Where Delicate Subjects Were Discussed

The Friedman twins, aka Abigail Van Buren and Ann Landers

When there were two newspapers in every town, the Friedman twins were two of the most famous women in America. Esther Friedman Lederer and Pauline Friedman Phillips wrote the daily advice columns "Ask Ann Landers" and "Dear Abby" , respectively. Esther (Ann) died in 2002, and Pauline (Abby) succumbed yesterday at the age of 94.

It may be difficult to imagine, but there was a time when most delicate subjects--the ones that piqued our curiosity--were not talked or written about very much. We certainly wouldn't discuss such matters with our parents, teachers, or clergymen, so we turned to Abby and Ann Landers out of curiosity, perhaps leavened by a dash of schadenfreude.

I used to be a regular reader of Ann Landers in the morning Advertiser and Abby in the evening Star-Bulletin. Now their common sense and moderate sensibility are viewed as relics from a bygone age, like the newspapers that carried them.  © 2013 Stephen Yuen