Author's Memoir Exposed Prescription Drug Dangers

Barbara Gordon, an Emmy Award-winning writer and director, died on April 7 at her Manhattan home at age 90. She was widely known for her scorching 1979 memoir, "I'm Dancing as Fast as I Can."

This best-selling book chronicled her descent into prescription drug abuse and a severe mental breakdown that derailed her successful television producing career. It detailed how a psychiatrist's prescription of Valium for anxiety led to addiction, and a disastrous attempt to quit cold turkey. The memoir exposed the limitations and often dogmatic views within American psychiatry.

Published when prescription drug abuse was not as widely recognized and mental illness carried significant stigma, Gordon's book found a large audience. It sold over two million copies and was adapted into a 1982 film starring Jill Clayburgh.

Gordon, born in Miami Beach in 1935, had a distinguished career in television before her personal struggles. She worked at NBC and later at WCBS, where her documentary work earned her two Emmy Awards. Her memoir also touched upon the anxieties that initially led her to seek medication.

Gordon authored two other books: the novel "Defects of the Heart" (1983) and "Jennifer Fever" (1988). She is survived by her brother, Edward Loeb.