J. D. Ratcliff

“The Great Lone Wolf”

Freelancer, magazine writer, science writer. Deceased.

John Drury Ratcliff (1903-1973) was known as “the most successful freelance magazine writer of his generation.” Wrote for Reader’s Digest, Time, Newsweek, etc. Joined NASW (National Association of Science Writers) in 1945. Had oceanfront property on Martha’s Vineyard. [tobaccodocuments.org/nysa_indexed/TI54203746.html">NASW memoir]

Featured in "Let Us Now Appraise Famous Writers" by Jessica Mitford, The Atlantic July 1970.

Legacy: I Am Joe’s Body

Legacy? Hilariously questioned in How to Do Things Right: The Revelations of a Fussy Man

Moral? Write what you must, and do it now.