George Selden (born May 14, 1929, Hartford, Connecticut; died December 5, 1989, New York City, New York)[1] was the pseudonym of the American writer George Selden Thompson. He was educated at the Loomis School, and graduated from there in 1947. He attended Yale University, where he joined the Elizabethan Club and the literary magazine, and graduated with a B.A. in 1951. He also attended Columbia University for three summers. After Yale, he studied for a year in Rome on a Fulbright Scholarship from 1951 and 1952. Selden is best known as the author of several books about the character Chester Cricket and his friends. The first book, The Cricket in Times Square, was a Newbery Honor Book in 1961. Selden explained the inspiration for that book as follows:
"One night I was coming home on the subway, and I did hear a cricket chirp in the Times Square subway station. The story formed in my mind within minutes. An author is very thankful for minutes like those, although they happen all too infrequently."[2]
He wrote several sequels and other books in that series, which totaled seven books in all:
- The Cricket in Times Square
- Tucker's Countryside
- Harry Cat's Pet Puppy
- Chester Cricket's Pigeon Ride[3]
- Chester Cricket's New Home[4]
- Harry Kitten and Tucker Mouse[5]
- The Old Meadow[6]
His other books include:
- The Genie of Sutton Place
- Oscar Lobster's Fair Exchange
Under the pseudonym of Terry Andrews, Selden wrote the book The Story of Harold [7]. Selden remained unmarried[8] and left no immediate survivors. He was arguably bisexual.[9]
References
- ^ "George Selden, 60, Writer of Tales Describing a Cricket's Adventures", New York Times, 06 December 1989. Retrieved on 2006-12-19.
- ^ Biography from the Educational Paperback Association.
- ^ Karla Kuskin, New York Times Children's Books review, 20 September 1981.
- ^ Ellen Rudin, New York Times Children's Books review, 22 January 1984.
- ^ "Children's Books: Bookshelf". New York Times, 15 February 1987.
- ^ "Children's Books: Bookshelf". New York Times, 6 March 1988.
- ^ Claude J. Summers, "Andrews, Terry (1929-1989)". glbtq: An Encyclopedia of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Culture. Web site listing, 14 December 2002.
- ^ Lord, M. G. (5 December, 2004), "The Secret Life of the Lonely Doll: Her Doll, Herself", The New York Times, <http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/05/books/review/05LORDL.html>. Retrieved on 2008-01-03
- ^ Summers, Claude J. (2002), "Andrews, Terry", glbtq.com, <http://www.glbtq.com/literature/andrews_t.html>. Retrieved on 2008-01-03
