Misplaced Pages

Betty Rollin: Difference between revisions

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
Browse history interactively← Previous editContent deleted Content addedVisualWikitext
Revision as of 03:03, 12 April 2007 edit172.166.2.56 (talk) this sentence does not make sense. article is poorly written← Previous edit Latest revision as of 17:18, 14 July 2024 edit undoSnoopyAndCharlieBrown202070 (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users4,195 editsNo edit summary 
(112 intermediate revisions by 55 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Short description|American journalist and author (1936–2023)}}
'''Betty Rollin''' (b.] ] in ]), is a former ] correspondent who wrote about her struggle with cancer in her most famous book, '''First, You Cry'''.
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2023}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Betty Rollin
| image = Publicity_Photo_of_Betty_Rollin.jpg
| caption = Publicity Photo of Betty Rollin
| birth_date = {{birth date|1936|1|3}}
| birth_place = ], U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|2023|11|7|1936|1|3}}
| death_place = ], Switzerland
| occupation = Journalist and author
| spouse = ]
| alma_mater = ]
}}


'''Betty Rollin''' (January 3, 1936 – November 7, 2023) was an American journalist and author who was an ] correspondent. As a reporter, she won both the DuPont and Emmy awards, and she contributed reports for PBS. She also wrote two memoirs: ''First, You Cry'', about her experiences with ], and ''Last Wish'', about her mother having terminal cancer and helping her die through ].
Betty Rollin was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1975, and again in 1984, each time losing a breast to the disease. Betty's battle with cancer was followed and reported on for public awareness and to give encouragement to others facing this increasingly common disease. However, although Betty lost both of her breasts to cancer, and "death is never far" from her mind, she appears to be in complete remission.


==Background==
At around the same time, her mother, Ida, was diagnosed with terminal ]. Betty helped her mother, Ida, end her life in 1983. One of Betty's friends told her of a doctor in Europe who supported voluntary euthanasia, whom she contacted and was able to obtain the needed pills. These actions aroused the ire of many conservatives as well as the orthodoxly religious.
Rollin was born in New York City in 1936.<ref name = Sandomir>{{cite news |title=Betty Rollin, Who Wrote Candidly About Her Breast Cancer, Dies at 87 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/24/books/betty-rollin-dead.html |access-date=November 25, 2023 |work=The New York Times |date=November 24, 2023|last = Sandomir|first = Richard|url-access = limited|authorlink=Richard Sandomir}}</ref> She was a graduate of ] and ], where she was a classmate of ], as Ono mentioned on the Dick Cavett Show.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.popmatters.com/review/dick-cavett-show-john-and-yoko/ |title=The Dick Cavett Show: John & Yoko Collection &#124; PopMatters |access-date=January 16, 2014 |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304124304/http://www.popmatters.com/review/dick-cavett-show-john-and-yoko/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>


Rollin's first interest was acting; she studied under ] and ] and briefly worked in theatre.<ref name = Sandomir/> However, she soon pursued a career as a journalist instead. She wrote for '']'' in the mid-1960s and for '']'' from 1966 until its closure in 1971. Thereafter, she began a career in TV journalism, working for ] from the early 1970s until 1982, and for ] from 1982 to 1984.<ref name = Sandomir/> She also contributed to ]'s ''Religion and Ethics NewsWeekly'' for over a decade.<ref name = Sandomir/>


==Books==
Betty Rollin is the author of 5 other books, including '''Last Wish'''. She and her husband, Dr. Harold Edwards, a mathematician, live in Manhattan (NY). They have no children.
===''First, You Cry''===
Rollin was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1975, and again in 1984, each time losing a breast to the disease. Rollin discussed her cancer publicly and wrote about it in the book, ''First, You Cry''.<ref>{{cite web|title= Harper Collins|url= http://www.harpercollins.com/browseinside/index.aspx?isbn13=9780060956301|access-date= August 4, 2010|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20121021031906/http://www.harpercollins.com/browseinside/index.aspx?isbn13=9780060956301|archive-date= October 21, 2012|url-status= dead}}</ref> to encourage public awareness and to give encouragement to others facing this disease.<ref>{{cite news|title=At Lunch with--Betty Rollin; After First Crying, Laughing at Cancer|last=Belkin|first=Lisa|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/03/10/garden/at-lunch-with-betty-rollin-after-first-crying-laughing-at-cancer.html?scp=1&sq=betty%20rollin&st=cse | date=March 10, 1993}}</ref> '']'' was made into a television movie starring ] as Rollin.<ref name = Sandomir/>

===''Last Wish''===
Rollin's mother Ida was diagnosed with terminal ] in 1981, and Rollin helped her mother end her life in 1983. She revealed this in her book ''Last Wish,''<ref>{{cite news|title=Helping Her Mother Die|last=Jacoby|first=Susan|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/09/08/books/helping-her-mother-die.html?scp=8&sq=betty%20rollin&st=cse | date=September 8, 1985}}</ref> published in 1985 and republished in 1998. One critic called it "a document of personal compassion and public importance." The book has been published in 19 countries and was made into a TV movie in 1992 starring ] as Rollin and ] as her mother.<ref name = Sandomir/>

After the book was published, Rollin was active in the ] movement, and served on the advisory board of ].<ref name = Sandomir/>

==Personal life and death==
Rollin lived with her husband, mathematician ], in Manhattan until his death in 2020. They had no children. Rollin's health declined after her husband's death, and she died by assisted suicide at the ] in ] on November 14, 2023, at the age of 87.<ref name = Sandomir/>


== Books == == Books ==
* ''I Thee Wed'' (1961)<ref name = Sandomir/>
⚫ * First You Cry (1976) ISBN 0-06-095630-5
* ''Mothers Are Funnier Than Children'' (1964)<ref name = Sandomir/>
⚫ * Last Wish (1985) ISBN 1-891620-01-0
⚫ * ''First, You Cry'' (1976) {{ISBN|0-06-095630-5}}
⚫ * Am I Getting Paid for This?: A Romance About Work (1986) ISBN 0-451-14442-2
⚫ * ''Last Wish'' (1985) {{ISBN|1-891620-01-0}}
⚫ * Here's the Bright Side: Of Failure, Fear, Cancer, Divorce, and Other Bum Raps (2007) ISBN 978-1400065653
⚫ * ''Am I Getting Paid for This?: A Romance About Work'' (1986) {{ISBN|0-451-14442-2}}
⚫ * ''Here's the Bright Side: Of Failure, Fear, Cancer, Divorce, and Other Bum Raps'' (2007) {{ISBN|978-1-4000-6565-3}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==See also==
⚫ *
*]


{{Authority control}}
==External links==
⚫ *http://www.bettyrollin.com/
* Last Wish (TV movie)


] {{DEFAULTSORT:Rollin, Betty}}
] ]
] ]
] ]
] ]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]
]

Latest revision as of 17:18, 14 July 2024

American journalist and author (1936–2023)

Betty Rollin
Publicity Photo of Betty Rollin
Born(1936-01-03)January 3, 1936
New York City, New York, U.S.
DiedNovember 7, 2023(2023-11-07) (aged 87)
Basel, Switzerland
Alma materSarah Lawrence College
Occupation(s)Journalist and author
SpouseDr. Harold Edwards

Betty Rollin (January 3, 1936 – November 7, 2023) was an American journalist and author who was an NBC News correspondent. As a reporter, she won both the DuPont and Emmy awards, and she contributed reports for PBS. She also wrote two memoirs: First, You Cry, about her experiences with breast cancer, and Last Wish, about her mother having terminal cancer and helping her die through assisted suicide.

Background

Rollin was born in New York City in 1936. She was a graduate of Fieldston Ethical Culture School and Sarah Lawrence College, where she was a classmate of Yoko Ono, as Ono mentioned on the Dick Cavett Show.

Rollin's first interest was acting; she studied under Sanford Meisner and Lee Strasberg and briefly worked in theatre. However, she soon pursued a career as a journalist instead. She wrote for Vogue in the mid-1960s and for Look from 1966 until its closure in 1971. Thereafter, she began a career in TV journalism, working for NBC News from the early 1970s until 1982, and for ABC News from 1982 to 1984. She also contributed to PBS's Religion and Ethics NewsWeekly for over a decade.

Books

First, You Cry

Rollin was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1975, and again in 1984, each time losing a breast to the disease. Rollin discussed her cancer publicly and wrote about it in the book, First, You Cry. to encourage public awareness and to give encouragement to others facing this disease. First, You Cry was made into a television movie starring Mary Tyler Moore as Rollin.

Last Wish

Rollin's mother Ida was diagnosed with terminal ovarian cancer in 1981, and Rollin helped her mother end her life in 1983. She revealed this in her book Last Wish, published in 1985 and republished in 1998. One critic called it "a document of personal compassion and public importance." The book has been published in 19 countries and was made into a TV movie in 1992 starring Patty Duke as Rollin and Maureen Stapleton as her mother.

After the book was published, Rollin was active in the death with dignity movement, and served on the advisory board of Compassion and Choices.

Personal life and death

Rollin lived with her husband, mathematician Harold Edwards, in Manhattan until his death in 2020. They had no children. Rollin's health declined after her husband's death, and she died by assisted suicide at the Pegasos Swiss Association in Basel on November 14, 2023, at the age of 87.

Books

References

  1. ^ Sandomir, Richard (November 24, 2023). "Betty Rollin, Who Wrote Candidly About Her Breast Cancer, Dies at 87". The New York Times. Retrieved November 25, 2023.
  2. "The Dick Cavett Show: John & Yoko Collection | PopMatters". Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 16, 2014.
  3. "Harper Collins". Archived from the original on October 21, 2012. Retrieved August 4, 2010.
  4. Belkin, Lisa (March 10, 1993). "At Lunch with--Betty Rollin; After First Crying, Laughing at Cancer". The New York Times.
  5. Jacoby, Susan (September 8, 1985). "Helping Her Mother Die". The New York Times.

See also

Categories: