Stephen Fried

Websites : http://www.stephenfried.com/, www.thenewrabbi.com
Residence : Philadelphia, PA

Biographical information

Stephen Fried is an award-winning investigative journalist and essayist, and the author of three highly acclaimed books. The New Rabbi was a national bestseller and was chosen as one of the year's best books by Publishers Weekly and beliefnet.com. Bitter Pills: Inside The Hazardous World Of Legal Drugs triggered an FDA investigation into antibiotic safety; and Thing Of Beauty: The Tragedy Of Supermodel Gia inspired the Emmy-winning HBO film "Gia."

Fried teaches magazine writing at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, and is a two-time winner of the National Magazine Award, the highest honor in magazine journalism. He has written frequently for Vanity Fair, The Washington Post Magazine, GQ, Rolling Stone and Philadelphia magazine (where he also served as editor-in-chief.) His best-known magazine piece is "Cradle to Grave," which led police to reinvestigate the mysterious deaths of all ten babies born to Marie Noe, a Philadelphia woman, during the '50s and '60s; the day after the story was published, Marie Noe confessed to murder. He is currently working on his fourth book while serving as a contributing editor at Glamour, specializing in women's health, and writing a monthly column on husbandry for Ladies Home Journal.

Fried, 45, is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and lives in Philadelphia with his wife, author Diane Ayres.

Stephen Fried has a new monthly column for Ladies Home Journal called "Heart of a Husband" which is the first time that a major women's magazine has had a regular male columnist attempting to explain male behavior with a focus on husband/wife relationship issues. Light and funny, it started in February '04.

Discussion topics

• Lessons of The New Rabbi-A special symposium tailored for your individual synagogue, allowing lay leaders and/or clergy to use The New Rabbi and its uniquely engaging insider's view of congregational dynamics to stimulate community dialogue on crucial issues. Includes a private meeting with synagogue officers, board members and clergy, usually followed directly (or the next day) with a public lecture and directed Q&A with the community. (An optional follow-up meeting and additional consultation is also available.) There are two versions of this program:
• • a) For any congregation interested in a provocative lecture and lively dialogue about leadership, spirituality and generational change in their community and American Judaism in general
  • b) For congregations that are specifically searching for new clergy or are facing the prospect of major changes in leadership
• Lashon Horror Stories: A Jewish Journalist's View of the Fine Line Between Genuine Curiousity and Shameless Gossip--There is great debate in the world of Judaism about Lashon Hara--gossip or evil speech. As a journalist whose book has kicked off a national debate among leading rabbis about what Lashon Hara is when it comes to life of the Jewish community, Fried engages an audience in a discussion about the price communities pay when they communicate badly, avoid the press and try to pretend that rough times are really good times--all in the name of not "gossiping."
• Bad for the Jews: Why Are American Jews Still Afraid of the Media We're Always Accused of Controlling?
• Family Business: Deep Inside the Psychodynamics of Jewish family business, from the local furniture store to Rite Aid and Time/AOL
• The New Jew: Reinventing Synagogues and Prayer for the 21st Century

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For more information please contact Carol Fass Publicity & Public Relations at 212.691.9707