Gay Courter

Gay Courter (born October 1, 1944) is an American author, filmmaker, and children's rights activist. Her first novel, The Midwife (1981) was a New York Times bestseller,[1][2] and was one of the best selling books of 1982.[3] Five of her books have been on the New York Times Bestseller list. She is credited as one of the first authors—and the first woman—to write a published novel on a word processor.[4][5]

Gay Courter
BornOctober 1, 1944 (1944-10) (age 75)
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
Alma materAntioch College
Notable worksThe Midwife
SpousePhilip Courter
ChildrenBlake Courter, Joshua Courter, and Ashley Rhodes-Courter
Website
www.gaycourter.com

Her first non-fiction book The Beansprout Book (1973)[6] introduced beansprouts to the supermarkets of America and became known as "the pied piper of sprouting." [7]

I Speak For This Child: True Stories of a Child Advocate (1995), was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. Her works have been translated into many languages, including French,[8] Spanish,[9] and Swedish.[10]

Biography

Courter was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Leonard M. Weisman, an international businessman, and Elsie Spector Weisman, a social worker who studied at Carnegie Tech. She is the elder of two daughters. Her sister, Robin Madden, M.D., is a pediatrician. Her foster sister, Jennifer Chang Su, began living with the family while they were in Taiwan in 1952, and she has remained a close family member.

Courter attended schools in Taiwan and Japan, and was homeschooled by her mother during their travels. When in the United States, she attended public schools in Mt. Vernon, New York, and graduated from AB Davis High School. Following graduation, Courter attended Antioch College and received a B.A. in Drama/Film in 1966.   

She worked in the documentary and educational film business in New York with Harvest Productions, ACI Films, and Concord Productions from 1967 to 1970.  She co-founded Courter Films and Associates with husband Philip Courter in 1972.[11] Since then, they have produced more than 300 documentary, educational, and corporate films.  

Courter has been a vocal supporter of children's rights.[12] She was a Guardian ad Litem in the Florida Courts for 25 years. Her non-fiction book, I Speak For This Child: True Stories of a Child Advocate led to many television appearances including the Today Show, Good Morning America, and 20/20.

Courter currently lives in Crystal River, Florida, with her husband, Philip Courter.  They are the parents of Blake Courter, an engineer and specialist in 3-D printing; Joshua Courter, a filmmaker and furniture designer; and Ashley Rhodes-Courter, MSW, a motivational speaker, social worker, and author of the New York Times bestseller, Three Little Words (Simon & Schuster, 2008) and its sequel Three More Words (Simon & Schuster 2015).[13]

Courter is also a travel writer for Creators Syndicate[14] and other outlets.[15] She is a member of the North American Travel Journalists Association, The Authors Guild, and Writers Guild of America.

In February 2020, Courter was one of 3700 passengers and crew quarantined on the Diamond Princess Cruise Ship, which was held in port at Yokohama, Japan during the coronavirus outbreak. In an interview with The New York Times, Courter questioned the efficacy of keeping passengers quarantined on board the ship, where the virus was rapidly spreading.[16] The Atlantic published a piece by Courter, detailing her trip in Asia, her time on the Diamond Princess Cruise Ship, and her experience in quarantine once back in the United States.[17]

She and her husband spent time being quarantined on the ship before arriving to the United States and into quarantine in Texas. While on the ship she wrote a book proposal about life in quarantine, and said she fear she and her husband suffer from symptoms of PTSD.[18]

Critical comments
  • Carol Eisen Rinzler, reviewing The Midwife in The Washington Post wrote: “It kept me up until four in the morning… the author, to use a timeless phrase, knows how to tell a story.”[19]
  • “Why is Midwife such an important book?” commented Carroll Stoner in the Chicago Sun-Times. "Chances are slim that you have ever read a novel by a woman that also provides an impressive body of knowledge about a subject of special interest to us.”[20]
  • Reviewing Flowers in the Blood in the New York Times, Janet Kaye wrote, “Compelling scenes of India and China… combine to make Gay Courter’s fourth novel both absorbing and informative.”
  • “Gay Courter’s sensitive way with her material, combined with her good writing and vivid details of life in Brazil, where she has traveled, make River of Dreams a pleasant surprise for readers expecting just another historical novel," commented Jane Stewart Spitzer in The Christian Science Monitor.[21]
  • Of Courter's child advocacy, Publisher's Weekly's reviewer wrote, “Inexperienced in the ways of the courts but fired with idealism and courage, Courter embarked on a mission to right wrongs for victimized children.”[22]
  • In the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Misti Snow's review said, “I Speak for this Child will inspire indignation, not only for the children Courter has championed but for all the children in need of safe passage.”
Gay Courter works on her IBM System 6 while writing her book, The Midwife.

Literary styles and themes

Courter has written novels in both the first person and third person narrative styles. Her literary landscape is varied, but she often writes about places and situations with which she is familiar. Many of her stories are based in places where she has lived, such as central Brazil and Israel; people she has known including her paternal grandmother, who was a Russian midwife; and Israeli spies, who were family friends. Her father notoriously helped the Israeli cause by procuring munitions[23] and purchased an aircraft carrier for their navy.[24] Her work features women who pioneer in their fields and who triumph over adversity. Courter has been said to use engaging narratives to make historical events, such as the transfer of obstetrical care from midwives to obstetricians and Israel's struggles for independence more accessible to the average reader.

Film producer

Together with her husband, Philip, Gay has produced more than 200 documentary and educational films[25] for more than thirty years.[26]

Their PBS productions include Freedom From Famine: The Norman Borlaug Story (Mathile/PBS 2009),[27] Solutions Micro.doc series (WEDU/PBS, 1998), Where’s My Chance? The Case for America’s Children (WEDU/PBS, 1994),[28] and The Florida Water Story (WEDU/PBS, 1988).[29]

In 1995, Courter received special recognition from the Florida Chapter of American Women in Radio and Television, Inc. for her work on Where’s My Chance? The Case for Our Children, which also won an Emmy award. Courter accepted her second Emmy from the National Academy of Arts and Television Sciences, Suncoast Chapter, for a series of public service announcements called Solutions for America’s Children.

Advocacy
Gay Courter sits alongside Charles Gibson at ABC's Good Morning America in February 1995 with several youth Courter helped get adopted

Since becoming a Guardian ad Litem in Florida, Gay Courter has been advocating for children on a local and national level.[30] Her book, I Speak For This Child brought worldwide attention to the issues of children languishing in foster care. She and her husband Philip Courter turned the focus of their film company into documenting the plight of these children and offering solutions and best practices. They have produced over 75 films for public television, legislators, judges, child welfare workers, adoptive and foster parents, including ones specifically for state supreme court justices, state attorneys general, children's rights lobbyists, juvenile justice stakeholders, abuse prevention, and permanency planning. They have received support for these projects from major foundations including the Pew Charitable Trust, David and Lucille Packard foundation, The Dave Thomas foundation for Adoption, and the American Humane Association.[31]

Gay Courter has appeared, as an advocate, in the press,[32] on national television and spoken widely at conferences promoting Court-appointed Special Advocates (CASA), Guardians ad litem, foster and adoptive parenting.[33] She widened her advocacy to litigate for policy and statute change and also to represent the victims of systemic abuse in personal injury and civil rights lawsuits.[34]

Awards and honors
  • State of Florida Adoptive Parents of the Year, 2007.
  • Altrusa International 10 Most Admired Women for Achievement in the Arts, 2007.
  • U.S. Congressional Angel in Adoption, 2005.[35]
  • National Academy of Arts & Television Sciences Emmy (Solutions for America’s Children), 1998.
  • Florida Center for Children & Youth Sharon Solomon Child Advocate Award, 1995.
  • American Women in Radio & Television award (Where’s My Chance?),1995.
  • National Academy of Arts & Television Sciences Emmy (Where’s My Chance?),1995.
  • Altrusa International 10 Most Admired Women for Making a Difference, 1999.

Published works

Novels
  • (1981) The Midwife - Boston: Houghton Mifflin - ISBN 0395294630 | OCLC 222278660
  • (1984) River of Dreams - Boston: Houghton Mifflin - ISBN 0395353017 | OCLC 990378800
  • (1986) Code Ezra - Boston: Houghton Mifflin - ISBN 0395364388 | OCLC  990267219
  • (1990) Flowers in the Blood - New York - ISBN 0525248978 | OCLC 55880474
  • (1992) The Midwife's Advice - New York - ISBN 0525934944 | OCLC 231690264
  • (2013) Healing Paradise - Crystal River: Egret - ASIN# B00PKRLHC
  • (2019) The Girl in the Box - Crystal River: Egret - ASIN# B07XY2M91W

Non-fiction
  • (1973) The Beansprout Book - New York: Simon and Schuster - ISBN 0671215965 | OCLC 948737482
  • (1995) I Speak for this Child: True Stories of a Child Advocate - New York: Crown - ISBN 9780595168392 | OCLC 48562295
  • (2003) How to Survive Your Husband's Midlife Crisis - New York: Penguin (co-written with Pat Gaudette) ISBN 9780982561751 | OCLC 747430402
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gollark: As a product of GTech™ AI™, it makes sense that you'd have been made to dislike them.
gollark: I noticed it. I just didn't care.
gollark: Murder is mean so you can't do it.
gollark: If I had arms, they would be better arms, by policy.

References
  1. "New York Times Best Seller List" (PDF). Hawes.com. June 21, 1981.
  2. "New York Times bestsellers". Library Thing.
  3. “Longest Running Bestsellers for 1982,” Publishers Weekly, January 7, 1983
  4. "A Screen of Her Own: Gay Courter's The Midwife and the Literary History of Word Processing". Harvard University Press Blog. Retrieved 2019-10-17.
  5. “Word Machines for Word People,” Publishers Weekly, February 13, 1981
  6. "The Beansprout Book | Gay Courter". Retrieved 2019-10-17.
  7. "New York Post, November 12, 1973". New York Post. November 12, 1973.
  8. Courter, Gay (1986). Le fleuve de tous les rêves (in French). Montréal?: Laffont Canada. ISBN 9782277021148. OCLC 16041391.
  9. Courter, Gay (2008). Flores en la sangre (in Spanish). Alella, Barcelona: Nabla. ISBN 9788493592653. OCLC 433485628.
  10. Courter, Gay (1995). Drömmanrnas Flod. Nattens Drottning.
  11. "About Us". www.courterfilms.com. Retrieved 2019-10-21.
  12. "On The Side Of The Child". Newsweek. 1995-02-19. Retrieved 2019-10-27.
  13. "Ashley Rhodes-Courter | Motivational Speaker & Best Selling Author". Ashley Rhodes-Courter | Author & Speaker. Retrieved 2019-10-18.
  14. "Search Content | Creators Syndicate". www.creators.com. Retrieved 2019-11-18.
  15. "Search Content | Creators Syndicate". www.creators.com. Retrieved 2019-10-27.
  16. Rich, Motoko; Yamamitsu, Eimi (2020-02-09). "As Virus Cases Rise on Quarantined Cruise Ship, Passengers Are on Edge". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-02-11.
  17. Courter, Gay (2020-02-27). "I Prepared for Everything, but Not Coronavirus on a Cruise Ship". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2020-04-02.
  18. Orecchio-Egresitz, Haven. "These couples spent nearly a month under confinement in a coronavirus quarantine, and yes, they're still married". Business Insider. Retrieved 2020-04-02.
  19. “It kept me up until four in the morning… the author, to use a timeless phrase, knows how to tell a story.” Carroll Stoner, Washington Post, March 12, 1981.
  20. "Chances are slim that you have ever read a novel by a woman that also provides an impressive body of knowledge about a subject of special interest to us.” Chicago Sun-Times, March 22, 1981
  21. “Gay Courter’s sensitive way with her material, combined with her good writing and vivid details of life in Brazil, where she has traveled, make River of Dreams a pleasant surprise for readers expecting just another historical novel." Jane Stewart Spitzer, Christian Science Monitor, June 13, 1984.
  22. “Inexperienced in the ways of the courts but fired with idealism and courage, Courter embarked on a mission to right wrongs for victimized children.” Publishers Weekly, January 19, 1994
  23. “‘Legal’ Buying of Munitions Admitted by Jewish Agency.” New York Times, January 11, 1948, front page.
  24. Slater, Leonard (2000). The Pledge. iUniverse. ISBN 0595092977.
  25. "Courter Films & Associates". www.courterfilms.com. Retrieved 2019-10-18.
  26. "Producer | Gay Courter". Retrieved 2019-10-18.
  27. "Appreciating the Norm Borlaug Documentary 'Freedom From Famine' All Over Again". American Council on Science and Health. 2015-08-25. Retrieved 2019-10-29.
  28. Singer, Glenn. "Film Focuses on Needs of Children". Sun-Sentinel.com. Retrieved 2019-10-29.
  29. "Cultural Affairs Media - Michael Green Productions - CA Media, Inc". www.camediainc.com. Retrieved 2019-10-29.
  30. EST, Newsweek Staff On 2/19/95 at 7:00 PM (1995-02-19). "On The Side Of The Child". Newsweek. Retrieved 2019-11-12.
  31. "Services". www.courterfilms.com. Retrieved 2019-10-29.
  32. "A Lifetime of Difference, One Child at a Time : Courts: In an overburdened system, volunteer advocates keep the focus on one thing--the best interest of those who have been abused, neglected or abandoned". Los Angeles Times. 1995-03-03. Retrieved 2019-10-29.
  33. "Column: Protecting kids, not reuniting families, should be Florida's top priority". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 2019-10-29.
  34. “On The Side of the Child; Five Years in the ‘Best Interest Wars’.” Newsweek, February 20, 1995
  35. "Angels in Adoption Awards 1999-2008" (PDF). PoundPupLegacy.org.
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