Gray Poole
Gray Poole was an American writer born in Philadelphia in 1906, known for her diverse contributions to journalism and literature. After attending Johns Hopkins University, she began her career as a reporter for the Baltimore Evening Sun in 1934, later transitioning to a fashion copywriter at Hutzler's department store. In 1942, she became a freelance writer, collaborating extensively with her husband, Lynn Poole, on various projects. Her writing encompassed a range of genres, with a strong focus on science aimed at young adults, evident in titles like "Weird and Wonderful Ants" and "Danger! Icebergs Ahead!" Additionally, she authored biographies and nonfiction works, some of which explored historical figures and events. Notably, her first book, "Opportunities Unlimited: The Engineer in IBM," was published in 1956, and she also penned a biography of dancer Ted Shawn. Gray Poole’s literary contributions reflect her passion for science and history, making her a significant figure in mid-20th-century American literature.
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Gray Poole
Author
- Born: 1906
- Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Died: August 21, 2005
- Place of death: Alhambra, California
Biography
Gray Poole was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1906. She attended Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, and in 1934, she began working as a reporter for the Baltimore Evening Sun. She left the newspaper in1937 to join the staff of Hutzler’s department store, where she was a fashion copywriter. She married Lynn Poole, a teacher and writer, in 1941, and the following year she embarked on a career as a freelance writer.
Poole contributed articles to magazines, wrote two regularly published newspaper columns, penned entries for Encyclopaedia Britannica, and authored numerous nonfiction books, the majority of which were written in collaboration with her husband. Her first book was Opportunities Unlimited: The Engineer in IBM, published in 1956. Poole’s work focused primarily on science and was generally geared toward young adults, but there were exceptions, such as her biography of dancer Ted Shawn, One Thousand and One Night Stands (1960). Poole’s science-related titles include Weird and Wonderful Ants (1961), Danger! Icebergs Ahead! (1961), and Volcanoes in Action: Science and Legend (1962), all written with her husband. The couple also collaborated on several biographies, including One Passion, Two Loves: The Story of Heinrich and Sophia Schliemann, Discoverers of Troy (1966), Men Who Dig up History (1968), and Men Who Pioneered Inventions (1969). Poole and her husband produced one work of fiction together, The Magnificent Traitor: A Novel of Alcibiades and the Golden Age of Pericles (1968).