James Marshall
James Edward Marshall was a notable American author and illustrator, born on October 10, 1942, in San Antonio, Texas. He grew up in a rural area near Beaumont, where he developed a passion for music, studying the viola and violin before a hand injury redirected his career towards education and literature. Marshall earned a Bachelor’s degree from Southern Connecticut State College and taught French and Spanish at Cathedral High School in Boston from 1968 to 1970. He transitioned to a successful freelance career as an illustrator and writer, creating beloved children's books that often convey themes of respect, kindness, and friendship.
His most celebrated works include the "George and Martha" series and collaborations with Harry Allard, such as "Miss Nelson is Missing." Marshall's unique illustration style was influenced by prominent artists like Maurice Sendak and Edward Gorey, utilizing ink with varied color tints to enhance the storytelling. He received multiple accolades for his contributions to children's literature, including recognition from *The New York Times*. Unfortunately, his prolific career was cut short by a brain tumor, leading to his passing on October 13, 1992, just days after his fiftieth birthday.
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James Marshall
Writer
- Born: October 10, 1942
- Birthplace: San Antonio, Texas
- Died: October 13, 1992
- Place of death: Manhattan, New York
Biography
James Edward Marshall was born to George E. Marshall, an insurance salesman, and Cecille Harrison Marshall on October 10, 1942, in San Antonio, Texas. His family later moved to an isolated farm near Beaumont, Texas, described by Marshall as a swampy region of the Deep South. To escape this part of the country, Marshall studied the viola and violin; he later won a scholarship to the New England Conservatory in Boston, Massachusetts. When his music career was cut short by an injury to his hand, he turned his attention to studies in French and history at several colleges in Texas and Connecticut, graduating with a B.A. from Southern Connecticut State College in 1967. From 1968 to 1970, he was a teacher of French and Spanish at Cathedral High School in Boston. From 1970 until his death, he worked as a freelance writer and illustrator.
Marshall was a self-taught artist whose career as an illustrator and writer began while he was teaching high school. His first assignment was with Houghton-Mifflin to illustrate a book entitled Plink, Plink, Plink (1971) by Byrd Baylor. The next year, Marshall authored and illustrated George and Martha, the first book in his well-known, eight-volume series about a pair of hippopotamus friends. His books are typically designed to teach young children values such as respect, kindness, and friendship. He begins with animal characters placed in unusual circumstances that parody adult situations, making his works entertaining to adults as well as children. One of Marshall’s most memorable illustration projects was a short series of books written in collaboration with Harry Allard about Miss Nelson, a kind hearted teacher who disguises herself as Miss Viola Swamp, a hard-hearted substitute who whips the rowdy students into shape. The first book in this series, Miss Nelson is Missing, produced in 1977, won the Georgia Children’s Book Award and in 1980 was included in the American Institute of Graphic Arts Book Show.
Marshall’s style in illustrating is indebted to two senior illustrators, Maurice Sendak and Edward Gory, and to two illustrators of an earlier era, Jean de Brunhoff, who created the Babar books, and Roger Duvoisin. Marshall drew his illustrations in ink, and then tinted them with green, orange, red, brown, and black, varying the detail to the tempo and mood of the story he was illustrating.
Marshall’s list of credits is extensive. In addition to working with Harry Allard on “the Stupids” series about a family of fools, Marshall wrote and illustrated numerous books, including those written under the pseudonym Edward Marshall and several that involved rewriting or selecting familiar stories. He also illustrated dozens of different books for other authors. Several of Marshall’s books were selected for the list of The New York Times Outstanding Books of the Year in 1972 and 1977, and several were selected for the list of The New York Times Ten Best Illustrated Books of the Year in 1972, 1973, and 1975. Marshall’s prolific career was cut short by a brain tumor that took his life on October 13, 1992, shortly after his fiftieth birthday.