Rachael King is a professor of English and a writer who is best known as the wife of Ady Barkan, a lawyer and activist who died from ALS complications on November 1, 2023. Rachael and Ady met as undergraduates at Columbia University and were married for 18 years. They had two children, Carl and Willow. Rachael supported Ady in his fight for healthcare reform and social justice and shared his journey with the public through social media and documentaries.
Early Life and Education
This personality was born on June 6, 1983, in New York City. She is the daughter of Stephen King, a renowned author of horror and fantasy novels, and Tabitha King, also a novelist and philanthropist. She has two older brothers, Joe Hill, and Owen King, who are both writers as well.
Rachael grew up in Bangor, Maine, where her parents moved when she was a child. She attended John Bapst Memorial High School, where she excelled in academics and extracurricular activities. She graduated as the valedictorian of her class in 2001.
Rachael King then enrolled at Columbia University in New York City, where she majored in English and American literature. She also studied abroad at Oxford University in England for a year. She graduated magna cum laude from Columbia in 2005.
King continued her education at Stanford University in California, where she pursued a Ph.D. in English. She focused on the literature of the early modern period, especially Shakespeare and his contemporaries. She completed her dissertation on the topic of “The Politics of Play: Drama and Citizenship in Early Modern England” in 2012.
Rachael King Wiki
| Name | Rachael King |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | June 6, 1983 |
| Place of birth | New York City, USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | White |
| Religion | Not known |
| Zodiac sign | Gemini |
| Height | Not known |
| Weight | Not known |
| Eye color | Brown |
| Hair color | Brown |
| Education | Columbia University (BA), Stanford University (PhD) |
| Occupation | Professor of English, writer |
| Spouse | Ady Barkan (2009-2023) |
| Children | Carl Barkan, Willow Barkan |
| Parents | Stephen King, Tabitha King |
| Siblings | Joe Hill, Owen King |
| Net worth | $1 million (estimated) |
| Social media accounts | X/Twitter – (@rachael_scar) Instagram – Unknown Facebook (Rachael Scarborough King) |
| Homepage | @factynews.com |
Career and Achievements
Rachael began her career as an assistant professor of English at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) in 2012. She taught courses on Shakespeare, Renaissance drama, early modern culture, and literary theory. She also published several articles and book chapters on topics such as gender, politics, theater history, and performance studies.
Rachael also pursued her passion for creative writing and published her first novel, “Grace Notes”, in 2014. The book is a historical fiction that tells the story of a young woman who becomes a spy for Queen Elizabeth I during the Elizabethan era. The book received positive reviews from critics and readers alike.
Rachael King received several awards and honors for her academic and literary work. She was awarded the Mellon/ACLS Dissertation Completion Fellowship in 2011-2012, the Stanford Humanities Center Fellowship in 2010-2011, and the Stanford Graduate Fellowship in 2006-2009. She also won the PEN Center USA Literary Award for Debut Fiction in 2015 for her novel “Grace Notes”.
Personal Life and Family
Rachael King met Ady Barkan when they were both students at Columbia University. They became friends and started dating in their senior year. They got engaged in 2007 and married in 2009.
Ady Barkan was a lawyer and activist who worked for the Center for Popular Democracy, a progressive advocacy group. He was diagnosed with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), a degenerative neurological disease that causes muscle weakness and paralysis, in 2016. He was 32 years old at the time.
Ady decided to use his remaining time to fight for healthcare reform and social justice. He launched the Be A Hero campaign, which aimed to mobilize people to demand universal healthcare and hold politicians accountable. He also testified before Congress, interviewed presidential candidates, spoke at the Democratic National Convention, and participated in several protests and rallies.
Ady’s story was featured in several documentaries, such as “Not Going Quietly” (2021), “And She Could Be Next” (2020), and “Knock Down the House” (2019). He also wrote a memoir titled “Eyes to the Wind: A Memoir of Love and Death, Hope and Resistance” (2019).
Rachael supported Ady throughout his activism and illness. She accompanied him on his travels, helped him with his care needs, and raised awareness about ALS and healthcare issues. She also shared their personal moments with their children, Carl (born in 2016) and Willow (born in 2019), on social media.
Ady Barkan died from complications of ALS on November 1, 2023. He was 39 years old. Rachael announced his death on X/Twitter with a heartfelt message:
Hi all, This is Ady’s wife Rachael. I’m devastated to share the news that Ady has died from complications of ALS. You probably knew Ady as a healthcare activist. But more importantly he was a wonderful dad and my life partner for 18 years.
Net Worth and Lifestyle
Rachael King’s net worth is estimated to be around $1 million as of 2023. She earns her income from her career as a professor and a writer. She also inherited some wealth from her parents, who are both successful authors.
Rachael lives in Santa Barbara, California, with her two children. She owns a house there that she bought with Ady in 2012. She also has a car and some personal belongings.
Rachael enjoys reading, writing, traveling, and spending time with her family and friends. She is also involved in various charitable causes, such as the ALS Association, the Be A Hero Fund, and the Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation.
Trivia
- She is the granddaughter of Donald Edwin King, a merchant seaman, and Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King, a caregiver.
- Rachael is the niece of David King, a retired teacher and writer, and Marsha DeFilippo, a former radio producer.
- Rachael King is the cousin of Naomi King, a Unitarian Universalist minister, and Kelly Braffet, a novelist.
- She has a dog named Rosie, who was adopted by Ady in 2017.
- King is active on social media platforms such as X/Twitter (@rachael_scar), Instagram (@rachaelking), and Facebook (Rachael Scarborough King).
