▁activ ist , ▁femin ist , ▁and ▁pop ▁music ▁critic . ▁A ▁ 2 0 1 4 ▁collection ▁of ▁her ▁ess ays , ▁The ▁Ess ential ▁Ellen ▁Will is , ▁received ▁the ▁National ▁Book ▁Crit ics ▁Circle ▁Award ▁for ▁Crit ic ism . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁and ▁education ▁ ▁Will is ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Manh attan ▁to ▁a ▁Jewish ▁family , ▁and ▁grew ▁up ▁in ▁the ▁bor ough s ▁of ▁the ▁Bron x ▁and ▁Queens ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁City . ▁Her ▁father ▁was ▁a ▁police ▁lieutenant ▁in ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁Police ▁Department . ▁Will is ▁attended ▁Bar n ard ▁College ▁as ▁an ▁under grad uate ▁and ▁did ▁gradu ate ▁study ▁at ▁University ▁of ▁California , ▁Ber keley , ▁where ▁she ▁studied ▁compar ative ▁literature . ▁ ▁Career ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 6 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 9 7 0 s , ▁she ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁pop ▁music ▁critic ▁for ▁The ▁New ▁York er , ▁and ▁later ▁wrote ▁for , ▁among ▁others , ▁the ▁Village ▁Vo ice , ▁The ▁Nation , ▁Rol ling ▁Stone , ▁S late , ▁and ▁Sal on , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁D issent , ▁where ▁she ▁was ▁also ▁on ▁the ▁editor ial ▁board . ▁She ▁was ▁the ▁author ▁of ▁several ▁books ▁of ▁collected ▁ess ays . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁her ▁death , ▁she ▁was ▁a ▁professor ▁in ▁the ▁journal ism ▁department ▁of ▁New ▁York ▁University ▁and ▁the ▁head ▁of ▁its ▁Center ▁for ▁Cultural ▁Report ing ▁and ▁Crit ic ism . ▁ ▁On ▁November