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June 26, 2012, 5:39 p.m.
Nora Ephron, the author, screenwriter and playwright whose wry take on life, love and loss informed the hit films "When Harry Met Sally" and "Sleepless in Seattle" as well as the novel "Heartburn," about the breakup of her marriage to journalist Carl Bernstein, died Tuesday at age 71 in New York.
Through her writing and filmmaking, Ephron was a fixture at the crossroads of New York City, where she was born, and Hollywood, around which she was raised by her screenwriter parents. Starting with a post-college job in the mailroom at Newsweek, Ephron rose swiftly in journalism, writing for the New York Post and New York magazine and landing a column in Esquire.
Unsentimental and cynical in much of her early writing, she found fame in romantic comedies for the big screen. "When Harry Met Sally" (1989) starred Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan as two friends finally drawn into love. Ryan paired with Tom Hanks for "Sleepless in Seattle" (1993) and "You've Got Mail" (1998), which likewise end with attraction conquering obstacles.
Ephron was nominated for the Academy Award for screenwriting for "When Harry Met Sally" and "Sleepless in Seattle," as well as for "Silkwood" (1983), written with Alice Arlen. She directed "Sleepless in Seattle" and "You've Got Mail." She also wrote and directed "Michael" (1996) and "Julie & Julia" (2009), among other films.
More at the link in the headline.