Abigail Elizabeth Stern

Abigail Elizabeth Stern was born March 27, 1957 in Saratoga Springs New York to Edward James Stern and Margaret Anne Stern. Edward Stern is a baker who owns Le Crepe bakery in Saratoga Springs. Margaret Stern is a veterinarian assistant for doctors Ray Charles and Daniel Dwyer veterinarians. Abigail has two older bothers  Cody James Stern program director at WQXR radio 105.9 FM New York. Mark Andrew Stern chef and owner of  Brooklyn Burger Bar  American burger joint.. Abby graduated from Saratoga Springs HS in 1975. Abby then went on to Parsons A New School for Design in New York City. Where she got both her bachelors (BFA) and masters in fine arts (MFA) She majored in photography and minored film. Abby knew how to use both still cameras and video cameras. Abby got her love of photography from her grandfather Joseph Goldwin her moms dad. James was a photographer for the New Yorker magazine. Her dads father Edward Stern  Sr. was a journalism teacher at Saratoga Springs High School. Abby started out at the New York Times as a travel photographer. Then she decided to go out on her own as photographer. Her first book was a coffee table book of photos of  fall in New England. She titled the book A Weekend In New England. Then she did books on New York City, Montreal, the south, the Big Easy (New Orleans), Seattle, France, Quebec and The Back Roads Of America. Abby had an idea for her next book. But first she had to ok it with Barry Manilow. Abby was thinking wouldn't it be cool if she did a book called A Year With Manilow. The book would be a year with Barry Manilow in photos. But then again he might not be interested in her idea. Abby lived in a studio apartment in Soho with her beagle Charlie. Abby did have a few boyfriends over the years but none you could write home to mother about. Maybe that's why she never got married. She never found a guy she wanted to take home to meet her parents. Beside a couple of the guys were very pushy. One even wanted to marry her right after their first date. He was a real looser. Abby  remembered the one time while she was still at the New York Times. When she was asked to photograph famous New York City mothers. One of the many mothers she photographed was Barry Manilow's mom Edna. This was when Edna was doing her cabaret act a clubs in New York City. She photographed Edna at Panache before and during one of her shows. She remembered Edna saying to her "Let me introduce you to my son Barry. He's a really nice and single." However her  great grandfather Elliot Stern passed away then. She and her brothers and parents had to go to his funeral. So she never got to meet Edna's son Barry back then. Abby though I ought to tell Barry about that. He just might get a kick out of hearing that story about his mom.