Poet, Critic and Screenwriter. She began her career as a writer of short stories and poems. Joined the staff of Vanity Fair in 1917. Born Dorothy Rothschild, she married Edward "Eddie" Pond Parker II who returned from World War I with a serious drinking problem. They separated and later divorced. Became one of the founding members of the Algonquin Hotel "Round Table." In 1929, Parker won the national O. Henry Prize for her short story, "Big Blonde." She married Alan Campbell and they moved to Hollywood to write screenplays. Together they received screenplay credit for a number of films including "A Star Is Born" (1937), which was nominated for an Academy Award. She divorced Campbell and later remarried him and stayed with him until his death in 1963. Parker suffered from poor health due to heavy drinking and died alone in 1967 at the age of seventy-three. She left her estate to Dr. Martin Luther King and the NAACP. She also left her ashes to her friend Lillian Hellman who never claimed them. She had a quick wit and was noted for biting personal quotes such as "If you don't have something nice to say about someone, sit next to me" and "The best way to keep children at home is to make the home atmosphere pleasant, and let the air out of the tires." After George Oppenheimer and Ruth Gordon each wrote plays with characters based on Dorothy Parker in them, she wrote, "I wanted to write my autobiography, but now I'm afraid to. George and Ruth would sue me for plagiarism." In August of 1992, she was honored with a US commemorative postage stamp in the Literary Arts series.
Poet, Critic and Screenwriter. She began her career as a writer of short stories and poems. Joined the staff of Vanity Fair in 1917. Born Dorothy Rothschild, she married Edward "Eddie" Pond Parker II who returned from World War I with a serious drinking problem. They separated and later divorced. Became one of the founding members of the Algonquin Hotel "Round Table." In 1929, Parker won the national O. Henry Prize for her short story, "Big Blonde." She married Alan Campbell and they moved to Hollywood to write screenplays. Together they received screenplay credit for a number of films including "A Star Is Born" (1937), which was nominated for an Academy Award. She divorced Campbell and later remarried him and stayed with him until his death in 1963. Parker suffered from poor health due to heavy drinking and died alone in 1967 at the age of seventy-three. She left her estate to Dr. Martin Luther King and the NAACP. She also left her ashes to her friend Lillian Hellman who never claimed them. She had a quick wit and was noted for biting personal quotes such as "If you don't have something nice to say about someone, sit next to me" and "The best way to keep children at home is to make the home atmosphere pleasant, and let the air out of the tires." After George Oppenheimer and Ruth Gordon each wrote plays with characters based on Dorothy Parker in them, she wrote, "I wanted to write my autobiography, but now I'm afraid to. George and Ruth would sue me for plagiarism." In August of 1992, she was honored with a US commemorative postage stamp in the Literary Arts series.
Bio by: Nan
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Leave for her a red young rose,
Go your way, and save your pity;
She is happy, for she knows
That her dust is very pretty.
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