Remembering Nora Ephron (May 19, 1941 - June 26, 2012)

photo credit: The Huffington Post

“Reading is everything. Reading makes me feel like I've accomplished something, learned something, become a better person. Reading makes me smarter. Reading gives me something to talk about later on. Reading is the unbelievably healthy way my attention deficit disorder medicates itself. Reading is escape, and the opposite of escape; it's a way to make contact with reality after a day of making things up, and it's a way of making contact with someone else's imagination after a day that's all too real. Reading is grist. Reading is bliss.” -- Nora Ephron, I Feel Bad About My Neck (And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman)

Yesterday a talented woman left this life with a strong legacy.  An advocate for reading, as noted in the quote above, she herself was a journalist, actress, playwright, screenwriter, director and producer.  Nora Ephron was a multi-talented woman.

Daughter to two screenwriters, Henry and Phoebe Ephron, Nora is survived by her parents; three sisters: Hallie, Dahlia and Amy; her husband Nicholas Pileggi, two sons Jacob and Max.  She was previously married to Dan Greenburg and Carl Bernstein.  Nora died from pneumonia, a complication of leukaemia of which she was diagnosed in 2006.  She will always be remembered for her wit, charisma, and brilliance.

The following films were either written, produced or directed (or a combination thereof) by Nora Ephron:

• (1983) Silkwood (writer)
• (1986) Heartburn (writer, novel)
• (1989) When Harry Met Sally... (writer, associate producer)
• (1989) Cookie (writer, executive producer)
• (1990) My Blue Heaven (writer, executive producer)
• (1992) This Is My Life (director, writer)
• (1993) Sleepless in Seattle (director, writer)
• (1994) Mixed Nuts (director, writer)
• (1996) Michael (director, writer, producer)
• (1998) Strike! / The Hairy Bird / All I Wanna Do (executive producer)
• (1998) You've Got Mail (director, writer, producer)
• (2000) Hanging Up (writer, producer)
• (2000) Lucky Numbers (director, producer)
• (2005) Bewitched (director, writer, producer)
• (2009) Julie & Julia (director, writer, producer)  (this is one of my all time favourites)

(from Wikipedia)

I was surprised, though I shouldn't be, to note that some of my favourite "chick flicks" were written, produced and/or directed by Nora Ephron.  My favourites of these are:  Sleepless in Seattle, You've Got Mail and Julie & Julia.  If you haven't had the opportunity to see some of her films, you simply must.

Nora also wrote the following collections of essays:

• Crazy Salad
• Wallflower at the Orgy
• (2010) I Remember Nothing: And other Reflections
• (2006) I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman
• (1975) The Boston Photographs

and she blogged for The Huffington Post.

I chose this quote to end this memorial because I appreciated the strength of it and I hope you will too:

"Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim." -- from Wellesley commencement address, 1996