Jay Williams (author) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jay Williams
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| Born | May 31, 1914 Buffalo, New York, United States |
| Died | July 12, 1978 (aged 64) |
| Pen name | Michael Delving |
| Occupation | Author |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | University of Pennsylvania Columbia University |
| Genre | Science fiction History |
| Notable works | Danny Dunn series |
 Literature portal |
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Jay Williams (born May 31, 1914 – died July 12, 1978) was an American writer. He wrote many different types of books, including science fiction, fantasy, and historical stories. He also wrote non-fiction books and plays. Many of his science fiction books were written especially for children.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Jay Williams was born in Buffalo, New York. His father was a producer for vaudeville shows, which were popular stage performances with different acts. Growing up around these shows inspired Williams to start acting when he was in college.
He went to two universities: the University of Pennsylvania from 1932 to 1933, and Columbia University in 1934. During this time, he took part in amateur plays.
Jay Williams' Career
Starting Out in Show Business
After college, during the end of the Great Depression (a time when many people were out of work), Jay Williams worked as a comedian. He performed in the "Borscht Belt," a group of resorts in upstate New York that were popular entertainment spots.
From 1936 to 1941, Williams worked as a press agent. This meant he helped promote shows and actors for different theater groups. He even acted in a movie called Little Fugitive in 1953, which won an award at the Cannes Film Festival.
Serving in the Army and Becoming a Writer
Jay Williams served in the Army during World War II. He was awarded a Purple Heart, which is given to soldiers who are wounded in battle. While he was in the Army, his first book, The Stolen Oracle, was published in 1943.
After leaving the military in 1945, he decided to become a full-time writer.
Writing Books for Kids and Adults
Jay Williams wrote a lot of books—at least 79 in total! These included 11 picture books, 39 novels for children, 7 mystery novels for adults, 4 non-fiction books, 8 historical novels, and a play.
His most famous works are probably the "Danny Dunn" science fiction and fantasy books for young adults. He wrote this series with Raymond Abrashkin. Even after Abrashkin passed away in 1960, Williams made sure Abrashkin was still credited as a co-author for all 15 books in the series, which ran from 1956 to 1977. Jay Williams was known for replying to over 1,000 fan letters from his young readers every year!
Mystery and Historical Novels
Besides the "Danny Dunn" series, Williams also wrote mysteries for young adults, like The Counterfeit African (1945) and The Roman Moon Mystery. He wrote adult crime novels too, using the pen name Michael Delving. One of his mystery series for adults featured an American collector of rare books named Dave Cannon, and these stories took place in Britain.
Jay Williams also wrote many successful historical novels for adults. These included The Witches, which looked at how healing women were treated in Scotland, and Solomon and Sheba. He also wrote The Siege, a story about wars started by the Pope in the 13th century, and Tomorrow's Fire (1964), which was set during the Third Crusade. Another historical novel was The Rogue from Padua, set in the Renaissance.
Science Fiction and Non-Fiction
Williams was also interested in the future, which he explored in his many science fiction stories. Many of these appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. Eight of these stories were collected in a book called Unearthly Beasts. His novel Uniad imagined a world where people had lost their individuality.
His novel The Forger explored ideas about money, art, and how art connects to real life.
Jay Williams also wrote non-fiction books, which are based on facts. These included The Middle Ages, Knights of the Crusades, The Spanish Armada, and Joan of Arc. He also wrote a book for young adults about World War II called The Battle for the North Atlantic. He was known for doing a lot of research for both his fiction and non-fiction books.
He wrote about the environment in his book Fall of the Sparrow, which described how many animal and bird species were disappearing, often because of humans. He also wrote a travel book called A Change of Climate, about a trip he took to Europe with his son, Chris.
Personal Life
Jay Williams married Barbara Girsdansky on June 3, 1941. They had a son named Christopher, who was called "Chris," and a daughter named Victoria.
Jay Williams passed away at the age of 64 from a heart attack while he was on a trip to London. This was on July 12, 1978.
