Meckler, Brenda Weisberg, 1900-

Russian immigrant and resident of Phoenix, Arizona; Hollywood scriptwriter and political activist.

Phoenix writer, director and actor; television and movie script writer.

Phoenix writer Brenda Weisberg Meckler was born in Russia in 1900 and emigrated to the U.S. with her parents in 1904. The family left their Ohio farm and relocated to Arizona in 1918. By the time she graduated from high school, Brenda Weisberg was already an accomplished writer. She wrote articles for local Phoenix publications and started the city's first Jewish newspaper, the Southwestern Jewish Star . From Phoenix she moved to Hollywood and spent 15 years writing television and movie scripts for Universal, RKO, and Columbia Pictures. She continued to write short stories and articles as well, which appeared in Collier's and other national publications.

In 1952 Brenda Weisberg returned to Phoenix and married Morris Meckler. After her marriage, she became very active in support of the arts in Phoenix and was involved with the Phoenix Little Theater as a writer, director, and actor.

In 1988, Meckler published her first and only book, an autobiographical account of her youth entitled Papa was a Farmer .