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Overlooked: A Celebration of Remarkable, Underappreciated People Who Broke the Rules and Changed the World
An unforgettable collection of diverse, remarkable lives inspired by “Overlooked,” the groundbreaking New York Times series that publishes the obituaries of extraordinary people whose deaths went unreported in the newspaper—filled with nearly 200 full-color photos and new, never-before-published content
Since 1851, The New York Times has published thousands of obituaries—for heads of state, celebrities, scientists, and athletes. There’s even one for the person who invented the sock puppet. But, until recently, only a fraction of the Times ’s obits chronicled the lives of women or people of color. The vast majority tell of the lives of men—mostly white men.
Started in 2018 as a series in the Obituary section, “Overlooked” has sought to rectify this, revisiting the Times ’s 170-year history to celebrate people who were left out. It seeks to correct past mistakes, establish a new precedent for equitable coverage of lives lost, and refocus society’s lens on who is considered worthy of remembrance.
Now, in the first book connected to the trailblazing series, Overlooked shares 66 extraordinary stories of women, BIPOC and LGBTQIA figures, and people with disabilities who have broken rules and overcome obstacles. Some achieved a measure of fame in their lifetime but were surprisingly omitted from the paper, including Ida B. Wells, Sylvia Plath, Alan Turing, and Major Taylor. Others were lesser-known, but noteworthy nonetheless, such as Katherine McHale Slaughterback, a farmer who found fame as “Rattlesnake Kate”; Ángela Ruiz Robles, the inventor of an early e-reader; Terri Rogers, a transgender ventriloquist and magician; and Stella Young, a disabled comedian who rejected “inspiration porn.” These overlooked figures might have lived in different times, and had different experiences, but they were all ambitious and creative, and used their imaginations to invent, innovate, and change the world.
Featuring stunning photographs, exclusive content about the process of writing obituaries, and contributions by writers such as Veronica Chambers, Jon Pareles, Amanda Hess, and more, this visually arresting book compels us to revisit who and what we value as a society—and reminds us that some of our most important stories are hidden among the lives of those who have been overlooked.
Since 1851, The New York Times has published thousands of obituaries—for heads of state, celebrities, scientists, and athletes. There’s even one for the person who invented the sock puppet. But, until recently, only a fraction of the Times ’s obits chronicled the lives of women or people of color. The vast majority tell of the lives of men—mostly white men.
Started in 2018 as a series in the Obituary section, “Overlooked” has sought to rectify this, revisiting the Times ’s 170-year history to celebrate people who were left out. It seeks to correct past mistakes, establish a new precedent for equitable coverage of lives lost, and refocus society’s lens on who is considered worthy of remembrance.
Now, in the first book connected to the trailblazing series, Overlooked shares 66 extraordinary stories of women, BIPOC and LGBTQIA figures, and people with disabilities who have broken rules and overcome obstacles. Some achieved a measure of fame in their lifetime but were surprisingly omitted from the paper, including Ida B. Wells, Sylvia Plath, Alan Turing, and Major Taylor. Others were lesser-known, but noteworthy nonetheless, such as Katherine McHale Slaughterback, a farmer who found fame as “Rattlesnake Kate”; Ángela Ruiz Robles, the inventor of an early e-reader; Terri Rogers, a transgender ventriloquist and magician; and Stella Young, a disabled comedian who rejected “inspiration porn.” These overlooked figures might have lived in different times, and had different experiences, but they were all ambitious and creative, and used their imaginations to invent, innovate, and change the world.
Featuring stunning photographs, exclusive content about the process of writing obituaries, and contributions by writers such as Veronica Chambers, Jon Pareles, Amanda Hess, and more, this visually arresting book compels us to revisit who and what we value as a society—and reminds us that some of our most important stories are hidden among the lives of those who have been overlooked.
320 pages, Hardcover
Published November 14, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
January 5, 2024
For Me, Celebrating 'Underappreciated People' Defines the Vocation of Journalism
Over the past half century, when I've taught journalism courses, I have a couple of mainstay lessons that students have told me they remember years after the classes end. For example, I open classes by asking, "What is the first question a journalist always asks?"
I've gotten dozens of responses over the years, including blank looks from timid students who don't dare to answer.
Then, I say, "The first question a journalist always asks is: How do you spell your name?" I explain that properly naming people—including the details of properly spelling their name—is the first step in establishing their story "for the record" and, in effect, for history.
I thought of that question when I pulled the Christmas wrapping off my wonderful new hardcover edition of The New York Times staff's Overlooked: A Celebration of Remarkable, Underappreciated People Who Broke the Rules and Changed the World." This multi-year project, now resulting in this book, is helmed by the remarkably talented Amisha Padnani, an award-winning editor at the Times legendary Obituary Desk. And I say it that way because, for many years, the Times approach to obituaries was considered the gold standard in American journalism.
Having worked as a journalist myself for 50 years, more than 30 of them at The Detroit Free Press, I always supported the Free Press policy that everyone on staff should take an annual one-week rotation at the obituary desk. I always treasured my week, when it rolled around, because obituary writing illustrates the core of what I consider the vocation of journalism. At least in our newsroom, each day on the obit desk began in the 1980s and early 1990s by collecting the FAXes that had come in over the past 12 hours from funeral homes across Michigan. The obit writer, then, would sort through those brief bios to find a couple of people to feature in full-scale obituaries—staff-reported-and-written stories as opposed to funeral-home-generated "paid death notices."
And that brings me to a second mainstay I always taught in journalism courses or seminars, a lesson I boiled down into: "The story is always there." There's a famous J-school assignment dating to the first half of the 20th century in which the teacher would plop down the "telephone book" and invite each student to randomly flip open a page, run their finger quickly down a column of names and choose someone to profile. The assignment demonstrated that truth of my axiom: "The story is always there."
I'm now 68 and have been proclaiming that truth about writing—and about building healthy human relationships in general—for so many years that now I have family and friends approaching me with fresh stories all the time, often starting with: "You know, it's true—the story is always there."
Whether you are like me and hold to the classic values of the vocation of journalism—or you are Pope Francis writing an encyclical—we share the belief that each human life is of uniquely sacred worth. And therein lies the genesis of The Times' wonderful Overlooked project, which was created by Amisha Padnani and editor Jessica Bennett in 2018 to mark International Women's Day. On March 8 that year, they published 15 obituaries of "overlooked" women. At first, there were critics of this project—in particular because it blew a gaping hole in the Times reputation as the pinnacle of the obituary craft. Then, as people considered the project more fully, they realized that Padnani's project in itself defined the Times commitment to accuracy, fairness and authority in reporting. The project expanded from the issue of gender to finally include long-overdue obituaries of people who were ignored by The Times Obit desk over the last century or so because of their color, ethnicity or for a host of other biased reasons.
When I opened my Christmas present, I was shocked to find one of my own heroes in journalism: Ida B. Wells, a courageous Black journalist who was among the first to report on lynchings in the South at a time when she easily could have been lynched herself. Even though I am a daily Times reader, I had somehow missed the original publication of the Overlooked tribute to Wells. I marveled over the injustice: How could a truly great newspaper have ignored the passing of this giant, even in 1931?
Another surprise, because I had missed it when it originally appeared in Padnani's series was an obituary for Alan Turing, who died in 1954. By any standards of journalism, this computer visionary was one of the most influential minds of the 20th century—but apparently in 1954 "wartime secrecy" still obscured some of Turing's accomplishments. Plus, his conviction for homosexuality in Britain in 1952 had tarnished whatever international reputation he had in 1954. As I read that entry in this new book, I thought: Ohhhh, what an injustice my journalistic brethren committed here, as well!
There is so much wonderful reading in this book that I can pretty much guarantee my friends on Goodreads will enjoy this volume and likely will treasure it. There's something here for everyone. The Amazon page for the book goes on to list other examples, but you get the idea: This book hits each reader in a personal way. For me, the two biggest surprises were Wells and Turing, and I know, if you do decide to read this book, you will find your own especially eye-opening stories.
I'm so proud, as a journalist, that Amisha Padnani and her team launched this project and I'm a very happy recipient of this Christmas present from my family.
Over the past half century, when I've taught journalism courses, I have a couple of mainstay lessons that students have told me they remember years after the classes end. For example, I open classes by asking, "What is the first question a journalist always asks?"
I've gotten dozens of responses over the years, including blank looks from timid students who don't dare to answer.
Then, I say, "The first question a journalist always asks is: How do you spell your name?" I explain that properly naming people—including the details of properly spelling their name—is the first step in establishing their story "for the record" and, in effect, for history.
I thought of that question when I pulled the Christmas wrapping off my wonderful new hardcover edition of The New York Times staff's Overlooked: A Celebration of Remarkable, Underappreciated People Who Broke the Rules and Changed the World." This multi-year project, now resulting in this book, is helmed by the remarkably talented Amisha Padnani, an award-winning editor at the Times legendary Obituary Desk. And I say it that way because, for many years, the Times approach to obituaries was considered the gold standard in American journalism.
Having worked as a journalist myself for 50 years, more than 30 of them at The Detroit Free Press, I always supported the Free Press policy that everyone on staff should take an annual one-week rotation at the obituary desk. I always treasured my week, when it rolled around, because obituary writing illustrates the core of what I consider the vocation of journalism. At least in our newsroom, each day on the obit desk began in the 1980s and early 1990s by collecting the FAXes that had come in over the past 12 hours from funeral homes across Michigan. The obit writer, then, would sort through those brief bios to find a couple of people to feature in full-scale obituaries—staff-reported-and-written stories as opposed to funeral-home-generated "paid death notices."
And that brings me to a second mainstay I always taught in journalism courses or seminars, a lesson I boiled down into: "The story is always there." There's a famous J-school assignment dating to the first half of the 20th century in which the teacher would plop down the "telephone book" and invite each student to randomly flip open a page, run their finger quickly down a column of names and choose someone to profile. The assignment demonstrated that truth of my axiom: "The story is always there."
I'm now 68 and have been proclaiming that truth about writing—and about building healthy human relationships in general—for so many years that now I have family and friends approaching me with fresh stories all the time, often starting with: "You know, it's true—the story is always there."
Whether you are like me and hold to the classic values of the vocation of journalism—or you are Pope Francis writing an encyclical—we share the belief that each human life is of uniquely sacred worth. And therein lies the genesis of The Times' wonderful Overlooked project, which was created by Amisha Padnani and editor Jessica Bennett in 2018 to mark International Women's Day. On March 8 that year, they published 15 obituaries of "overlooked" women. At first, there were critics of this project—in particular because it blew a gaping hole in the Times reputation as the pinnacle of the obituary craft. Then, as people considered the project more fully, they realized that Padnani's project in itself defined the Times commitment to accuracy, fairness and authority in reporting. The project expanded from the issue of gender to finally include long-overdue obituaries of people who were ignored by The Times Obit desk over the last century or so because of their color, ethnicity or for a host of other biased reasons.
When I opened my Christmas present, I was shocked to find one of my own heroes in journalism: Ida B. Wells, a courageous Black journalist who was among the first to report on lynchings in the South at a time when she easily could have been lynched herself. Even though I am a daily Times reader, I had somehow missed the original publication of the Overlooked tribute to Wells. I marveled over the injustice: How could a truly great newspaper have ignored the passing of this giant, even in 1931?
Another surprise, because I had missed it when it originally appeared in Padnani's series was an obituary for Alan Turing, who died in 1954. By any standards of journalism, this computer visionary was one of the most influential minds of the 20th century—but apparently in 1954 "wartime secrecy" still obscured some of Turing's accomplishments. Plus, his conviction for homosexuality in Britain in 1952 had tarnished whatever international reputation he had in 1954. As I read that entry in this new book, I thought: Ohhhh, what an injustice my journalistic brethren committed here, as well!
There is so much wonderful reading in this book that I can pretty much guarantee my friends on Goodreads will enjoy this volume and likely will treasure it. There's something here for everyone. The Amazon page for the book goes on to list other examples, but you get the idea: This book hits each reader in a personal way. For me, the two biggest surprises were Wells and Turing, and I know, if you do decide to read this book, you will find your own especially eye-opening stories.
I'm so proud, as a journalist, that Amisha Padnani and her team launched this project and I'm a very happy recipient of this Christmas present from my family.
September 24, 2024
Overlooked: A Celebration of Remarkable, Underappreciated People Who Broke the Rules and Changed the World by Amisha Padnani and the New York Times Obituaries Desk (Ten Speed Press 2023) (920) (3990).
This book is a New York Times publication which seeks to right an old wrong, or at least to correct a glaring oversight. Overlooked: A Celebration of Remarkable, Underappreciated People Who Broke the Rules and Changed the World contains autobiographical sketches about a selected group of folks whose lives have been shown to be historically noteworthy or momentous but whose deaths were, for historical or cultural reasons, not contemporaneously noted in the New York Times.
Some of these featured individuals are now recognized as historical or societal pioneering trailblazers (Sylvia Plath, Alan Turing, Robert Johnson, Ida B. Wells) while others followed such distinctive, odd, or eccentric paths that author Amisha Padnani (the New York Times Obituary Editor) selected them for installation into the permanent historical record (Rose Mackenberg, Esquerita, Annie Edson Taylor, Emma “Grandma” Gatewood, Alison Hargreaves, Joe Carstairs, Terri Rogers, Jobriath, Lee Godie).
This book introduced me to some interesting and eclectic personalities with whom I was completely unfamiliar. It also provided “the rest of the story” about other more widely-known individuals whose backgrounds I never knew or suspected.
Either way, I can almost guarantee that this book will introduce readers to a few new ideas or new personalities. I enjoyed this collection very much.
My rating: 7.25/10, finished 9/24/24 (3990).
November 23, 2023
Begun as a chance to address the inherent biases of the newspaper of record, the New York Times’, obituary coverage, the book Overlooked presents the obituaries of sixty-six courageous, remarkable or other ways noteworthy figures previously left out.
First published, beginning in 2018, the book collects the Overlooked articles first few years. Each of the figures featured gets a full obituary describing their lives with an emphasis on their notable accomplishment(s) and their legacy. Supplementing each write up are a number of photos depicting the subject or linked content. There are also miniature entries about the process of writing obituaries, researching for them or more general reflections on the needed speed or other issues of journalism.
A celebratory introduction to many figures who fall outside the standard notable white man, this volume looks at the lives of activists, artists, comedians, motorcycle enthusiasts, inventors or a survivor/hiker.
Overlooked asks us to reconsider the past and what stories or experiences were not shared that should be, either for their importance as firsts or as role models for how we should continue to act today.
I received a free digital version of this book via NetGalley thanks to the publisher.
First published, beginning in 2018, the book collects the Overlooked articles first few years. Each of the figures featured gets a full obituary describing their lives with an emphasis on their notable accomplishment(s) and their legacy. Supplementing each write up are a number of photos depicting the subject or linked content. There are also miniature entries about the process of writing obituaries, researching for them or more general reflections on the needed speed or other issues of journalism.
A celebratory introduction to many figures who fall outside the standard notable white man, this volume looks at the lives of activists, artists, comedians, motorcycle enthusiasts, inventors or a survivor/hiker.
Overlooked asks us to reconsider the past and what stories or experiences were not shared that should be, either for their importance as firsts or as role models for how we should continue to act today.
I received a free digital version of this book via NetGalley thanks to the publisher.
February 14, 2024
Overlooked is a series of obituaries about remarkable people whose deaths, beginning in 1851, went unreported in The Times. I have noticed recently that the Times is starting to run a series of "overlooked" people and as I read about these incredible people it's so maddening that they weren't honored at the time -- in life or death. This book begins to rectify this by publishing these hidden stories with beautiful writing and photos. I am glad these 66 people are finally getting their due.
Thank you to Netgalley and Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press for an ARC and I voluntarily left this review.
Thank you to Netgalley and Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press for an ARC and I voluntarily left this review.
May 21, 2024
This was a really interesting anthology. I appreciate a good biography, especially about overlooked fascinating people so I was the target audience for this. I read 2-3 each morning for about a month which was fun. Although the writers switched, I found that actually made each story more interesting and I think there was a great selection of people within their categories. Great length as well, there were just enough people to stay invested yet cover a wide swath. The few sections on obit writing logistics were fascinating as well and I would have appreciated even more. Great idea and collection!
Reread - Nope.
Recommendation - Yep.
Reread - Nope.
Recommendation - Yep.
March 9, 2025
This delivers exactly what the title promises.
Lots of (color + black & white) photos
insights into writing obituaries
This is my favorite portrait (for some reason):
Pamela Colman Smith. 1878-1951: artist behind a famous tarot deck. She wrote and illustrated Annancy Stories. She wrote a manifesto, A Protest Against Fear, in which she argued “that fear has got a hold of all this land. Each one has a great fear of himself, a fear to believe, to think, to do, to be, to act.” In protest, she argued younger artists: “Try to feel truly one thought, one scene, and make others feel it as keenly as you do—thus is art born.” 101
Lots of (color + black & white) photos
insights into writing obituaries
This is my favorite portrait (for some reason):
Pamela Colman Smith. 1878-1951: artist behind a famous tarot deck. She wrote and illustrated Annancy Stories. She wrote a manifesto, A Protest Against Fear, in which she argued “that fear has got a hold of all this land. Each one has a great fear of himself, a fear to believe, to think, to do, to be, to act.” In protest, she argued younger artists: “Try to feel truly one thought, one scene, and make others feel it as keenly as you do—thus is art born.” 101
November 25, 2025
A beautiful book, albeit one that is hard to read, since it is really a collection of obituaries for people who should've ranked in the NYT but didn't, usually due to biases of the time.
That being said, the people covered therefore skew away from the cis-hetero white male demographic, by design. We learn about a transgender ventriloquist, Black dancers, a disabled suffragist, an undercover skeptic, and many others. Nicely complemented with photos and artwork, there's certainly someone in here for anyone to aspire to.
That being said, the people covered therefore skew away from the cis-hetero white male demographic, by design. We learn about a transgender ventriloquist, Black dancers, a disabled suffragist, an undercover skeptic, and many others. Nicely complemented with photos and artwork, there's certainly someone in here for anyone to aspire to.
May 15, 2023
NetGalley ARC Educator 550974
As a child I would read the obituaries with my grandparents. As I've gotten older, I find myself spending hours reading and reviewing them. This book was a marvel, some of the people I was familiar with and others were new. The authors did a fantastic job. I hope this is the first of many.
As a child I would read the obituaries with my grandparents. As I've gotten older, I find myself spending hours reading and reviewing them. This book was a marvel, some of the people I was familiar with and others were new. The authors did a fantastic job. I hope this is the first of many.
January 25, 2024
One of my favorite things is the last Sunday New York Times magazine of the year when they do their 'lives they lived' issue. This is like getting a book length of those, but of people who were shockingly not given a NYT obit at the time of their death- Sylvia Plath, Ida B. Wells, Alan Turing, etc.
dnf
September 1, 2024DNFing for now at 40%. This is a book I feel like you pick up every once and a while, read a story, and come back again a few weeks or a few months later. Since it’s a library book, it’s hard to do that. I may check it out again in the future and do more reading. The people highlighter have so far been interesting!
December 22, 2023
One of my favorite reads of the year - I immediately bought this as a Christmas present for my mom. I learned so many interesting things and has some really great conversations sharing stories I read from this book.
March 6, 2024
This was a wonderful collection of people who were overlooked, for various reason, by the New York Times obit section! I'm glad I saw it at the library, and want to recommend it to everyone. The book gave me a little bit of untaught history and that is priceless.
December 12, 2023
Such a beautiful book on people who were overlooked. I am adding this to my coffee table books as a conversation starter and beautiful living room piece. Love love love!
April 14, 2025
Interesting, informative, & enjoyable to read - has already got me looking for books about several people mentioned. The NYT needs to publish Overlooked 2.
December 16, 2023
I kinda expected more inspiring stories, but it seems those were overlooked in favor of the sensational lives of those deemed “news-worthy” in their time, that is to say, they weren’t overlooked by contemporaries but somehow didn’t get the final coverage of a major newspaper obituary. Well-written, intriguing. But maybe look further than newspaper archives?
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews