Mary Cantwell (May 10, 1930 – February 1, 2000) was an American-born
journalist and
novelist. Cantwell served as a member of the ''
New York Times''
editorial board for sixteen years.
She wrote unsigned editorials, novels, and commentary for that newspaper, and she also wrote for ''
Mademoiselle
Mademoiselle (abbreviated as ''Mlle'' or ''M'') may refer to:
* Mademoiselle (title), the French-language equivalent of the title "miss"
Film and television
* ''Mademoiselle'' (1966 film), a French-British drama directed by Tony Richardson
* '' ...
'' and ''
Vogue'' during her career. Cantwell composed a trilogy of
memoirs later in her life.
Cantwell died on February 1, 2000, in
Manhattan,
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
.
She was 69.
Life
Mary Cantwell was born in
Providence
Providence often refers to:
* Providentia, the divine personification of foresight in ancient Roman religion
* Divine providence, divinely ordained events and outcomes in Christianity
* Providence, Rhode Island, the capital of Rhode Island in the ...
,
Rhode Island, on May 10, 1930 to Leo and Mary Cantwell.
[1940 United States Federal Census] She had a younger sister, Diana.
She grew up in
Bristol, Rhode Island, in a largely
Protestant neighborhood. Cantwell was brought up
Catholic and was singled out in her largely Protestant school. Cantwell graduated from Colt Memorial High School in 1949.
Cantwell earned her
B.A. from
Connecticut College in 1953 and married her husband in December of that year. The couple had two daughters. They would later divorce.
Career
Cantwell worked as a
copywriter
Copywriting is the act or occupation of writing text for the purpose of advertising or other forms of marketing. The product, called copy or sales copy, is written content that aims to increase brand awareness and ultimately persuade a person or ...
at ''Mademoiselle'' Magazine until 1958. Between 1958 and 1959, she worked as a feature writer for ''
Vogue''. Cantwell returned to ''Mademoiselle'' in 1962 and was promoted to chief copywriter.
Cantwell's work at the ''
New York Times'' began in 1980 and included
editorial
An editorial, or leading article (UK) or leader (UK) is an article written by the senior editorial people or publisher of a newspaper, magazine, or any other written document, often unsigned. Australian and major United States newspapers, suc ...
s and essays. While at the ''Times'', she wrote a regular column entitled ''Hers''. Cantwell was awarded the Connecticut College Medal in 1983. She also received the Walker Stone Award from the
Scripps Howard Foundation in 1986.
Cantwell also published three personal memoirs during the 1990s. (See selected bibliography below.)
Selected bibliography
*''American Girl: Scenes from a Small Town Childhood'' (1992)
*''Manhattan, When I Was Young'' (1995)
*''Speaking With Strangers: A Memoir'' (1998)
*''Manhattan Memoir'' (2000, compilation of former works)
References
Sources
*Cantwell, Mary Lee. "The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives." Ed. Kenneth T. Jackson, Karen Markoe, and Arnold Markoe. Vol. 6: 2000-2002. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2004. Reproduced in Biography Resource Center. Farmington Hills, Mich.: Gale, 2009. http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/BioRC
External links
"Garden Nuptials in Brooklyn" by Mary Cantwellat the City Journal
from the
New York Times"Mary Cantwell" at Answers.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cantwell, Mary
1930 births
2000 deaths
20th-century American novelists
Connecticut College alumni
American women journalists
American women novelists
20th-century American women writers
20th-century American non-fiction writers