Penelope Rowlands is an Anglo-American author, editor, and journalist best known for her 2005 biography, ''A Dash of Daring:

Carmel Snow Carmel Snow, born Carmel White (21 August 1887 – 7 May 1961), was the editor-in-chief of the American edition of ''Harper's Bazaar'' from 1934 to 1958; and the chair of the magazine's editorial board. She was famously quoted as saying, "E ...

and Her Life in Fashion, Art, and Letters'', about the Irish-born editor-in-chief of '' Harper's Bazaar'' (from 1934 to 1958).

Biographies

A Dash of Daring

''A Dash of Daring'' was published by Atria Books, a division of

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 ...

, in the US. The book was published in Britain by Simon and Schuster UK in 2006. A US paperback edition came out in 2008.

Suzy Menkes Suzy Peta Menkes (born 24 December 1943) is a British journalist and fashion critic. Formerly the fashion editor for the International Herald Tribune, Menkes also served as editor, Vogue International, for 25 international editions of ''Vogue'' ...

wrote in the International Herald Tribune that "Penelope Rowlands tells a dense, fast-paced story and deftly puts it in the context of magazine history.... Carmel Snow comes vividly to life. The biography was excerpted in U.S.''

Vogue Vogue may refer to: Business * ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine ** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine ** ''Vogue China'', ...

'' in September 2005. The British version of Harper's Bazaar also published an excerpt. Rowlands also wrote short biographies of the European industrial designers

Jean Prouvé Jean Prouvé (8 April 1901 – 23 March 1984) was a French metal worker, self-taught architect and designer. Le Corbusier designated Prouvé a constructeur, blending architecture and engineering. Prouvé's main achievement was transferring m ...

and

Eileen Gray Eileen Gray (born Kathleen Eileen Moray Smith; 9 August 187831 October 1976) was an Irish architect and furniture designer who became a pioneer of the Modern Movement in architecture. Over her career, she was associated with many notable Euro ...

, both published in 2002.

Anthologies

Paris Was Ours

''Paris Was Ours'' is a collection of essays by thirty-two international writers on Paris and how it changed their lives. The anthology featured writing by

Edmund White Edmund Valentine White III (born 1940) is an American novelist, memoirist, playwright, biographer and an essayist on literary and social topics. Since 1999 he has been a professor at Princeton University. France made him (and later ) de l'Ordr ...

Diane Johnson Diane Johnson (born Diane Lain, April 28, 1934), is an American novelist and essayist whose satirical novels often feature American heroines living abroad in contemporary France. She was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for her novel ''Persian ...

, the Cuban novelist Zoé Valdés,

Judith Thurman Judith Thurman (b. 1946) is an American writer, biographer, and critic. She is the recipient of the 1983 National Book Award for nonfiction for her biography ''Isak Dinesen: The Life of a Storyteller''. Her book ''Secrets of the Flesh: A Life of ...

, the Iraqi-born Assyrian editor Samuel Shimon and a homeless French blogger, among others. Rowlands edited the collection and wrote its final essay. ''Paris Was Ours'' was chosen as the January 2011, Book of the Month by ''

National Geographic Traveler ''National Geographic Traveler'' is a magazine published by NG Media in Armenia, Belgium, the Netherlands, China, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Indonesia, Latin America, Israel, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Spain and the UK. The US ...

'' magazine.

The Beatles Are Here!

In 2014 Rowlands edited and contributed an essay to the anthology ''

The Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developmen ...

Are Here! 50 Years After the Band Arrived in America, Writers, Musicians, and Other Fans Remember'', with contributions by

Gay Talese Gaetano "Gay" Talese (; born February 7, 1932) is an American writer. As a journalist for ''The New York Times'' and ''Esquire'' magazine during the 1960s, Talese helped to define contemporary literary journalism and is considered, along with ...

Cyndi Lauper Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper Thornton (born June 22, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and activist. Her career has spanned over 40 years. Her album ''She's So Unusual'' (1983) was the first debut album by a female artist to achi ...

, Billy Joel, and

Greil Marcus Greil Marcus (born June 19, 1945) is an American author, music journalist and cultural critic. He is notable for producing scholarly and literary essays that place rock music in a broader framework of culture and politics. Biography Marcus wa ...

. The cover design of the anthology features a photograph of a young Rowlands, screaming and holding a sign, previously published in the ''New York Times''.

Journalism

Rowlands has written articles on cultural subjects for publications such as ''

'', ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

,'' '' WSJ.'' magazine, ''

The Daily Beast ''The Daily Beast'' is an American news website focused on politics, media, and pop culture. It was founded in 2008. It has been characterized as a "high-end tabloid" by Noah Shachtman, the site's editor-in-chief from 2018 to 2021. In a 20 ...

'', the ''

Columbia Journalism Review The ''Columbia Journalism Review'' (''CJR'') is a biannual magazine for professional journalists that has been published by the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism since 1961. Its contents include news and media industry trends, an ...

'', and '' ElleDecor.'' She has contributed historical essays and reporting to

The American Scholar "The American Scholar" was a speech given by Ralph Waldo Emerson on August 31, 1837, to the Phi Beta Kappa Society of Harvard College at the First Parish in Cambridge in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He was invited to speak in recognition of his gro ...

. In addition, Rowlands has been a contributing writer to '' Architectural Digest'' and a contributing editor to ''

ARTnews ''ARTnews'' is an American visual-arts magazine, based in New York City. It covers art from ancient to contemporary times. ARTnews is the oldest and most widely distributed art magazine in the world. It has a readership of 180,000 in 124 countr ...

'' and ''

Metropolis A metropolis () is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural center for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications. A big ci ...

'' magazines. She has written book reviews for the ''

Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...

'', the ''

San Francisco Chronicle The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and Michael H. de Young. The ...

'', and other publications.

Fellowships and awards

Leon Levy Fellowship, Summer / Fall 2019. The Center for the History of Collecting, Frick Art Reference Library, The Frick Collection, New York City.

Background

Born in London to an American mother and a British father, Rowlands migrated to the United States with her family at the age of five and was raised in her mother's native New York City. She is a citizen of both the U.S. and Great Britain. She received a B.A. from

Bard College Bard College is a private liberal arts college in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York. The campus overlooks the Hudson River and Catskill Mountains, and is within the Hudson River Historic District—a National Historic Landmark. Founded in 1860, ...

and an M.A. from Stanford University. She has lived in California and Paris but now resides in Princeton, New Jersey.

Published works

*2014 ''The Beatles Are Here! 50 Years After The Band's Arrival in America, Writers, Musicians, and Other Fans Remember,'' Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill *2011 ''Paris Was Ours: 32 Writers Reflect on the City of Light,'' Algonquin Books *2005 ''A Dash of Daring: Carmel Snow and Her Life in Fashion, Art, and Letters,'' Atria Books (Simon & Schuster) *2002 ''Jean Prouvé: Visionary Humanist,'' Chronicle Books *2002 ''Eileen Gray: Modern Alchemist,'' Chronicle Books *2000 ''Weekend Houses'' (with photographer Mark Darley), Chronicle Books

References

External links

Penelope Rowlands on TwitterPenelope Rowlands official websiteWorldCat Identities: Penelope Rowlands
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rowlands, Penelope Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Writers from London English people of American descent English biographers English women journalists English emigrants to the United States American biographers American women journalists American magazine writers American expatriates in England American women biographers Women anthologists