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NPR Arts Editor Rose Friedman Dies at 38
Confirmed
In Short: Rose Friedman, an influential arts editor at NPR, died at home in New York City after a battle with cancer.
Rose Friedman, who had worked at NPR for 15 years, passed away at home in New York City on September 17, 2023, after a battle with cancer.
Friedman began her career at NPR as an editorial assistant in her early 20s and rose to become one of the network's most respected editors in arts and cultural coverage.
As a shop steward for SAG-AFTRA, the union representing NPR editorial workers, Friedman successfully advocated for increased paid parental leave at the network.
NPR’s Elizabeth Blair announced her death on-air, calling Friedman one of the network’s finest journalists.
Novelist Meg Wolitzer, who collaborated with Friedman on several NPR reviews and features, described her as 'voracious.
Friedman played a key role in creating the popular reader's guide for NPR's Book Concierge, which later became Books We Love, by reviewing hundreds of titles nominated by staff and critics.
In addition to her editorial work, Friedman wrote appreciations of authors such as Herman Wouk and Sonny Mehta.
Friedman was known for her enthusiasm and dedication, as evidenced by a story about her insistence on trying a spleen sandwich during a visit to Italy.
She is survived by her partner, two children, her parents Carolyn and Jerry Friedman, and her sisters Sophie and Nina.
What's confirmed
- Rose Friedman died at home in New York City on Wednesday September 17 of cancer.
- “She was voracious,” novelist Meg Wolitzer, who worked with Friedman on a number of NPR reviews and features, said to NPR.
What's still developing
- On a visit with Rose and Andrew when they were living in Italy, Dreisbach said she "insisted" they order the "spleen sandwich" at a certain market in Palermo.