Jeffrey Zaslow
Encyclopedia
Jeffrey Zaslow is an American journalist and a columnist for The Wall Street Journal
. He is also the author or coauthor of several bestselling books: The Last Lecture
(2008) with Randy Pausch, Highest Duty: My Search for What Really Matters
with Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger
(2009), and The Girls from Ames
(2009).
Professor Randy Pausch
. Zaslow’s column about the talk sparked a worldwide phenomenon. Tens of millions of people have since viewed footage of the lecture on the Internet and on TV.
The book by Pausch and Zaslow, translated into 48 languages, was a #1 New York Times best-seller, spending more than 110 weeks on the list. Media coverage included The Oprah Winfrey Show
and an ABC
special hosted by Diane Sawyer
. More than 5 million copies of the book are in print in the U.S. (www.TheLastLecture.com)
The Girls from Ames
is a nonfiction book about a group of friends who grew up together in Ames, Iowa
. It was billed by the publisher (Gotham Books) as "the inspiring true story of eleven girls and the ten women they became." (www.GirlsFromAmes.com) It spent 16 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, rising as high as #3.
Highest Duty was co-written by Zaslow with Capt. Sullenberger, who famously landed US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River on January 15, 2009. The book debuted at # 3 on the New York Times list.
In 2011, Zaslow collaborated with veteran astronaut Mark Kelly and his wife, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, on their memoir, Gabby: A Story of Courage and Hope. An hour-long ABC TV special hosted by Diane Sawyer was announced for November 14, 2011, the evening before the book’s release.
Jeff also recently wrote The Magic Room: A story about the love we wish for our daughters, due for publication in January 2012. The nonfiction narrative is set at a small-town Michigan bridal shop, and looks at the lives of a handful of brides (and their parents) who’ve journeyed to the store’s “Magic Room.”
Zaslow first worked at the Orlando Sentinel
, as a writer for that newspaper's Florida magazine. He then wrote for the Wall Street Journal from 1983 to 1987, when he wrote a front-page feature about a competition to replace Ann Landers at the Chicago Sun-Times
. He entered to get an angle for his story, and won the job over 12,000 other applicants. He worked as a columnist at the Sun-Times from 1987 to 2001.
While working at the Sun-Times, Zaslow received the Will Rogers Humanitarian Award. Zaslow was honored for using his column to run programs that benefited 47,000 disadvantaged Chicago children. His annual singles party for charity, Zazz Bash, drew 7,000 readers a year and resulted in 78 marriages.
Zaslow’s TV appearances have included The Tonight Show
, Oprah, Larry King Live
, 60 Minutes
, Today, and Good Morning America
.
A Broomall, Pennsylvania
native born in 1958, Zaslow attended Marple Newtown High School
and is a 1980 graduate of Carnegie Mellon University
, where he majored in creative writing. His wife, Sherry Margolis, is a TV news anchor with WJBK
television in Detroit. They have three daughters: Jordan, Alex and Eden.
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
. He is also the author or coauthor of several bestselling books: The Last Lecture
The Last Lecture
The Last Lecture is a New York Times best-selling book co-authored by Randy Pausch, a professor of computer science, human-computer interaction, and design at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Jeffrey Zaslow of the Wall Street Journal...
(2008) with Randy Pausch, Highest Duty: My Search for What Really Matters
Highest Duty: My Search for What Really Matters
Highest Duty: My Search for What Really Matters is a memoir written by Chesley Sullenberger and Jeffrey Zaslow describing the events of US Airways Flight 1549. The New York Times bestselling autobiography of Capt...
with Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger
Chesley Sullenberger
Chesley Burnett "Sully" Sullenberger III is an American airline transport pilot , safety expert, and accident investigator from Danville, California...
(2009), and The Girls from Ames
The Girls from Ames
"The Girls from Ames" is a group of women from Ames, Iowa who were the subject of Jeffrey Zaslow's 2009 nonfiction bestseller about lifelong friendships. In the book, Zaslow chronicled eleven childhood friends who formed a special bond growing up in Ames...
(2009).
Biography
Zaslow’s Wall Street Journal column, "Moving On", focuses on life transitions and often attracts wide media interest. That was certainly the case in September 2007, after Zaslow attended the final lecture of Carnegie Mellon UniversityCarnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States....
Professor Randy Pausch
Randy Pausch
Randolph Frederick "Randy" Pausch was an American professor of computer science and human-computer interaction and design at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania....
. Zaslow’s column about the talk sparked a worldwide phenomenon. Tens of millions of people have since viewed footage of the lecture on the Internet and on TV.
The book by Pausch and Zaslow, translated into 48 languages, was a #1 New York Times best-seller, spending more than 110 weeks on the list. Media coverage included The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
and an ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
special hosted by Diane Sawyer
Diane Sawyer
Lila Diane Sawyer is the current anchor of ABC News' flagship program, ABC World News. Previously, Sawyer had been co-anchor of ABC Newss morning news program, Good Morning America ....
. More than 5 million copies of the book are in print in the U.S. (www.TheLastLecture.com)
The Girls from Ames
Ames, Iowa
Ames is a city located in the central part of the U.S. state of Iowa in Story County, and approximately north of Des Moines. The U.S. Census Bureau designates that Ames, Iowa metropolitan statistical area as encompassing all of Story County, and which, when combined with the Boone, Iowa...
is a nonfiction book about a group of friends who grew up together in Ames, Iowa
Ames, Iowa
Ames is a city located in the central part of the U.S. state of Iowa in Story County, and approximately north of Des Moines. The U.S. Census Bureau designates that Ames, Iowa metropolitan statistical area as encompassing all of Story County, and which, when combined with the Boone, Iowa...
. It was billed by the publisher (Gotham Books) as "the inspiring true story of eleven girls and the ten women they became." (www.GirlsFromAmes.com) It spent 16 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, rising as high as #3.
Highest Duty was co-written by Zaslow with Capt. Sullenberger, who famously landed US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River on January 15, 2009. The book debuted at # 3 on the New York Times list.
In 2011, Zaslow collaborated with veteran astronaut Mark Kelly and his wife, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, on their memoir, Gabby: A Story of Courage and Hope. An hour-long ABC TV special hosted by Diane Sawyer was announced for November 14, 2011, the evening before the book’s release.
Jeff also recently wrote The Magic Room: A story about the love we wish for our daughters, due for publication in January 2012. The nonfiction narrative is set at a small-town Michigan bridal shop, and looks at the lives of a handful of brides (and their parents) who’ve journeyed to the store’s “Magic Room.”
Zaslow first worked at the Orlando Sentinel
Orlando Sentinel
The Orlando Sentinel is the primary newspaper of the Orlando, Florida region. It was founded in 1876. The Sentinel is owned by Tribune Company and is overseen by the Chicago Tribune. As of 2005, the Sentinel’s president and publisher was Kathleen Waltz; she announced her resignation in February 2008...
, as a writer for that newspaper's Florida magazine. He then wrote for the Wall Street Journal from 1983 to 1987, when he wrote a front-page feature about a competition to replace Ann Landers at the Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
. He entered to get an angle for his story, and won the job over 12,000 other applicants. He worked as a columnist at the Sun-Times from 1987 to 2001.
While working at the Sun-Times, Zaslow received the Will Rogers Humanitarian Award. Zaslow was honored for using his column to run programs that benefited 47,000 disadvantaged Chicago children. His annual singles party for charity, Zazz Bash, drew 7,000 readers a year and resulted in 78 marriages.
Zaslow’s TV appearances have included The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. It is the longest currently running regularly scheduled entertainment program in the United States, and the third longest-running show on NBC, after Meet the Press and Today.The Tonight Show has been hosted by...
, Oprah, Larry King Live
Larry King Live
Larry King Live is an American talk show hosted by Larry King on CNN from 1985 to 2010. It was CNN's most watched and longest-running program, with over one million viewers nightly....
, 60 Minutes
60 Minutes
60 Minutes is an American television news magazine, which has run on CBS since 1968. The program was created by producer Don Hewitt who set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation....
, Today, and Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
.
A Broomall, Pennsylvania
Broomall, Pennsylvania
Broomall is a census-designated place in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 11,046 at the 2000 census. The community was named after John Martin Broomall, a 19th century U.S...
native born in 1958, Zaslow attended Marple Newtown High School
Marple Newtown School District
Marple Newtown School District is the school district for Newtown Township and Marple Township in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. The student demographic is about 86% Caucasian, 11% Asian, 2% Black, and 1% Hispanic with 51% being male and 49% being female. The entire district has around 3,500...
and is a 1980 graduate of Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States....
, where he majored in creative writing. His wife, Sherry Margolis, is a TV news anchor with WJBK
WJBK
WJBK is the Fox–owned and operated television station in Detroit, Michigan broadcasting on digital channel 7...
television in Detroit. They have three daughters: Jordan, Alex and Eden.