All Of It with Alison Stewart

Episode: The Life of Groundbreaking War Correspondent Maggie Higgins
Date: November 30, 2023
Guest: Janet Conant, author of Fierce Ambition: The Life and Legend of War Correspondent Maggie Higgins

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the extraordinary life and trailblazing career of Maggie Higgins, one of the most remarkable but lesser-known war correspondents of the 20th century. Joining host Alison Stewart is Janet Conant, author of the new biography Fierce Ambition, who explores Higgins's career at the frontlines—from World War II to Korea and Vietnam—as well as the sexism, competitiveness, and misunderstood legacy that have shaped how Higgins is remembered.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. How Maggie Higgins was Rediscovered

• Janet Conant first learned of Maggie Higgins via Nora Ephron, who had long tried but failed to make a Hollywood film about Higgins. This inspired Conant's fascination, especially as a WWII historian unfamiliar with Higgins’s story. (03:15-04:01)

  • Quote: “She used to joke that it was easier for Hollywood to make a movie about a man with a hangnail than a woman who'd won a Pulitzer.” — Janet Conant (03:25)

• Kathleen Kearney Keeshan, a non-journalist and “Maggie obsessive,” was a key resource for Conant. Keeshan’s extensive collection of interviews became invaluable during COVID-era research, when physical archives were inaccessible. (04:18-06:52)

2. Maggie Higgins’s Outsider Status and Drive

• Higgins was born in Hong Kong, grew up in France and California, and struggled with English early on, which contributed to her outsider perspective and relentless drive. (10:14-11:49)

• Her facility with languages—English, French, German, and later Russian—enabled her to report internationally at a young age. (10:46-11:49)

• Her sense of being an outsider, including her scholarship background and need to constantly prove herself (“chip on her shoulder”), deeply shaped her career. (11:49)

3. Breaking Barriers and Rules in Journalism

• Almost no women were permitted in city newsrooms or as war correspondents when Higgins started out. “If she didn’t break the rules, she couldn’t have done it.” (08:03-08:52)

• Higgins aggressively sought stories, hogged the telephone booth to file her copies, and often undercut male colleagues, feeling justified by the constant obstacles and double standards she faced. (08:54-10:14)

  • Quote: “If she wasn't outrageous...if she didn't raise her voice and cause a ruckus and generally be a pain in the ass, she wouldn't have done anything.” — Janet Conant (09:49)

4. Sexism and Double Standards

• Higgins faced persistent rumors that she “advanced on her back” and was branded a “hussy” for behavior comparable to her male peers, highlighting the deep-seated double standards of her time. (13:09-14:18)

  • Quote: “She didn't behave any differently than the men. But because she was a woman, she was branded as a hussy...it carried over even decades later into the journalism and the biographies written of her—even by women.” — Janet Conant (13:09-14:01)

5. Personal Life, Finances, and Determination

• Higgins’s letter about marriage to General Hall reveals her pragmatic, unapologetic approach to life (15:31-16:44).

  • Letter Excerpt: “Even if I wanted to stop being a reporter, which I don’t, I couldn’t...I look forward to being back in New York. I detest California, but have to admit the weather has been wonderful.” (14:18)

• Despite winning the Pulitzer and international renown, she was often broke, supporting herself, her husband, and children. She was “way ahead of her time in taking all that on.” (16:51-17:44)

6. Reporting Style—Ambition and Risk-Taking

• Higgins’s competitive, risk-taking approach defined her reporting, whether at Dachau or the Korean War front. She “would always be in search of a fearless male correspondent, a jeep and a way to travel ahead of the forces.” (18:22-20:29)
  • Quote: “It was one of the most famous dispatches in the annals of World War II...they dashed across occupied territory ahead of the American forces because she wanted to get there first. And that pretty much encapsulates Maggie Higgins’s entire MO.” — Janet Conant (18:22-19:07)

7. Historic Coverage and the Pulitzer Prize

• Higgins was one of the first four correspondents in Korea and won the Pulitzer alongside Homer Biggert, despite mutual animosity. Her willingness to leverage her status as a woman when necessary (and the paper’s realization that two clashing star correspondents delivered great coverage) became strategic. (21:02-24:41)

  • Quote: “If being a woman is going to be a problem, I'm going to take it when it's an advantage.” — Alison Stewart (24:02)

• Her boldness sparked accusations of being an “adrenaline junkie,” but it also won headlines. (24:41-24:47)

8. Collaboration and Competition with Other Pioneering Women

• Maggie interacted with Martha Gellhorn, another legendary woman correspondent, but their paths diverged as Gellhorn was barred from the front while Higgins pushed through barriers and seized those opportunities. (24:58-25:46)

9. Cold War Politics and Generational Shifts

• Higgins’s staunch anti-communist perspective—shaped by her experience covering WWII and the subsequent Soviet domination of Eastern Europe—persisted into her Korea and Vietnam reporting.
• A generational divide emerged during Vietnam, with younger reporters like David Halberstam (“the Rover boys,” as Higgins called them) less invested in Cold War ideology, clashing with Higgins’s views and style. (25:55-28:14)

10. Higgins’s Sudden Death and Enduring Legacy

• Higgins died at 45 from a disease contracted while reporting in Vietnam, driven by the same stubbornness to keep working that had both propelled and doomed her. (28:14-29:22)
  • Quote: “She probably could have lived had she not been so stubborn...she was so determined to keep up her three times a week column...by the time they got her in Walter Reed Hospital, she lost one kidney and her organs began to fail.” — Janet Conant (28:25-29:22)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On her divisive nature:

  • “Nobody was ambivalent about Maggie, they either loved her or loathed her, but nobody was indifferent.” (07:21)

• On her approach to journalism:

  • “She just played by her own rules the entire time...she pissed off the chauvinists and feminists because she just played by her own rules.” (07:21-08:01)

• On her ambition:

  • “She went straight out of college...with $7 in her pocket and her fierce ambition.” (15:31)

• On making her own luck:

  • “It was pure luck that she walked into that building first...and then once she had her foot in the door, she would not be dislodged.” (15:31-16:44)

Important Segment Timestamps

• [03:17] – How Janet Conant discovered Maggie Higgins via Nora Ephron
• [04:18] – The role of Kathleen Kearney Keeshan’s archive in Conant’s research
• [08:03] – Higgins and the double standards of women in journalism
• [10:14] – Maggie’s multicultural background and insecurity as an outsider
• [15:31] – Early days and getting hired at New York Herald Tribune
• [18:22] – Covering the liberation of Dachau, defining her style
• [21:02] – Her drive to the Korean front, being banned, and reinstated
• [24:58] – Maggie’s interaction with Martha Gellhorn
• [25:55] – Generational shift during Vietnam War coverage
• [28:25] – Final illness and death

Tone & Atmosphere

Alison Stewart’s thoughtful, curious interviewing draws out Janet Conant’s deep admiration for—and critical examination of—Maggie Higgins, resulting in a biographical portrait that is candid, nuanced, and respectful. The conversation is rich with anecdotes, historical context, and moments of humor, reflecting both figures’ keen sense of narrative and history.

For Listeners Who Haven’t Heard the Episode

This episode offers a dynamic and vivid look at Maggie Higgins’s monumental, contentious, and sometimes contradictory life as a war correspondent. With firsthand research, archival insights, and gripping storytelling, Stewart and Conant illuminate how Higgins broke barriers, challenged norms, and forged a legacy that’s only now being fully recognized. If you’re interested in journalism, women’s history, war, or the persistent challenge of being an outsider, this is an episode not to miss.