American Independent Writers (AIW) was an American trade organization for professional writers. It existed from 1975 until about 2011, when, due to dwindling membership and financial problems, it went out of business.
It was formed as the Washington Independent Writers (WIW) in 1975 by a group of freelance writers in the Washington, D.C., area to address concerns over finding health insurance, job searching, and to provide social opportunities to help writers overcome isolation. Its first meetings were held in the National Press Club. [1]
The first meeting, in April 1975, was attended by 200 people. [1] By 1987, WIW was the largest regional writers' group in the country. [2] In 2004, it had 1500 members. [3]
Originally WIW provided services including "a monthly newsletter, Job Bank, social activities, directory of members, legal services program, health insurance access, grievance procedures, medical insurance, and a continuing round of workshops and seminars. [4] " [1]
By the 1980s, these had expanded to include political activism, [2] and legal support and fundraising, most famously for founding member Kitty Kelley from 1983 to 1984, when she was sued by Frank Sinatra in an attempt to stop her publication of his unauthorized biography, His Way. [5] [3] [6] [7]
The group changed its name to American Independent Writers on July 1, 2008, to open up more opportunities for grants and donations. [8]
Francis Albert Sinatra was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular entertainers of the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. He is among the world's best-selling music artists with an estimated 150 million record sales.
Katherine Kelley is an American journalist and author of best-selling unauthorized biographies of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Elizabeth Taylor, Frank Sinatra, Nancy Reagan, the British Royal Family, the Bush family, and Oprah Winfrey.
AARP is an interest group in the United States focusing on issues affecting those over the age of fifty. The organization said it had more than 38 million members in 2018. The magazine and bulletin it sends to its members are the two largest-circulation publications in the United States.
The Family: The Real Story of the Bush Dynasty is an unauthorized biography of the Bush family by the American investigative journalist Kitty Kelley. It was published on September 14, 2004, less than two months before the 2004 US Presidential election. Reviews of the book were mixed, with some of the "accusations," according to The New York Times, "[standing] up better than others."
Primerica, Inc. is a company that provides insurance, investment and financial services to middle income families in the United States and Canada.
Lucianne Goldberg, also known as Lucianne Cummings, was an American literary agent and author. She was named as one of the "key players" in the 1998 impeachment of President Clinton, as it was she who controversially advised Monica Lewinsky's confidante Linda Tripp to tape Lewinsky's phone calls about their affair. The 20-hour recording became crucial to the Starr investigation. She was the mother of Jonah Goldberg, a conservative political commentator, and Joshua Goldberg, a Republican nominee for the New York City Council.
The Hoboken Four was an American musical quartet formed in 1935, uniting a trio of Italian-American musicians who called themselves the 3 Flashes with aspiring singer Frank Sinatra. The trio had been based in Hoboken, New Jersey, before meeting Sinatra in 1934, after which Sinatra drove them and their instruments to gigs outside the city and occasionally performed with them. Following their winning performance on the Major Bowes Amateur Hour on September 8, 1935, the newly-formed quartet embarked on a seven-month tour of the central and western United States and Canada with one of Major Bowes' touring companies. Tensions between the quartet members escalated, however, to the point that Sinatra was regularly beaten by the other members, and he quit the tour halfway through. He returned to Hoboken to pursue a solo career, while the rest of the group disbanded after the tour ended.
Harvey Earl Wilson was an American journalist, gossip columnist, and author, perhaps best known for his 6-day a week nationally syndicated newspaper column, It Happened Last Night.
Margo Edmunds is an American health policy researcher, strategy consultant, educator, and writer who began her clinical career in disease management at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Her recent work has focused on the use of health information technology in healthcare reform and public health, including co-authoring Toward Health Information Liquidity, a Booz Allen Hamilton white paper that explores the challenges and opportunities for electronic health information systems.
Frank Sinatra had many close relationships throughout his life. He was married four times and had at least six other notable relationships in between. He had three verified children, as well as more than one of questionable paternity.
Cal Neva Resort & Casino, previously known as the Calneva Resort and Cal-Neva Lodge, is a resort and casino straddling the border between Nevada and California on the shores of Lake Tahoe. The original building was constructed in 1926, and became famous when the national media picked up a story about actress Clara Bow cancelling checks she owed to the Cal-Neva worth $13,000 in 1930. After burning down in a fire in 1937, the structure was rebuilt in only 30 days. In 1960, entertainer Frank Sinatra purchased the resort with several others, including singer Dean Martin and Chicago mobster Sam Giancana.
Anthony Martin Sinatra was an Italian-born naturalized American, Hoboken city fireman, professional boxer, and bar owner. He was the father of singer and actor Frank Sinatra.
A list of books about Frank Sinatra:
"In the Blue of Evening" is a song by Al D'Artega and Tom Adair recorded by Frank Sinatra with the Tommy Dorsey Band and released in 1943. It was subsequently re-recorded by Sinatra, but did not feature on a release until a 1993 reissue of the album I Remember Tommy.
Throughout his life, Frank Sinatra, the musician and actor, was involved in many different political activities in the United States. He also held positive views toward African Americans at a time when much of the United States still had segregation.
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was born December 12, 1915 in Hoboken, New Jersey, and lived with his parents, who had emigrated from the Kingdom of Italy.
Dolly Sinatra was an Italian woman, mother of American singer Frank Sinatra. She was born in Lumarzo, in northern Italy; she immigrated to the United States as an infant.
Jim Byron was an American publicist known for working with female models and actresses during the 1950s and 1960s, including Jayne Mansfield and Yvette Mimieux. Prior to working with actresses, Jim Byron worked as a promoter for the West Hollywood club Ciro's.
Henry William "Hank" Sanicola was an American music manager, publisher, businessman and pianist, best known for his work and association with Frank Sinatra from the late 1930s to the early 1960s.
An unauthorized biography is a biography written without the subject's permission or input. The term is usually restricted to biographies written within the subject's lifetime or shortly after their death; as such, it is not applied to biographies of historical figures written long after their deaths.