Born on this day in 1953 in Philadelphia, Anna Quindlen is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and best-selling author whose writing has stirred hearts and minds for decades. Raised in South Brunswick, New Jersey, she discovered her passion for writing early on, nurtured by encouraging teachers and the structure of a Catholic school education.

"The validation by teachers led to my life as a writer. I always say if not them, not me," she once said.

Still a student at Barnard College when she began working as a reporter for The New York Post, Quindlen soon joined The New York Times, where she spent 18 years. "I worked across the board with people to get it right and to get it fast," she explained. "Reporters are some of the most dedicated professional people I've ever known."

Covering issues from domestic violence to global warming to feminism, she writes with clarity, wit, and a deep commitment to honesty. "People read to know they're not alone. People write for the same reason. It's like putting a message in a bottle," she reflected.

Her columns About New York and Life in the Thirties explored both the personal and political. She won the 1992 Pulitzer Prize for commentary with her Op/Ed column Public and Private.

"Success that looks good to the world and doesn't feel good in your gut isn't success at all," she believed.

In 1999, Quindlen joined Newsweek as a biweekly columnist, writing the back-page "Last Word" through 2009. Her voice remains a quiet force, nudging readers to think independently, reflect honestly, and keep growing.

She’s always balanced professional excellence with family life and speaks often of the joy of raising her three children. "I would be most content," she once said, "if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves."