Dear Abby

Pauline Esther Friedman Phillips (born July 4, 1918) is an American newspaper columnist who, under the pen-name "Abigail Van Buren", wrote the Dear Abby column, a regular feature in many newspapers across North America. People would write to her for advice, and she would answer.

Phillips was an identical twin; her sister, Esther Pauline Friedman Lederer, wrote the Ann Landers column until her death in 2002. As children, the two grew up in Sioux City, Iowa, and went by the nicknames "Popo" and "Eppie", respectively.

Phillips, who resided in Los Angeles, California, wrote in a straightforward style that contrasted with Lederer's quips and barbs. Soon after her sister's death, Phillips retired from writing her column and her daughter, Jeanne Phillips , took it over. Pauline Esther Friedman Phillips is now reported to suffer from Alzheimer's disease.