Joseph Krumgold
Joseph Krumgold was an influential American author and screenwriter, born on April 9, 1908, in Jersey City, New Jersey. He began his career in the film industry in 1929, working with major studios such as MGM, Paramount, and RKO, primarily writing adventure and crime stories featuring actress Mary Astor. Krumgold published his first novel, a mystery titled *Thanks to Murder*, in 1935, and later transitioned into producing and directing films during World War II, notably creating the innovative documentary *Autobiography of a Jeep*.
After the war, he became the president of Palestine Films before establishing his own production company. Krumgold is perhaps best known for his contributions to young adult literature, with notable works including *...And Now Miguel* and *Onion John*, both of which won the prestigious Newbery Medal. His stories often explore themes of maturity, self-discovery, and the importance of tolerance. Krumgold's writing is distinguished by its first-person narrative style, reflecting the perspectives of preteen protagonists. He remains one of only three children's authors to secure two Newbery Medals before his passing in 1980.
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Joseph Krumgold
Writer
- Born: April 9, 1908
- Birthplace: Jersey City, New Jersey
- Died: July 10, 1980
- Place of death: Hope, New Jersey
Biography
Joseph Krumgold was born on April 9, 1908, the son of Henry Krumgold and Lena Gross Krumgold. He grew up in Jersey City, New Jersey, where his father worked in movie theaters. Krumgold began his career in 1929 as a screenwriter and producer and worked for many of the largest motion picture studios, including Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Paramount, RKO, Columbia, and Republic. Between 1935 and 1940, Krumgold wrote screenplays either by himself or with collaborators, the majority of which were adventure and crime stories starring actress Mary Astor. He published his first novel, a mystery entitled Thanks to Murder, in 1935.
From 1940 to 1946, Krumgold became a producer and director for Film Associates in New York City and for the Office of War Information; for the latter organization, he wrote the script for Autobiography of a Jeep. Krumgold experimented with the conventions of documentary films by making the jeep, a newly invented and produced vehicle, the protagonist of the film. Through a voice-over, the jeep introduced itself to audiences made up of servicemen and civilians and detailed its usefulness and the sacrifices it was making for the war effort.
From 1946 until 1950, Krumgold was the president in charge of production for Palestine Films, based in New York City and Jerusalem, Israel. He married Helen Litwin in 1947, and they had one son. In 1950, he formed Joseph Krumgold Productions and produced television films. From 1960 to 1970, he was a writer, director, and producer for the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS), National Broadcasting Company (NBC), National Educational Television, and Westinghouse Television. During these decades he also found his voice by writing books for young adults, the role for which he is best known.
His first young adult book, . . . And Now Miguel (1953), won the Newbery Medal. The book was inspired by a film about migrant workers commissioned by the Department of State and released in 1953. Both the novel and the film focus on the coming-of-age story of Miguel Chavez, whose family herdssheep in the shadow of the Sangre de Cristo mountains.
In 1960, Krumgold won a second Newbery Medal for Onion John (1959). In this book, the relationship between the protagonist and his father is tested when the boy begins to spend most of his time with Onion John, an eccentric neighbor who thinks he can do improbable things, such as make gold in a boiling pot or end the summer drought through a ritual involving jumping into the river. The boy’s father provides the voice of reason, and he and his son seek help from the Rotary Club to enable Onion John to improve his living conditions; in this way, both father and son reconnect and learn the value of an open mind. Onion John and . . . And Now Miguel were written in the first person and told from the perspective of a preteenage boy.
Krumgold published another young adult novel, Henry 3 (1967). His young adult books are characterized by the protagonist’s journey toward maturity. Each protagonist absorbs and questions the world around him; each learns to think for himself and come to terms with himself and others by emphasizing tolerance and understanding.
Krumgold is one of only three children’s writers to win two Newbery Medals. He died in 1980.