Loretta Schwartz-Nobel
Encyclopedia
Loretta Schwartz-Nobel is an American
journalist
and writer
currently living in Pennsylvania
. She is known primarily for her advocacy of the disadvantaged families of America.
Schwartz-Nobel achieved national acclaim for her article in the Christmas 1974 issue of Philadelphia magazine, in which she brought attention to the hardships of the poor and destitute living in the otherwise typical American city of Philadelphia. The article proved worthy of the 1975 Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award
"for outstanding coverage of the problems of the disadvantaged."
For the next seven years, Schwartz-Nobel traveled the nation, doing similar research in several other cities, including Boston
, Washington
, and Chicago
, and writing articles for local newspapers and magazines in each city. In 1981, she combined her experiences to form her first novel, Starving in the Shadow of Plenty, in which she outlined the alarmingly destitute living conditions of America's poor families, focusing especially on the difficulty of obtaining food and the ineffectuality of government welfare programs. Her book, as well as a number of economic factors, contributed to a distinct period of awareness of domestic poverty in the United States. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, for example, concluded that "Hunger is increasing at a frenetic pace and the emergency of food available for distribution is quickly depleted."
After at least fifteen federal agencies acknowledged the existence of a domestic hunger
epidemic, Schwartz-Nobel considered her duties as a journalist accomplished. She resigned herself to other subjects, publishing four nonfiction books on unrelated topics. The surge in public awareness of the early 1980s never directly caused any significant political action to alleviate hunger or poverty in the United States. In fact, as early as 1985, the Department of Agriculture insisted that domestic hunger was no longer a problem and that the United States government was already more successful at preventing malnutrition and poverty than any other administration in history. Instead of trying to relieve the problem, Congress
reduced funding for nutrition programs by $12 billion. The White House also denied the existence of a problem. President Ronald Reagan
himself insisted that there was plenty of food available to the poor and that "the hungry are too ignorant to know where to get it." Reagan's words caused a public outcry, to which he responded by admitting his mistake and personally participating in Hands Across America
. Shortly thereafter, Congress responded to hunger concerns for the first time since Starving in the Shadow of Plenty by increasing funding for nutrition programs by $5 billion.
In 1996, though, the passage of Contract with America
and Welfare to Work laws threatened the availability of funds for America's hungry families once again. Schwartz-Nobel responded by reviving her crusade to put an end to hunger in America. In 2002, her efforts culminated in Growing Up Empty, another muckraking novel sharply critical of federal government welfare policies. Some especially shocking and controversial elements of the book include her criticism of poverty among families in the U.S. military and the federal government's ironic preoccupation with solving hunger epidemics in other nations rather than focusing on similar problems inside its own borders. Schwartz-Nobel has not recently commented on her satisfaction with the effects of the novel, but there have been no significant straightforward increases in welfare spending in the United States since the book's publication.
Her newest book is called Poisoned Nation. Poisoned Nation links the soaring epidemics of cluster illness to the chemical contamination of our water, air, food and everyday products for the profit and power of a reckless few. With irrefutable evidence and moving personal stories of the sick and dying, Poisoned Nation demonstrates that the human equivalent of global warming is already upon us. It shows how the government operates in tandem with America’s most notorious polluters, and how they have deceived the public, buried evidence of spreading disease, and suppressed critical scientific data. Poisoned Nation also traces the relationships between organizations whose products cause diseases and those who profit from diagnosing and treating them, as well as their efforts to avoid research into environmental causes and possible cures. This is an urgent call for action that delineates the problem with such clarity that the truth shines through. A plea is issued to religious leaders of all faiths to work together for change, to create a movement to defeat greed and guide us toward a safer, healthier future. Her personal website is located at http://www.lorettaschwartznobel.com.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
currently living in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. She is known primarily for her advocacy of the disadvantaged families of America.
Schwartz-Nobel achieved national acclaim for her article in the Christmas 1974 issue of Philadelphia magazine, in which she brought attention to the hardships of the poor and destitute living in the otherwise typical American city of Philadelphia. The article proved worthy of the 1975 Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award
Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award
The Robert F. Kennedy Awards for Excellence in Journalism is journalisms award named after Robert F. Kennedy and awarded by the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights. The annual awards are issued in several categories and were established in December 1968 by a group of reporters who...
"for outstanding coverage of the problems of the disadvantaged."
For the next seven years, Schwartz-Nobel traveled the nation, doing similar research in several other cities, including Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Washington
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, and Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, and writing articles for local newspapers and magazines in each city. In 1981, she combined her experiences to form her first novel, Starving in the Shadow of Plenty, in which she outlined the alarmingly destitute living conditions of America's poor families, focusing especially on the difficulty of obtaining food and the ineffectuality of government welfare programs. Her book, as well as a number of economic factors, contributed to a distinct period of awareness of domestic poverty in the United States. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, for example, concluded that "Hunger is increasing at a frenetic pace and the emergency of food available for distribution is quickly depleted."
After at least fifteen federal agencies acknowledged the existence of a domestic hunger
Hunger
Hunger is the most commonly used term to describe the social condition of people who frequently experience the physical sensation of desiring food.-Malnutrition, famine, starvation:...
epidemic, Schwartz-Nobel considered her duties as a journalist accomplished. She resigned herself to other subjects, publishing four nonfiction books on unrelated topics. The surge in public awareness of the early 1980s never directly caused any significant political action to alleviate hunger or poverty in the United States. In fact, as early as 1985, the Department of Agriculture insisted that domestic hunger was no longer a problem and that the United States government was already more successful at preventing malnutrition and poverty than any other administration in history. Instead of trying to relieve the problem, Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
reduced funding for nutrition programs by $12 billion. The White House also denied the existence of a problem. President Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
himself insisted that there was plenty of food available to the poor and that "the hungry are too ignorant to know where to get it." Reagan's words caused a public outcry, to which he responded by admitting his mistake and personally participating in Hands Across America
Hands Across America
Hands Across America was a benefit event and publicity campaign staged on Sunday May 25, 1986 in which approximately 6.5 million people held hands in a human chain for fifteen minutes along a path across the continental United States...
. Shortly thereafter, Congress responded to hunger concerns for the first time since Starving in the Shadow of Plenty by increasing funding for nutrition programs by $5 billion.
In 1996, though, the passage of Contract with America
Contract with America
The Contract with America was a document released by the United States Republican Party during the 1994 Congressional election campaign. Written by Larry Hunter, who was aided by Newt Gingrich, Robert Walker, Richard Armey, Bill Paxon, Tom DeLay, John Boehner and Jim Nussle, and in part using text...
and Welfare to Work laws threatened the availability of funds for America's hungry families once again. Schwartz-Nobel responded by reviving her crusade to put an end to hunger in America. In 2002, her efforts culminated in Growing Up Empty, another muckraking novel sharply critical of federal government welfare policies. Some especially shocking and controversial elements of the book include her criticism of poverty among families in the U.S. military and the federal government's ironic preoccupation with solving hunger epidemics in other nations rather than focusing on similar problems inside its own borders. Schwartz-Nobel has not recently commented on her satisfaction with the effects of the novel, but there have been no significant straightforward increases in welfare spending in the United States since the book's publication.
Her newest book is called Poisoned Nation. Poisoned Nation links the soaring epidemics of cluster illness to the chemical contamination of our water, air, food and everyday products for the profit and power of a reckless few. With irrefutable evidence and moving personal stories of the sick and dying, Poisoned Nation demonstrates that the human equivalent of global warming is already upon us. It shows how the government operates in tandem with America’s most notorious polluters, and how they have deceived the public, buried evidence of spreading disease, and suppressed critical scientific data. Poisoned Nation also traces the relationships between organizations whose products cause diseases and those who profit from diagnosing and treating them, as well as their efforts to avoid research into environmental causes and possible cures. This is an urgent call for action that delineates the problem with such clarity that the truth shines through. A plea is issued to religious leaders of all faiths to work together for change, to create a movement to defeat greed and guide us toward a safer, healthier future. Her personal website is located at http://www.lorettaschwartznobel.com.
Works
- Starving in the Shadow of Plenty, 1981
- Engaged to Murder, 1988
- A Mother's Story, 1989
- The Baby Swap Conspiracy, 1992
- Forsaking All Others, 1993
- The Journey, 2001
- Growing Up Empty, 2002
- Poisoned Nation, 2007
Awards
- Women in Communication Award
- Society of Professional Journalists Award
- Penny Missouri Award
- Columbia Graduate School of Journalism Award
- Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award (twice)