Allegra Kent Allegra Kent Allegra Kent (born August 11, 1937) is an American ballet dancer, actress, children's book author and columnist. Iris Margo Cohen was born to Jewish parents, Harry Herschel and Shirley (née Weissman) Cohen, and later changed her name to Allegra Kent. Kent grew up in what she later described as a dysfunctional environment. In "Once a Dancer: An Autobiography", she describes her Texan father – "who liked to substitute 'Cowboy' for Herschel" – as having "a gambler's soul and a restless nature". She describes her Wisznice-born immigrant mother as feeling "neither European nor American; she was ashamed of her
Germany Kent University of Alabama's graduate school, where she received her Master of Arts degree on a full scholarship. In 1992, Kent developed her interest in journalism and began work while still in high school; for two years, she was the announcer over the loud speaker, delivering the morning news for her school. During that time, she served as the editor-in-chief for her school newspaper, "NPHS Beat", an award-winning student newspaper, which provided a launchpad for her literary career. After NPHS, Kent was active on the student-run media team serving as a reporter in the journalism department at Northwest Mississippi Community College.