Susan Linn

{{short description|American writer, psychologist, and ventriloquist}}

{{Infobox person

| honorific_prefix =

| name = Susan Linn

| honorific_suffix =

| image =

| image_upright =

| landscape =

| alt =

| caption =

| native_name =

| native_name_lang =

| pronunciation =

| birth_name =

| birth_date =

| birth_place =

| baptised =

| disappeared_date =

| disappeared_place =

| disappeared_status =

| death_date =

| death_place =

| death_cause =

| body_discovered =

| resting_place =

| resting_place_coordinates =

| nationality = American

| other_names =

| citizenship =

| education = Ed.D.

| alma_mater = Harvard University{{cite news |last1=Koman |first1=Kathleen |title=Toddling Consumers |url=https://www.harvardmagazine.com/2005/01/toddling-consumers-html?page=all |accessdate=11 November 2019 |publisher=Harvard Magazine}}

| occupation = {{flatlist|

  • Writer
  • psychologist
  • ventriloquist}}

| years_active =

| organization =

}}

Susan Linn is an American writer, psychologist, and ventriloquist. She is the cofounder of Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood and author of the book Consuming Kids.{{cite news |last1=Brady |first1=John |title=Consuming Kids: The Hostile Takeover of Childhood |url=https://www.motherjones.com/media/2004/05/consuming-kids-hostile-takeover-childhood/ |accessdate=11 November 2019 |publisher=Mother Jones}} She is a research associate at Boston Children's Hospital and a lecturer at Harvard Medical School.

Early life and education

Linn graduated from Harvard University with a degree in Education and Counseling Psychology.

Career

Linn is a ventriloquist who has performed in various locations, including Puppet Showplace Theater.{{Cite news|last=Leone|first=Loretta|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/757679272|title=No Strings Attached |date=March 23, 1978|work=The Boston Globe {{Subscription required}}|access-date=April 17, 2020|id={{ProQuest|757679272}}}} She also performed on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.{{cite news |last1=Elton |first1=Chaterine |title=Electric Youth |url=https://www.bostonmagazine.com/2012/01/31/electric-youth-why-susan-linn-and-her-campaign-for-a-commercial-free-childhood-terrify-child-advertisers/ |accessdate=11 November 2019 |publisher=Boston Magazine |date=31 January 2012}} Her characters included Audrey Duck, Cat-a-lion, and Timberlane Wolf.

Linn became a puppet therapist at Boston Children's Hospital.

In 2004, Linn published her book Consuming Kids: The Hostile Takeover of Childhood. {{Cite web |date= |title=Consuming Kids: The Hostile Takeover of Childhood by Susan E. Linn |url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781565847835 |access-date=2024-07-04 |website=www.publishersweekly.com}}

With Alvin Poussaint, Linn is the cofounder of the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting children from deceptive advertising.{{cite news |last1=Pfeiffer |first1=Sacha |title=Children's advocate Susan Linn moving on |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2015/06/17/small-group-big-victories-fight-against-marketing-children/UivCqiWmw8WNX5AXA6928K/story.html |accessdate=11 November 2015 |publisher=Boston Globe |date=17 June 2015}}{{Cite web |date=2025-02-26 |title=Alvin Poussaint, Advocate for Black Mental Health and Social Justice, Dies {{!}} Harvard Medical School |url=https://hms.harvard.edu/news/alvin-poussaint-advocate-black-mental-health-social-justice-dies |access-date=2025-03-03 |website=hms.harvard.edu |language=en}} She worked for the organization from its founding in 2000 through 2015 when she left to focus on writing and teaching. Linn also appeared in The Greatest Movie Ever Sold, a 2011 documentary about marketing and advertising.{{cite news |last1=Abele |first1=Robert |title=POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold |url=https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2011/04/film-review-pom-wonderful-spurlock/ |accessdate=11 November 2019 |publisher=Mother Jones |date=25 April 2011}}

In 2022, Linn published her book Who's Raising The Kids? Big Tech, Big Business and the Lives of Children. {{Cite news |last=Teachout |first=Zephyr |date=2022-09-13 |title=Big Tech Is Co-Parenting Our Children. Yes, Be Afraid. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/13/books/review/whos-raising-the-kids-susan-linn.html |access-date=2024-07-04 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}

References

{{Reflist}}