Nora Ephron 1941–

American journalist, essayist, and editor.

Ephron is a commentator on popular culture who brings a fresh, iconoclastic approach to contemporary topics. A feminist who is not dogmatic or humorless ("I always say I'm a quirky feminist. I don't know what the party line is."), Ephron is also a popular media celebrity who is frequently irreverent about fellow journalists.

The daughter of two Hollywood filmwriters, she was raised in affluent America. She has said of her childhood, "I grew up in Beverly Hills loving the smell of mink, the smell of the pavement after it rained, and the smell of dollar bills." Ephron's fascination with the products of a consumer society has produced some of her best known essays, such as the Esquire article on feminine hygiene products.

As a columnist for Esquire and New York magazine, she exhibited a variety of techniques; while admiring her skill in the short essay, some critics wish she would attempt a longer, more demanding form. Ephron's three best known books, Wallflower at the Orgy, Crazy Salad, and Scribble Scribble, are collections composed primarily of her magazine articles. Young people have found their perceptive, humorous analyses of American foibles to be both accurate and entertaining. (See also Contemporary Authors, Vols. 65-68.)