Abigail Van Buren’s Followers (38)

Abigail Van Buren

Born

in Sioux City, Iowa, The United States

July 04, 1918

Genre

Nonfiction

edit data

Pauline Phillips (born as Pauline "Popo" Esther Friedman) founded "Dear Abby" in 1956. The current Dear Abby is her first-born child and only daughter, Jeanne Phillips, who now writes under the pen name of Abigail Van Buren, which was also used by Pauline. She also has a son, Edward Jay Phillips.

Pauline Esther Friedman Phillips was an identical twin; her sister, Esther Pauline Friedman Lederer, wrote the Ann Landers column until her death from multiple myeloma in 2002, at age 83. As children, the two grew up in Sioux City, Iowa, and went by the nicknames "Popo" and "Eppie", respectively. Both are alumnae of Morningside College and both wrote for the college newspaper. They were so close then that they had a joint wedding in 1939 when both w Pauline Phillips (born as Pauline "Popo" Esther Friedman) founded "Dear Abby" in 1956. The current Dear Abby is her first-born child and only daughter, Jeanne Phillips, who now writes under the pen name of Abigail Van Buren, which was also used by Pauline. She also has a son, Edward Jay Phillips.

Pauline Esther Friedman Phillips was an identical twin; her sister, Esther Pauline Friedman Lederer, wrote the Ann Landers column until her death from multiple myeloma in 2002, at age 83. As children, the two grew up in Sioux City, Iowa, and went by the nicknames "Popo" and "Eppie", respectively. Both are alumnae of Morningside College and both wrote for the college newspaper. They were so close then that they had a joint wedding in 1939 when both women were 21 years old. They were both Jewish.

As competing columnists, the sisters occasionally clashed; in 1956, Phillips offered her column to the Sioux City Journal at a reduced price, provided that the paper refused Lederer's column; Life Magazine reported on the offer in 1958.

The sisters publicly reconciled in 1964, although some suggest the acrimony lasted. Phillips has suffered from Alzheimer's disease since at least the 1990s; according to her daughter, her disease is (as of 2006) in its middle stages.

Her husband Morton Phillips and her daughter both state that she did reconcile with her now-deceased sister before Lederer's death. In 2002, when Lederer (Ann Landers) died, Phillips' daughter wrote a Dear Abby column in her memory, to which Margo Howard, Lederer's daughter, came foward and said neither sister had contact in the final years and that Phillips' daughter had only written the column for money. It is unknown if she is aware that Lederer has died. Shortly after Lederer's death, Jeanne Phillips appeared on Larry King Live saying she had told her mother of her sister's death though she had forgotten it a few hours later.

Phillips, who resided in Beverly Hills, California, wrote in a straightforward style that contrasted with Chicago-based Lederer's quips and barbs.

By 1995, when Phillips suffered from the onset of Alzheimer’s disease, her daughter, Jeanne Phillips, assumed all the writing responsibilities of Dear Abby. After the Phillips family publicly announced that Pauline had Alzheimer’s, Jeanne assumed the pen name of Abigail Van Buren.
...more

Combine Editions
Abigail Van Buren’s books

Average rating: 3.87 · 132 ratings · 25 reviews · 22 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Best Of Dear Abby 3.94 avg rating — 93 ratings — published 1981 — 10 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Dear Abby 3.73 avg rating — 15 ratings — published 1958 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Where Were You When President Kennedy Was Shot?: Memories and Tributes to a Slain President As Told to Dear Abby really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 6 ratings — published 1993 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Dear Abby on Planning Your Wedding really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 6 ratings — published 1988 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Dear Teen-Ager 3.29 avg rating — 7 ratings — published 1959 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Best of Dear Abby really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 2 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	DEAR ABBEY ON MARRIAGE it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Dear Abby On Marriage really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1 rating	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Dear Abby's Favorite Recipes really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1 rating — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Dear Abby: The Funniest, Wittiest and Wisest letters from the Famous "DEAR ABBY" Advice-to-the-Lovelorn Column by Abigail Van Buren, Carl Rose (Illustrator) it was ok 2.00 avg rating — 1 rating — 9 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Abigail Van Buren…

Quotes by Abigail Van Buren (?)

“The best index to a person's character is how he treats people who can't do him any good, and how he treats people who can't fight back.”
― Abigail Van Buren

tags: character, life, wisdom

7548 likes

“You could move.' ---"Dear Abby" responds to a reader who complained that a gay couple was moving in across the street and wanted to know what he could do to improve the quality of the neighborhood.”
― Abigail Van Buren

tags: dear-abby, gay, homophobia

231 likes

“The church is a hospital for sinners, not a museum for saints.”
― Abigail Van Buren

tags: church, grace, sin

99 likes

See all Abigail Van Buren's quotes »

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
The History Book ...: AUTHOR ALPHABET	1181	761	Feb 09, 2019 05:03PM

Is this you? Let us know. If not, help out and invite Abigail to Goodreads.