Bari Wood

Born on December 31, 1936, in Jacksonville, Illinois, Bari Wood is an American author who has penned works across science fiction, crime, and horror genres. She spent her formative years near Chicago, later earning an English degree from Northwestern University. Wood relocated to New York in 1957, where she initially worked in a library for the American Cancer Society before moving into editorial roles for the society's journal, CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, and the medical publication Drug Therapy. Her career in fiction writing began in the early 1970s.

During her time in New York, she married biologist Dr. Gilbert Congdon Wood. The couple relocated to a farmhouse in Ridgefield, Connecticut, in 1981. Following Dr. Wood's passing, Bari Wood married Dennis Preston Kazee in 2008 and moved to Lansing, Michigan. Her literary career includes the novel The Killing Gift, which received the Putnam Prize in 1975. She also co-authored Twins in 1977, which was later adapted into the film Dead Ringers. Another of her novels, Doll's Eyes (1993), was adapted into the film In Dreams.

Bari Wood was born on December 31, 1936, in Jacksonville, Illinois. Her parents were Israel S. Prosterman and Gertrude Ritman. She grew up in the Chicago area and pursued higher education at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, where she obtained a degree in English. In 1957, Wood moved to New York City. Her initial professional experience in the city was at the library of the American Cancer Society. She later transitioned into editorial positions, contributing to the society's publication, CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, and the medical journal Drug Therapy. This period marked her entry into the professional world before she began her career as a fiction writer in the early 1970s.

Wood's writing career gained momentum in the early 1970s. Her debut novel, The Killing Gift, was published in 1975 and was recognized with the Putnam Prize for its quality. Following this success, she collaborated with Jack Geasland to write Twins, which was released in 1977. The novel Twins achieved significant recognition when it was adapted into a film titled Dead Ringers in 1988, notable for Jeremy Irons playing the lead roles. Another of Wood's novels, Doll's Eyes, published in 1993, was also adapted for the screen, premiering as the film In Dreams in 1999.