Brian Jay Jones | |
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Born | Kansas City, Kansas | August 1, 1967
Occupation |
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Nationality | American |
Alma mater | University of New Mexico |
Genre | biography |
Notable works | Jim Henson: The Biography (2013), Becoming Dr. Seuss (2019) |
Notable awards | Goodreads Choice Award Best History & Biography (2013) |
Website | |
brianjayjones |
Brian Jay Jones (born August 1, 1967) is an American biographer, primarily of American pop culture icons. He is a former president of Biographers International Organization.
Born in Kansas City, Kansas, Jones was raised primarily in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He attended Eldorado High School and graduated from the University of New Mexico, where he earned a degree in English in 1989. [1] [2]
For nearly a decade, Jones served as a Legislative Assistant and speechwriter in the United States Senate, working for U.S. Senators Pete V. Domenici and James M. Jeffords. [3] He specialized in policy matters relating to education, civil rights, and welfare reform, and served as staff member on the United States Senate Health Subcommittee on Children and Families. Jones has also been an Associate State Superintendent for Education for the State of Arizona, and has served as an advisor to several locally elected officials in Maryland. [4]
In 2008, Jones published Washington Irving: An American Original, a project he spent seven years writing and researching. [5] As one of the first biographies of the American author and statesman in eight decades, Washington Irving was praised by the Associated Press as "authoritative" [6] and "charming" by the New York Times. [7] In 2010, Jones was awarded the Washington Irving Medal for Literary Excellence from the St. Nicholas Society of New York. [8]
Jones has been an active member of Biographers International Organization (BIO), a non-profit organization founded to promote the art and craft of biography, since its inception in 2009. In 2012, he was elected vice president of the organization, and in 2014, he was elected to a two-year term as BIO's president. [9]
In September 2013, Jones published Jim Henson: The Biography, the first comprehensive biography of Muppet creator Jim Henson. Hailed as "masterful" by Kirkus Reviews, Jim Henson was a New York Times bestseller, [10] and received the 2013 Goodreads Choice Award for Best History & Biography, [11] as well as being selected by CNN viewers as a "Favorite Book of 2013.". [12] Henson's longtime associate Frank Oz publicly praised the book, saying, "Brian Jay Jones has captured the layers of Jim’s genius and humanity, as well as the flaws that made Jim, like all of us, so delightfully imperfect. Jim needed this book to be written," while lifelong Muppet fan Neil Patrick Harris called it "an absolute must-read!" [13] Named a "Book of the Year" by Bookpage, it was also shortlisted for the Plutarch Award for the best biography of 2013. [14]
December 2016 saw the publication of George Lucas: A Life, a full-length, comprehensive biography of Star Wars creator George Lucas. Lauded by the Washington Post as "admirably comprehensive", [15] George Lucas was hailed by Kirkus as a "sweeping, perceptive biography," and was named one of the Best Books of 2016. [16]
In May 2019, Dutton published Jones' biography of children's author Dr. Seuss, Becoming Dr. Seuss: Theodor Geisel and the Making of an American Imagination. The book was praised by NPR as "nuanced, profoundly human, and painstakingly researched," [17] and was long-listed for the Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction.
A self-proclaimed "pop culture junkie", [18] Jones has discussed at length his particular affection for the Beatles and comic books, especially the character Batman and the writer Alan Moore. [19]
Jones has made multiple appearances on The George Lucas Talk Show marathon fundraisers, including: The George Lucas Talk Show All Day Star Wars Movie Watch Along, LucasLynch (On The Air/ Radioland Murders marathon), and The George Lucas Holiday Special.
Theodor Seuss Geisel was an American children's author and cartoonist. He is known for his work writing and illustrating more than 60 books under the pen name Dr. Seuss (,). His work includes many of the most popular children's books of all time, selling over 600 million copies and being translated into more than 20 languages by the time of his death.
James Maury Henson was an American puppeteer, animator, cartoonist, actor, inventor, and filmmaker who achieved worldwide notice as the creator of The Muppets and Fraggle Rock (1983–1987) and director of The Dark Crystal (1982) and Labyrinth (1986). He was born in Greenville, Mississippi, and raised in both Leland, Mississippi and University Park, Maryland.
Horton Hears a Who! is a children's book written and illustrated by Theodor Seuss Geisel under the pen name Dr. Seuss. It was published in 1954 by Random House. This book tells the story of Horton the Elephant and his adventures saving Whoville, a tiny planet located on a speck of dust, from the animals who mock him. These animals attempt to steal and burn the speck of dust, so Horton goes to great lengths to save Whoville from being incinerated.
The Jim Henson Hour is a television series that aired on NBC in 1989. It was developed as a showcase for The Jim Henson Company's various puppet creations, including the Muppet characters.
The Muppet Movie is a 1979 American musical road comedy film directed by James Frawley, produced by Jim Henson, and the first theatrical film featuring the Muppets. A co-production between the United Kingdom and the United States, the film was written by The Muppet Show writers Jerry Juhl and Jack Burns. Produced between the first and second half of The Muppet Show's third season, the film tells the origin story of the Muppets, as Kermit the Frog embarks on a cross-country trip to Los Angeles, encountering several of the Muppets—who all share the same ambition of finding success in professional show business—along the way while being pursued by Doc Hopper, a greedy restaurateur with intentions of employing Kermit as a spokesperson for his frog legs business.
The Muppets Take Manhattan is a 1984 American musical comedy drama film directed by Frank Oz. It is the third theatrical film in The Muppets franchise. In addition to the Muppet performance, the film features special appearances by Art Carney, James Coco, Dabney Coleman, Gregory Hines, Linda Lavin, and Joan Rivers. Filmed in New York City during the prior summer, it was released theatrically on July 13, 1984, by TriStar Pictures. A fantasy sequence in the film introduced the Muppet Babies, toddler versions of the lead Muppet characters.
Horton Hatches the Egg is a children's book written and illustrated by Theodor Geisel under the pen name Dr. Seuss and published in 1940 by Random House. The book tells the story of Horton the Elephant, who is tricked into sitting on a bird's egg while its mother, Mayzie, takes a permanent vacation to Palm Beach. Horton endures a number of hardships but persists, often stating, "I meant what I said, and I said what I meant. An elephant's faithful, one hundred percent!" Ultimately, the egg hatches, revealing an elephant-bird, a creature with a blend of Mayzie's and Horton's features.
And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street is Theodor Seuss Geisel's first children's book published under the pen name Dr. Seuss. First published by Vanguard Press in 1937, the story follows a boy named Marco, who describes a parade of imaginary people and vehicles traveling along a road, Mulberry Street, in an elaborate fantasy story he dreams up to tell his father at the end of his walk. However, when he arrives home, he decides instead to tell his father what he actually saw—a simple horse and wagon.
Jane Ann Henson was an American puppeteer and the wife of Jim Henson.
McElligot's Pool is a children's book written and illustrated by Theodor Geisel under the pen name Dr. Seuss and published by Random House in 1947. In the story, a boy named Marco, who first appeared in Geisel's 1937 book And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, imagines a wide variety of fantastic fish that could be swimming in the pond in which he is fishing.
Dr. Seuss's Sleep Book, commonly referred to as The Sleep Book, is a children's book written by Dr. Seuss in 1962. The story centers on the activity of sleep as readers follow the journey of many different characters preparing to slip into a deep slumber. This book documents the different sleeping activities that some of the creatures join in on: Jo and Mo Redd-Zoff participate in competitive sleep talking and a group “near Finnigan Fen” enjoys group sleepwalking. It opens with a small bug, named Van Vleck, yawning. This single yawn sets off a chain reaction, effectively putting “ninety-nine zillion nine trillion and two” creatures to sleep.
The Pulitzer Prize is an award given to the best authors in all aspects of writing for authoring pieces of exceptionally high quality. In 1984, the recipients were:
Michael Kingsbury Frith is a British artist and television producer. He is the former Executive Vice-President and Creative Director of The Jim Henson Company. His contributions to Muppet projects have been extensive and varied.
The Theodor Seuss Geisel Award is a literary award by the American Library Association (ALA) that annually recognizes the "author(s) and illustrator(s) of the most distinguished book for beginning readers published in English in the United States during the preceding year." The winner(s) receive a bronze medal at the ALA Annual Conference, presented by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) division of ALA.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas! is a Christmas children's story by Theodor "Dr. Seuss" Geisel written in rhymed verse with illustrations by the author. It follows the Grinch, a grouchy, solitary creature who tries to cancel Christmas by stealing Christmas gifts and decorations from the homes of the nearby town of Whoville on Christmas Eve. Miraculously, the Grinch realizes that Christmas is not all about money and presents.
Donald E. Pease is the Ted and Helen Geisel Third Century Professor in the Humanities, chair of the Master of Arts in Liberal Studies Program, professor of English and comparative literature at Dartmouth College. He is an Americanist, literary and cultural critic, and academic. He has been a member of the boundary 2 editorial collective since 1977 or 1978. He was the founding editor of the New Americanist Series at Duke University Press and editor of the Re-Encountering Colonialism Series and Re-Mapping the Transnational Turn: A Dartmouth Series in American Studies for the University Press of New England (UPNE). Pease directs the annual Futures of American Studies Institute at Dartmouth.
The Land of Gorch was a recurring adult puppetry skit that appeared in season one of the American comedy television program Saturday Night Live, featuring Jim Henson's Muppets.
Bonnie Erickson is an American designer of puppets, costumes, toys, and graphics, best known for her work with Jim Henson and The Muppets, where her most notable creations include Miss Piggy, Statler and Waldorf, and as a partner in Harrison/Erickson, the Major League Baseball mascot the Phillie Phanatic.
Horse Museum is a Dr. Seuss book released by Random House Children's Books on September 3, 2019. It is based on an unfinished manuscript by Theodor Seuss Geisel completed by Australian illustrator Andrew Joyner. 250,000 copies were released of the first printing.
Kleinschwarzenbach is a village in the German city of Helmbrechts. Dr. Seuss visited members of the Seuss family there to rediscover his heritage.