Lilian Jackson Braun
Lilian Jackson Braun was an American author best known for her lighthearted The Cat Who mystery series, in which her fictional towns and counties are said to be based on Bad Axe, Michigan.
Life and career
Lilian Jackson Braun died on July 20, 2020, at the age of 96. She published three critically acclaimed novels between 1966 and 1968, and the 29th novel in her series, The Cat Who Had 60 Whiskers, was published by Penguin Group. She wrote all of her books in longhand and then typed them herself.
“The Cat Who…” novels
The Cat Who Could Read Backwards (1966)u2013 The New York Times dubbed Braun “the new detective of the year” in 1966. The Cat Who Smelled Smoke (cancelled by publisher, Putnam)u2013 The author’s book was withdrawn from publication in 2007.
Short stories
The Cat Who Had 14 Tales (1988), Short and Tall Tales (2003), and The Private Life of the Cat Who were published in 1988, 2003, and 2008-2009, respectively. The Cat Who Had 14 Tales was published in 1988, Short and Tall Tales was published in 2003, and autobiographical works for young adults were published in 2008-2009.
Where is pickaxe Moose County?
The majority of the stories were set in a fictional town called Pickax in Moose County, which was based on Mrs. Bettinger’s hometown of Bad Axe, Mich., where she and her husband lived until the mid-1980s.
Where is Lillian Jackson Braun from?
The Cat Who books follow James Qwilleran, a former newspaper reporter, and his two Siamese cats, Koko (short for Kao K’o Kung) and Yum Yum, in the fictitious small town of Pickax, located in Moose County “400 miles north of everywhere.”
How many cat who books did Lilian Jackson Braun write?
Dutton published her first book, The Cat Who Could Read Backwards, in 1966, and Braun wrote 31 books (2 collections of short stories and 29 Cat Who books).
Why was the cat who smelled smoke Cancelled?
Lilian Jackson Braun died with one regret, according to her husband of 33 years: she was unable to finish her last novel, “The Cat Who Smelled Smoke,” due to her failing health. Braun said she stopped writing mysteries because the genre had begun to include more sex and violence.
Did Lilian Jackson Braun have Siamese cats?
She did have a siamese cat who died at a young age after falling out of a ten-story window, and Ms. Braun was told by a neighbor that it had been pushed, but she and her husband didn’t have cats for the last few years of their lives.
Is Lilian Jackson Braun still living?
Her publisher, G. P. Putnam’s Sons, announced her death at the age of 97. The series began in 1966 with “The Cat Who Could Read Backwards” and ended in 2007 with “The Cat Who Had 60 Whiskers,” its 29th volume.
Who is Jim Qwilleran?
Jim Qwilleran is the main human character in the books, and he was born Merlin James Qwilleran, as his mother explained in a letter to Francesca Klingenschoen, as a result of her reading King Arthur while pregnant. His father, Dana, was a talented theater actor who toured the country.
Who narrates the cat who books?
Lilian Jackson Braun (June 20, 1913 u2013 June 4, 2011) was an American mystery novelist best known for her “The Cat Who” series of lighthearted mysteries.