Barbara Raskin

Raskin née Bellman was born on August 25, 1935, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.^[1] She attended the University of Minnesota, and the University of Chicago.^[2]

Raskin worked for time as a flight attendant before settling in Washington, D.C. Raskin wrote for a variety of publications including The New Republic, The New York Times and The Washington Post.^[3]

Raskin wrote five novels; The National Anthem (1977), Out of Order (1979), Hot Flashes (1987), Loose Ends (1988), and Current Affairs (1990).^[3] Hot Flashes was her best-selling novel, staying on The New York Times Best Seller list for four months^[4] and selling 1.5 million copies in hardcover and paperback.^[5]

Raskin was involved with organizations associated with writing and journalism. She served as chair of the National Writers Union from 1982 to 1983. She was a co-founder of Washington Independent Writers (now the American Independent Writers). In 1982 she was the recipient of a fiction award from the National Endowment for the Arts.^[1]

Raskin was married to the political activist Marcus Raskin^[4] with whom she had three children, including Congressman Jamie Raskin.^[6] They divorced in 1980. In 1984 she married Anatole Shub. That marriage ended in divorce.^[when?][7]

Raskin died on July 23, 1999, in Baltimore, Maryland, of complications after surgery for a vascular disease.^[1]

• 'Flash Point' for Barbara Raskin by Stephanie Mansfield, August 27, 1987, The Washington Post