@trinsec She was a journalist and a writer. Her most famous book is probably _The Year of Magical Thinking_, where she deals with the loss of her husband.
I recommend the documentary _The Center Will Not Hold_ if you want to know her better. That's how I got to really know about her when all that had caught my attention up until that point was that she was hot when she was young.
@josemanuel Never heard of those things you mentioned. But thank you for telling me!