Maggie Van Ostrand
Maggie Van Ostrand (born Margaret Rinhard in Queens, New York City) is an American humorist best known for her newspaper column which appears in the United States, Mexico and Canada. She is also known within the entertainment industry for ghostwriting satire and stand-up comedy, and ghosting for television sitcoms. Van Ostrand is a regular contributor to the "Chicago Tribune", and her articles have appeared in the "Boston Globe", "Amarillo Globe-News", "Newsday", and other publications. In 1998, 2001, 2003, and 2004 she received Outstanding Literary Achievement awards and, in 2002, Best Article of the Year award  from two English-language Mexican publications. In 2004 she was recognized as Strike Force Member of the Year by the National Society of Newspaper Columnists. Van Ostrand has appeared on network television news in support of a postage stamp featuring the thoroughbred racehorse Seabiscuit, as keynote speaker at conferences nationwide, and on radio, as a Woman of Significance, discussing Mexico. She also appears in a satirical documentary on emigration, based partly on one of her columns, produced by two award-winners, Abraham Osuna and M.K. Asante, Jr., the latter having just completed a film on Kwanzaa narrated by and co -written with renowned poet Dr. Maya Angelou. Van Ostrand is a member of the following organizations: National Society of Newspaper Columnists, Society of Women Writers and Journalists, U.K., and Erma Bombeck Humor Writers Workshop. She has been a judge of the Erma Bombeck Writers' Competition since 2004, and in 2007 served as a judge of the Arizona Press Club's Journalism Award. Her essay on the origin of the word "gringo" appears in Stanford University's World Association of International Studies, January 2006. Career. Van Ostrand's writing career began with the liner notes for a Roger Miller album, and  she began writing professionally upon the death of her friend and mentor Mark Goodson, for whose show "Trivia Trap" she was head writer. Other Mark Goodson game shows on which she worked in varying capacities were "Card Sharks", "The Price Is Right", "Family Feud", "To Tell The Truth" (1990–91) and "That's My Line" (reality show). In 1978 she was the theatrical agent instrumental in galvanizing the acting career of Wilford Brimley. She has also worked with entertainment management which represented the careers of Andy Williams, Mary Tyler Moore, and Bob Newhart.