Nina Ellen Riggs (March 29, 1977 – February 26, 2017)[1] was an American writer and poet. Her best known work is her memoir, The Bright Hour,[2] detailing her journey as a mother with incurable breast cancer. It was published shortly after her death. The book received critical acclaim.[3][4][5][6] Riggs also contributed an article to New York Times series Modern Love.[7]

Nina Ellen Riggs
BornMarch 29, 1977
DiedFebruary 26, 2017 (aged 39)
Occupation(s)Writer, poet
SpouseJohn Duberstein
Children2

Riggs was born in San Francisco, California.[1] She was the great-great-great-granddaughter of Ralph Waldo Emerson.[4] She received a bachelor's degree in creative writing from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a master of fine arts degree in poetry from UNC at Greensboro.[1]

Riggs was married to John Duberstein, an attorney with whom she had two sons. They lived in Greensboro, North Carolina.[1]

Bibliography

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The Bright Hour (2017)

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The Bright Hour was published June 6, 2017 by Simon & Schuster.[8] The book was a New York Times Best Seller and received starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly, and Library Journal.[8] It was also selected as one of the best books of 2017 by [8]

The book was well-received:

Lucky, Lucky (2009)

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Lucky, Lucky, a poetry chapbook, was published in 2009 by Finishing Line Press.[10]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Riggs, Nina Ellen". Greensboro News & Record. March 5, 2017.
  2. ^ Riggs, Nina (2017). The Bright Hour. Simon and Schuster. p. 320. ISBN 9781501169359. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
  3. ^ Krug, Nora (June 1, 2017). "A dying mother's memoir is this year's 'When Breath Becomes Air'". The Washington Post.
  4. ^ a b Collins-Hughes, Laura (June 1, 2017). "A young mother's unsentimental memoir of her last days". Boston Globe.
  5. ^ Newman, Judith (June 16, 2017). "I'm Dying Up Here: Books on How to Grieve and How to Die". New York Times.
  6. ^ McCarthy, Matt (June 5, 2017). "Nina Riggs' moving cancer memoir shines 'Bright'". USA Today.
  7. ^ Riggs, Nina (September 23, 2016). "When a Couch Is More Than a Couch". New York Times.
  8. ^ a b c d e Riggs, Nina (2017-06-06). The Bright Hour: A Memoir of Living and Dying. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-1-5011-6935-9.
  9. ^ "The Bright Hour". Goodreads. Retrieved 2021-04-19.
  10. ^ Riggs, Nina (2009). Lucky, Lucky. Finishing Line Press. ISBN 978-1-59924-401-3.