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Tall Tales

September 12, 2008

 
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In her first book, Arianne Cohen ’03—a onetime Harvard Magazine Ledecky Undergraduate Fellow—offered fix-it tips for “the repair-impaired.” Cohen’s second book—The Tall Book: A Celebration of Life on High, with a December 2008 release date—promises “a fascinating and informative look into the world of tall people.”

In a recent New York Times op-ed, Cohen gives us a taste. Writing on the occasion of the death of Sandy Allen—height: 7 feet, 7 1/4 inches—Cohen (who herself is 6 feet, 3 inches tall) recalls the admiration she felt for Allen as a child, “from my vantage point as the tallest little girl in Delmar, N.Y.,” and the sadness and anger she felt when, as an adult, she interviewed Allen and learned that the world had essentially treated her as a circus freak:

She was just 18 inches taller than everyone else. In a world of Michael Phelpses and teeny gymnasts, she wasn’t so different. She had a button nose, smooth pale skin, clear blue eyes. If she hadn’t grown in all directions, “I probably would have gotten married, settled down and had umpteen million kids,” she told me.

Read Cohen’s columns from her days as an undergraduate (Sleeping Smarter, A Woman’s Studies, Love Nesting 101), as well as her 2004 Letter from Phnom Penh, in the Harvard Magazine archives.
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Responses to “Tall Tales”

  1. September 12, 2008

    I hate it that people keep picking up this misinformed story for their blogs! It’s not even close to the truth! Sandy did NOT die alone or live her last years without family and friends. Yes, her school years were tough, but after she got her world’s record as an adult her life became much more tolerable. She made good money working at the Guinness Museum of Records and later returned to Indiana to be a secretary. Sandy had many, many good friends who surrounded her. At the nursing home, she was well taken care of for the most part (it was, after all, a nursing home). There were 2 local women, her friends, who constantly watched out for her welfare and raised hell if things weren’t right. I visited her at least once a month, and would have gone more often but I don’t live in her town. She had many visitors — maybe not every day, but who does? And the 2 wonderful women who watched over her promised Sandy that if she were dying, one of them would be with her so she wouldn’t die alone — and she was. Most of her family and friends visited her the day before she died. Her funeral and calling saw many notable visitors — the mayors of Indianapolis and Shelbyville, some retired Pacers basketball players, Cincinnati Tall Club members and many more — and more than 400 people signed the guest book. If Sandy was alone the day the writer of this article visited, that was just one day out of many where she had plenty of attention. She shouldn’t have judged Sandy’s situation based on one day, and without talking to some of Sandy’s friends and caretakers. I certainly hope her book was much better researched because this truly is sloppy, exploitative journalism. I was Sandy’s friend for 31 years and knew her well. The portrayal of her in this story is sad all right — and not because of Sandy’s situation. Please know that she was well-loved and cared for!

    ~Rita

  2. September 17, 2008

    My book on Sandy Allen is ready for online orders with hardback discounts at $21 instead of $25, $18 for softcover (no discount). Paste this link into your browser, and thanks to all who are interested! http://www.hawthornepub.com/books_history.html#dayatatime

    ~Rita

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