Jeannette Walls
Encyclopedia
Jeannette Walls is a writer and journalist widely known as former gossip columnist for MSNBC.com
— and author of The Glass Castle
, a memoir of the nomadic family life of her childhood, which stayed on the New York Times Best Seller list
for 100 weeks.
to Rex Walls (deceased 1994), an electrician, and Rose Mary Walls, an artist. As detailed in The Glass Castle
, Walls' family life was rootless, with the family shuttling from Phoenix, Arizona
, California (including a brief stay in the Tenderloin district
of San Fransisco) , Battle Mountain, Nevada
, and Welch, West Virginia
, with periods of homelessness. Walls moved to New York at age 17 and graduated in 1984 with honors from Barnard College
. Walls is one of four children; she has two sisters and one brother.
and the author of The Count and the Confession: A True Murder Mystery, Falling: The Story of One Marriage, and Circus of Ambition: The Culture of Wealth and Power in the Eighties.
magazine (the "Intelligencer" column 1987-1993), Esquire
(1993–1998), USA Today
, and has appeared on The Today Show, CNN
, Primetime
, and The Colbert Report. Early in her career she interned at a local Brooklyn
newspaper called The Phoenix and eventually became a full-time reporter there, although the newspaper went out of business in 1998. She contributed regularly to the gossip column "Scoop" at MSNBC.com
from 1998 until her departure to write full-time in 2007.
In 2000, Walls published the book Dish: The Inside Story on the World of Gossip in which she, incidentally, outed
conservative cyber-gossip Matt Drudge
as gay.
In 2005, Walls published the bestselling memoir The Glass Castle, which Paramount
had bought the rights to, although never developed it into film. Currently, The Glass Castle has sold over 2.5 million copies and has been translated into 22 languages. It has received the Christopher Award
, the American Library Association
's Alex Award (2006) and the Books for Better Living Award.
In 2009, Walls published her first fiction book, Half Broke Horses
: A True-Life Novel, based on the life of her grandmother Lily Casey Smith.
Msnbc.com
msnbc.com is a news website owned and operated as a joint venture by NBCUniversal and Microsoft.In addition to original content from its news staff, msnbc.com is the news website for the NBC News family, with content from the cable television news channel MSNBC, NBC shows such as Today, NBC Nightly...
— and author of The Glass Castle
The Glass Castle
The Glass Castle is a 2005 memoir by Jeannette Walls. The book recounts her and her siblings' unconventional, poverty-stricken upbringing at the hands of their deeply dysfunctional parents....
, a memoir of the nomadic family life of her childhood, which stayed on the New York Times Best Seller list
New York Times Best Seller list
The New York Times Best Seller list is widely considered the preeminent list of best-selling books in the United States. It is published weekly in The New York Times Book Review magazine, which is published in the Sunday edition of The New York Times and as a stand-alone publication...
for 100 weeks.
Early life and education
Walls was born on April 21, 1960 in Phoenix, ArizonaPhoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
to Rex Walls (deceased 1994), an electrician, and Rose Mary Walls, an artist. As detailed in The Glass Castle
The Glass Castle
The Glass Castle is a 2005 memoir by Jeannette Walls. The book recounts her and her siblings' unconventional, poverty-stricken upbringing at the hands of their deeply dysfunctional parents....
, Walls' family life was rootless, with the family shuttling from Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
, California (including a brief stay in the Tenderloin district
Tenderloin district
Tenderloin District may refer to:*Tenderloin, Manhattan*Tenderloin, San Francisco, California...
of San Fransisco) , Battle Mountain, Nevada
Battle Mountain, Nevada
Battle Mountain is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Lander County, Nevada, United States. The population was 2,871 at the 2000 census. Though it has no legal status as a municipality, it still functions as the county seat of Lander County...
, and Welch, West Virginia
Welch, West Virginia
Welch is a city located in McDowell County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. The population was 2,406 at the 2010 census. Incorporated as a city in 1893, it is the county seat of McDowell County.-History:...
, with periods of homelessness. Walls moved to New York at age 17 and graduated in 1984 with honors from Barnard College
Barnard College
Barnard College is a private women's liberal arts college and a member of the Seven Sisters. Founded in 1889, Barnard has been affiliated with Columbia University since 1900. The campus stretches along Broadway between 116th and 120th Streets in the Morningside Heights neighborhood in the borough...
. Walls is one of four children; she has two sisters and one brother.
Personal life
Walls married Eric Goldberg in 1988 (divorced, 1996) and now lives outside Culpeper, Virginia, with her second husband, journalist John J. Taylor, a former writer for EsquireEsquire (magazine)
Esquire is a men's magazine, published in the U.S. by the Hearst Corporation. Founded in 1932, it flourished during the Great Depression under the guidance of founder and editor Arnold Gingrich.-History:...
and the author of The Count and the Confession: A True Murder Mystery, Falling: The Story of One Marriage, and Circus of Ambition: The Culture of Wealth and Power in the Eighties.
Career
Walls has written for New YorkNew York (magazine)
New York is a weekly magazine principally concerned with the life, culture, politics, and style of New York City. Founded by Milton Glaser and Clay Felker in 1968 as a competitor to The New Yorker, it was brasher and less polite than that magazine, and established itself as a cradle of New...
magazine (the "Intelligencer" column 1987-1993), Esquire
Esquire (magazine)
Esquire is a men's magazine, published in the U.S. by the Hearst Corporation. Founded in 1932, it flourished during the Great Depression under the guidance of founder and editor Arnold Gingrich.-History:...
(1993–1998), USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
, and has appeared on The Today Show, CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, Primetime
Primetime (TV series)
Primetime is an American news magazine show which debuted on ABC in 1989 with co-hosts Sam Donaldson and Diane Sawyer and originally had the title Primetime Live.-Early history:...
, and The Colbert Report. Early in her career she interned at a local Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
newspaper called The Phoenix and eventually became a full-time reporter there, although the newspaper went out of business in 1998. She contributed regularly to the gossip column "Scoop" at MSNBC.com
Msnbc.com
msnbc.com is a news website owned and operated as a joint venture by NBCUniversal and Microsoft.In addition to original content from its news staff, msnbc.com is the news website for the NBC News family, with content from the cable television news channel MSNBC, NBC shows such as Today, NBC Nightly...
from 1998 until her departure to write full-time in 2007.
In 2000, Walls published the book Dish: The Inside Story on the World of Gossip in which she, incidentally, outed
Outing
Outing is the act of disclosing a gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender person's true sexual orientation or gender identity without that person's consent. Outing gives rise to issues of privacy, choice, hypocrisy, and harm in addition to sparking debate on what constitutes common good in efforts...
conservative cyber-gossip Matt Drudge
Matt Drudge
Matthew Nathan Drudge is the American creator and editor of the Drudge Report, a news aggregation website. Drudge is self-described as being conservative and populist. Drudge has also authored a book and hosted a radio show and a television show.-Early years:Matthew Drudge was raised in Takoma...
as gay.
In 2005, Walls published the bestselling memoir The Glass Castle, which Paramount
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
had bought the rights to, although never developed it into film. Currently, The Glass Castle has sold over 2.5 million copies and has been translated into 22 languages. It has received the Christopher Award
Christopher Award
The Christopher Award is presented to the producers, directors, and writers of books, motion pictures and television specials that "affirm the highest values of the human spirit"...
, the American Library Association
American Library Association
The American Library Association is a non-profit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 62,000 members....
's Alex Award (2006) and the Books for Better Living Award.
In 2009, Walls published her first fiction book, Half Broke Horses
Half Broke Horses
'Half Broke Horses' is a book written by Jeannette Walls detailing the life of her grandmother, Lily Casey Smith.Content:Half Broke Horses is the story of Lily Casey Smith’s life. Author Jeannette Walls, the granddaughter of Lily Casey Smith, wrote the book from Lily’s point of view...
: A True-Life Novel, based on the life of her grandmother Lily Casey Smith.
Siblings
Jeannette Walls is one of four children. She was the second oldest child and was one of three girls. She has two sisters and one brother. Lori Walls and Maureen Walls are her two sisters. Brian Walls was the only brother. For the most part they were all close with each other as they were growing up and are still close to this day, with the exception of Maureen. The family itself is not close with Maureen and they have not been since they were growing up.- Lori Walls: The oldest sibling of them all reached her dreams of becoming an artist. She has been painting and drawing and is now an illustrator who is living in Manhattan.
- Brian Walls: The only boy of the four children. He as well achieved his dreams of becoming a cop. His goals were met and is now retired from the police force. He is currently attending college to earn his teaching degree. His plans are to become a teacher when he earns his degree.
- Maureen Walls: The youngest of all the siblings. She is the most distant from all of the others. She hit a rough patch and the family is trying to help her out of it.