Martin, Judith Sylvia

Martin, Judith Sylvia (b. Perlman) (“Miss Manners,” pen name)

(1938–  ) authority on etiquette; born in Washington, D.C. She began as a Washington Post reporter and critic (1960–83). The arch wit in her syndicated etiquette column (1978) and books such as Miss Manners' Guide to Excruciatingly Correct Behavior (1982), led to her reputation as the first "postmodern" etiquette expert.

The Cambridge Dictionary of American Biography, by John S. Bowman. Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1995. Reproduced with permission.