A short life of the author
Nora Ephron (1941–2012) was born on 19 May 1941 in New York City to screenwriter parents. She studied at Wellesley College and began her career as a journalist at the New York Post.
Life and Career
Ephron’s journalism in the 1960s and 1970s — including her essay collection Crazy Salad (1975) — established her as a sharp, funny, feminist voice. Heartburn (1983) — a barely fictionalized novel about the end of her marriage to Carl Bernstein, who had an affair while she was pregnant — is her most personal book: funny and devastating in equal measure.
Her screenwriting career began with Silkwood (1983, co-written with Alice Arlen). When Harry Met Sally… (1989) — directed by Rob Reiner, starring Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan — is one of the greatest romantic comedies ever made. She directed Sleepless in Seattle (1993) and You’ve Got Mail (1998).
I Feel Bad About My Neck (2006) — essays about aging — was a bestseller. I Remember Nothing (2010) was her last collection.
Major Works and Themes
Ephron wrote about women’s lives, love, food, New York, and aging with wit, intelligence, and an unfailing sense of the right detail.
Key Works
- Heartburn (1983)
- I Feel Bad About My Neck (2006)
Collecting Ephron
Heartburn first edition (Knopf, 1983) in fine condition with dust jacket brings $30–$80. Signed copies are scarce. Ephron died in 2012.