Date of Birth: July 8, 1934
Zodiac Sign: Cancer
Date of Death: June 16, 2021
Biography
Janet Malcolm was an influential American writer and journalist, renowned for her work in The New Yorker, where she delved into the intricacies of journalism, psychoanalysis, and literature. Born in Prague, Czechoslovakia, she emigrated with her family to the United States in 1939 to escape the mounting threats of World War II. She grew up in New York City and attended the High School of Music & Art in Manhattan before going on to study at the University of Michigan. Malcolm began her career as a contributor to The New Yorker in 1963 and became a staff writer in 1964. Her writing is characterized by its incisive, often controversial analysis of the ethical dimensions of journalism and the complexities of the human psyche. Some of her most notable works include “The Journalist and the Murderer,” “The Silent Woman: Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes,” and “In the Freud Archives.” Her work has sparked considerable debate and led to significant discussions about the nature of truth and storytelling in journalism. Malcolm’s rigorous approach to her subjects and her distinctive narrative style have cemented her legacy as one of the most significant literary journalists of the 20th and early 21st centuries.
5 Interesting Facts about Janet Malcolm
1. Janet Malcolm’s birth name was Jana Wienerová.
2. She received critical acclaim for her book “The Journalist and the Murderer,” which explores the ethical boundaries between journalists and their subjects.
3. Malcolm was a keen photographer and published a book of her photographs titled “Burke’s Law: A Life in Photographs.”
4. She was a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
5. Malcolm was known for her intense and meticulous research methods, often spending years on a single book.
5 Most Interesting Quotes from Janet Malcolm
1. “Every journalist who is not too stupid or too full of himself to notice what is going on knows that what he does is morally indefensible.”
2. “Writing is a solitary occupation. Family, friends, and society are the natural enemies of the writer.”
3. “The process of writing is a process of inner dialogue.”
4. “Fiction is a branch of neurology: the scenarios of nerve and blood vessels are the written mythologies of the nerve.”
5. “The journalist and the editor are, in the end, the invisible hand behind the text.”
Highest Net Worth Achieved
At her peak, Janet Malcolm’s net worth was estimated to be around $1 million, primarily due to her book sales and contributions to The New Yorker.
Children
Janet Malcolm had one daughter, Anne Malcolm.
Relevant Links
1. [Janet Malcolm – The New Yorker](https://www.newyorker.com/contributors/janet-malcolm
2. [Biography on Britannica](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Janet-Malcolm
3. [Obituary in The New York Times](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/17/books/janet-malcolm-dead.html
5. [Works by Janet Malcolm on Goodreads](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/12965.Janet_Malcolm
