Susan Orlean

Journalist
BIRTHDAY
October 31,1955
Birthplace
Cleveland, OH
Age
66 years old
Birth Sign
Scorpio
BIRTHDAY
October 31,1955 (age 66)
Birthplace
Cleveland, OH

About

New Yorker staff writer and non-fiction author known for her book The Orchid Thief, with was the inspiration for the movie Adaptation. She's also written for Esquire and Rolling Stone.

Before Fame

She studied history and literature at the University of Michigan, after which she started writing for the Willamette Weekly in Oregon. She published her first book, Saturday Night, in 1990.

Trivia

A 1998 article of hers, about a group of surfing girls, served as inspiration for Blue Crush. Her academic honors include a Nieman Fellowship at Harvard, an honorary doctorate from Michigan, and a Guggenheim Fellowship.

Family Life

She was married to Peter Sistrom from 1983-1999. She married John Gillespie in 2001 and has a son and step-son.

Associated With

Meryl Streep portrayed a fictionalized version of Orlean in Adaptation, a role that earned her a Golden Globe.