Today Show'' or informally, ''NBC News Today'') is an American news and talk morning television show that airs weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on NBC. The program debuted on January 14, 1952. It ...
'', MSNBC's ''
Hardball Hardball, in English, more specifically American English, generally refers to baseball (as opposed to its variant softball), especially when played very competitively. Metaphorically, it refers to uncompromising and ruthless methods or dealings, ...
'' and ''What Now?'' with
Andrea Mitchell Andrea Mitchell (born October 30, 1946) is an American television journalist, anchor and commentator for NBC News, based in Washington, D.C. She is NBC News' chief foreign affairs & chief Washington correspondent, reporting on the 2008 presi ...
, ABC's '' World News Tonight'' with
Diane Sawyer Lila Diane Sawyer (; born December 22, 1945) is an American television broadcast journalist known for anchoring major programs on two networks including ''ABC World News Tonight'', ''Good Morning America'', ''20/20'', and ''Primetime'' newsmagaz ...
, '' Good Morning America'', ''
Oprah Oprah Gail Winfrey (; born Orpah Gail Winfrey; January 29, 1954), or simply Oprah, is an American talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and philanthropist. She is best known for her talk show, ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', b ...
'', ''
CBS Sunday Morning ''CBS News Sunday Morning'' (normally shortened to ''Sunday Morning'' on the program itself since 2009) is an American news magazine television program that has aired on CBS since January 28, 1979. Created by Robert Northshield and original hos ...
'',
CNN CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by ...
, ''
Larry King Live ''Larry King Live'' was an American television talk show hosted by Larry King on CNN from 1985 to 2010. It was the channel's most watched and longest-running program, with over one million viewers nightly. Mainly aired from CNN's Los Angeles ...
'',
Fox News The Fox News Channel, abbreviated FNC, commonly known as Fox News, and stylized in all caps, is an American multinational conservative cable news television channel based in New York City. It is owned by Fox News Media, which itself is owne ...
, ''
The O'Reilly Factor ''The O'Reilly Factor'' (originally titled ''The O'Reilly Report'' and also known as ''The Factor'') is an American cable television news and talk show. ''The O'Reilly Factor'' first aired in the United States on Fox News Channel on October 7 ...
'', and documentaries such as PBS's "''
American Experience ''American Experience'' is a television program airing on the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) in the United States. The program airs documentaries, many of which have won awards, about important or interesting events and people in American his ...
'': Clinton". In July 2015, Sheehy appeared for an interview on ''Huffpost Live'' to discuss her 2014 work, ''Daring''.


Plagiarism lawsuit

Sheehy's book ''Passages'' was a national bestseller. In 1975, Roger Gould, then a psychiatrist at the University of California at Los Angeles, brought a suit, which was settled out of court, against Sheehy intended to enjoin publication of her book, which had not yet been completed. Sheehy ended up giving Dr. Gould ten percent of the royalties for the book.


Awards and recognition

* Seven-time recipient of New York Newswomen's Club Front Page Award for Distinguished Journalism * Washington Journalism Review Award for Best Magazine Writer in America * New York Public Library Literary Lions Award * 1973 National Magazine Award for Report Excellence * 1975 Penney-Missouri Award *1987
Anisfield-Wolf Book Award The Anisfield-Wolf Book Award is an American literary award dedicated to honoring written works that make important contributions to the understanding of racism and the appreciation of the rich diversity of human culture. Established in 1935 by Clev ...
for The Spirit of Survival *1994 Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Dartmouth *1997 Hospital for Special Surgery Award For Groundbreaking Work in Women's Health *2002 American Psychological Association's Presidential Citation *2011 American Society on Aging Leadership Award A
Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library ...
survey named ''Passages'' one of the 10 most-influential books of our time.


Bibliography

Non-fiction *''Speed is of the Essence'' (1971), *''Panthermania:The Clash of Black Against Black in One American City'' (1971) *''Hustling: Prostitution in Our Wide Open Society'' (1973) *''Passages: Predictable Crises of Adult Life'' (1976) *''Pathfinders: Overcoming the Crises of Adult Life'' (1983) *''Spirit of Survival'' (1987) *''Character: America's Search for Leadership'' (1991) *''The Man Who Changed the World: The Lives of Mikhail S. Gorbachev'' (1991) *''The Silent Passage: Menopause'' (1993) *''New Passages: Mapping Your Life Across Time'' (1995) *''Understanding Men's Passages: Discovering the New Map of Men's Lives'' (1998), ; Simon & Schuster Australia, 1998, *'' Hillary's Choice'' (1999) *''Middletown, America: One Town's Passage from Trauma to Hope'' (2003) *''Sex and the Seasoned Woman: Pursuing the Passionate Life'' (2007) *''Passages in Caregiving: Turning Chaos into Confidence'' (2010) *''Daring: My Passages: A Memoir'' (2014) Novels *''Lovesounds'' (1970),


References


External links


Official website
*
The Sheehy Daring Project
*
Commentary on Sheehy's book ''Passages''Seasoned Woman's NetworkProfile of Sheehy
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sheehy, Gail 1936 births 2020 deaths 20th-century American novelists 20th-century American biographers 20th-century American women writers American women biographers American women journalists American women novelists American people of Scotch-Irish descent Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism alumni Deaths from pneumonia in New York (state) People from Mamaroneck, New York University of Vermont alumni Novelists from New York (state) Historians from New York (state) Women's page journalists 21st-century American women