A great remembrance of "Ryan's Hope" and its head writer

[Diner]

Mary Ryan - the character originally played by Kate Mulgrew on the daytime drama "Ryan's Hope" (ABC, 1975-1989) - was named after Mary Ryan Munisteri. Ms. Munisteri, who died last month at 82, eventually became the show's head writer, and played a crucial role in the factors that set RH apart from other soaps: grounding the show in reality, and making it speak to women's lives. 

A wonderful reminiscence by New York Times columnist Ginia Bellafante:

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/25/nyregion/ryans-hope-soap-opera.html