Barbara Grizzuti Harrison

About Barbara Grizzuti Harrison

Who is it?: Author, Journalist
Birth Day: September 14, 1934
Birth Place: Queens, American
Died On: April 24, 2002(2002-04-24) (aged 67)\nNew York City, New York, U.S.
Birth Sign: Libra

Barbara Grizzuti Harrison Net Worth

Barbara Grizzuti Harrison was born on September 14, 1934 in Queens, American, is Author, Journalist. Barbara Harrison was an American author and journalist, most famous for her autobiographical works and travel writings. Despite experiencing a troubled childhood where none of the parents cared about her and had her admitted to Jehovah’s Witnesses community, she emerged as a prolific writer and an equally exceptional journalist. The turning point in her life and career was her decision to leave the aforementioned religious community where she used to work after completing her high school. After three years of working there, she renounced the faith and left. What followed was a successful self-education and she blossomed into a multifaceted writer of a wide variety of literature from travel books to essays and fictional novels. She is also considered to be a gifted interviewer and contributed to many national magazines and newspapers. She is regarded as a perceptive author and is best known for her autobiographical essays. Her historical research along with the exploration of complicated religious topics and her courageous treatment of feminism also received high appreciation from reviewers and readers all across the globe. She established her reputation as a thoughtful interviewer and writer who is unafraid to explore personal, literary or social complexities. Her courage, sensitiveness and passion for writing transformed her into an inspiring personality for women all around the world.
Barbara Grizzuti Harrison is a member of Writers

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Biography/Timeline

1934

Barbara Grizzuti was born in Queens, New York City, on September 14, 1934. Her parents were first-generation Americans; her grandparents were immigrants from Calabria in Southern Italy. She later described her childhood as deeply troubled. Her mother, who apparently suffered from mental illness, was emotionally distant and insisted on describing herself as "Barbara's relative", not her mother. Near the end of her life Harrison also claimed that her father had sexually abused her. The turmoil of her childhood would have a strong influence on her writing.

1960

In 1960 Barbara Grizzuti married W. Dale Harrison, an aid worker for Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere (CARE). The couple spent the eight years of their marriage living in Tripoli, Mumbai, Hyderabad, India, and Chichicastenango. The Harrisons had a son, Joshua, and a daughter, Anna. They divorced in 1968, and Barbara returned to New York with the children.

1969

By now Harrison had become involved with the women's movement, and she began writing on feminist themes for various publications. Her first book, Unlearning the Lie: Sexism in School, was published in 1969. Harrison was one of the first contributors to Ms. magazine.

1978

Harrison became nationally known in 1978 when she published Visions of Glory: A History and a Memory of Jehovah's Witnesses, which combined childhood memoirs with a history of the Jehovah's Witness movement. Although Harrison expressed admiration for individual Witnesses and wrote sympathetically of their persecution, she portrayed the faith itself as harsh and tyrannical, racist and sexist.

1980

Harrison published two collections of her essays and interviews: Off Center (1980) and The Astonishing World (1992). Her 1992 Harper's essay "P.C. on the Grill", which lampooned the "philosophy" of popular TV chef The Frugal Gourmet, was included in the 1993 edition of Best American Essays.

1984

In 1984 Harrison published a novel, Foreign Bodies. She won an O. Henry Award for short fiction in 1989.

1989

Harrison also wrote numerous travel articles covering destinations all over the world. She published two books about her travels in Italy, Italian Days (1989) and The Islands of Italy: Sicily, Sardinia, and the Aeolian Islands (1991).

1994

In 1994 Harrison, who had been a heavy smoker for most of her adult life, was diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. During her illness she completed her last book, An Accidental Autobiography. As the title implied, the book was less a straightforward memoir than a stream-of-consciousness collection of memories and reflections, loosely organised by theme.

2002

Harrison wrote little afterwards as her illness progressed. She died on April 24, 2002 in a hospice in Manhattan.