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{{Short description|American novelist (1894–1971)}}
{{other people|Woodford|Woodford_(disambiguation)#People}}
{{Sources|date=February 2024}}
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'''Jack Woodford''' (1894–1971) was an American novelist and non-fiction writer, author of successful [[Pulp fiction (genre)|pulp]] novels and non-fiction of the 1930s and 1940s. He wrote unique books on writing and getting published. Most famously, Woodford authored ''[[Trial and error (book)|Trial and Error]]'' which caused something of a scandal at the time of publication because of its no-holds-barred insights into the publishing industry.
{{Infobox person
| name = Jack Woodford
| image = Jack Woodford 1926 photo.jpg
| alt = Jack Woodford (1926)
| birth_name = Josiah Pitts Woolfolk
| birth_date = {{birth year|1894}}
| birth_place = Woodford County, Kentucky
| death_date = {{death year and age|1971|1894}}
| occupation = Non-fiction writer, author
| notable_works = ''[[Trial and error (book)|Trial and error]]''
}}


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'''Jack Woodford''' (1894–1971) was an American novelist and non-fiction writer,<ref name="nytobit">{{Cite news |title=Josiah Pitts Woolfolk |date=17 May 1971 |work=[[The New York Times]] |page=38 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1971/05/17/archives/josiah-pitts-woolfolki.html |access-date=25 February 2024}}</ref> author of successful [[Pulp fiction (genre)|pulp]] novels and non-fiction, including books on writing and getting published. Most famously, Woodford authored ''[[Trial and error (book)|Trial and Error]]'', which caused something of a scandal at the time of publication because of its no-holds-barred insights into the publishing industry.
⚫
Born '''Josiah Pitts Woolfolk''', he also wrote under the name '''Jack Woolfolk'''. The pen name "Jack Woodford" was derived from the first name of a writer he admired ([[Jack Lait]], a writer for [[Hearst Corporation|Hearst Publications]]) and the county where his father was born ([[Woodford County, Kentucky]]). Other pen names include '''Gordon Sayre''', '''Sappho Henderson Britt''', and '''Howard Hogue Kennedy'''.


⚫
Born '''Josiah Pitts Woolfolk''',<ref name="nytobit" /> he also wrote under the name '''Jack Woolfolk'''. The pen name "Jack Woodford" was derived from the first name of a writer he admired ([[Jack Lait]], a writer for [[Hearst Corporation|Hearst Publications]]) and the county where his father was born ([[Woodford County, Kentucky]]). Other pen names include '''Gordon Sayre''', '''Sappho Henderson Britt''', and '''Howard Hogue Kennedy'''.
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== Life ==


⚫
== Life ==
Woodford grew up in [[Chicago]] when the dominant form of transportation was horse-drawn carriage. He was raised in well-to-do circumstances by his grandmother Annette (of [[Wales|Welsh]] stock) whom he called "Nettie". Nettie was a practicing member of [[Christian Science]] but was unable to bring Jack into the fold. Despite his general hatred of organized religion, Woodford joined the [[Freemasonry]] organization and remained a lifelong member.
Woodford grew up in [[Chicago]] when the dominant form of transportation was horse-drawn carriage. He was raised in well-to-do circumstances by his grandmother Annette (of [[Wales|Welsh]] stock) whom he called "Nettie". Nettie was a practicing member of [[Christian Science]] but was unable to bring Jack into the fold. Despite his general hatred of organized religion, Woodford joined the [[Freemasonry]] organization and remained a lifelong member.


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Woodford witnessed the ''[[Eastland]]'' disaster where the steamer ship rolled over in the Chicago River and killed 845 people. He gave a firsthand account to the Chicago newspaper the ''[[Chicago Herald-Examiner|Herald-Examiner]]'' and described the event in Chapter 21 of his autobiography.
Woodford witnessed the ''[[Eastland]]'' disaster where the steamer ship rolled over in the Chicago River and killed 845 people. He gave a firsthand account to the Chicago newspaper the ''[[Chicago Herald-Examiner|Herald-Examiner]]'' and described the event in Chapter 21 of his autobiography.


Among the many famous contemporaries Woodford befriended, the most notable are [[H. L. Mencken]], writer/satirist [[James Branch Cabell]], novelist [[Sherwood Anderson]], composer [[George Antheil]], and poet [[Ezra Pound]]. Woodford wrote a piece that was published in Pound’s early ''Exile'' magazine. He also accompanied [[Winston Churchill]] when the former Prime Minister visited [[New York City]].
Among the many famous contemporaries Woodford befriended, the most notable are [[H. L. Mencken]], writer/satirist [[James Branch Cabell]], novelist [[Sherwood Anderson]], composer [[George Antheil]], and poet [[Ezra Pound]]. Woodford wrote a piece that was published in Pound's early ''Exile'' magazine. He also accompanied [[Winston Churchill]] when the former Prime Minister visited [[New York City]].


Woodford's only child from his marriage to Josephine Hutchings Woolfolk, Louella Woolfolk (who wrote under the pen name Louella Woodford) was also a published author who, at the age of 18, wrote a 273-page novel titled ''Maid Unafraid'' that was published in 1937 by Godwin. Woodford was married on November 20, 1916 to the 16-year-old Josephine Hutchings, and divorced 17 years later.
Woodford was married on November 20, 1916, to the 16-year-old Josephine Hutchings, and divorced 17 years later. The only child from this marriage, Louella Woolfolk (who wrote under the pen name Louella Woodford), was also a published author who, at the age of 18, wrote a 273-page novel titled ''Maid Unafraid'' that was published in 1937 by Godwin.


Woodford founded Jack Woodford Press in the 1930s and the company's work was distributed by Citadel in the 1940s. The editors of the company in the 1940s were Allan Wilson and Aaron Moses (“Moe”) Shapiro.
Woodford founded Jack Woodford Press in the 1930s and the company's work was distributed by [[Kensington Publishing|Citadel]] in the 1940s. The editors of the company in the 1940s were Allan Wilson and Aaron Moses ("Moe") Shapiro.


== Selected bibliography ==
== Selected bibliography ==
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'''Non-fiction'''
'''Non-fiction'''


* ''[[Trial and error (book)|Trial and Error]]'' (1933)
* ''[[Trial and error (book)|Trial and error]]'' (1933)
* ''Plotting'' (also published as ''Plotting - How to Have A Brain Child'') (1939) details numerous methods of creating plots for short stories, novels, and other works of fiction.
* ''Plotting'' (also published as ''Plotting - How to Have A Brain Child'') (1939) details numerous methods of creating plots for short stories, novels, and other works of fiction.
* ''Why Write A Novel?'' (1943, also published as ''How To Write and Sell A Novel'')
* ''Why Write A Novel?'' (1943, also published as ''How To Write and Sell A Novel'')
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* ''The Loud Literary Lamas of New York'' (1950)
* ''The Loud Literary Lamas of New York'' (1950)
* ''Writer's Cramp'' (1953)
* ''Writer's Cramp'' (1953)
* ''Jack Woodford On Writing'' (1979) Compiled, selected, and edited by Jess E. Stewart, Woodford Memorial Editions, Seattle WA, second edition 1980 ISBN 0-9601574-1-7
* ''Jack Woodford On Writing'' (1979) Compiled, selected, and edited by Jess E. Stewart, Woodford Memorial Editions, Seattle WA, second edition 1980 {{ISBN|0-9601574-1-7}}
* ''The Autobiography of Jack Woodford'' (1962, published under Jack Woolfolk)
* ''The Autobiography of Jack Woodford'' (1962, published under Jack Woolfolk)
* ''Home Away From Home'' (1962, a follow-up to the ''Autobiography'' describing the author's incarceration)
* ''Home Away From Home'' (1962, a follow-up to the ''Autobiography'' describing the author's incarceration)
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* ''How to Make Your Friends and Murder Your Enemies'' (Published posthumously by Jess E. Stewart in 1981)
* ''How to Make Your Friends and Murder Your Enemies'' (Published posthumously by Jess E. Stewart in 1981)
* ''The Rabelaisian Letters of Jack Woodford''
* ''The Rabelaisian Letters of Jack Woodford''
* ''The Secret Confessions of Joseph Stalin: A 3rd-dimensional Creative Confession of Life and Destiny''
* ''The Secret Confessions of Joseph Stalin: A third-dimensional Creative Confession of Life and Destiny''


'''Fiction'''
'''Fiction'''
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* ''Cravings'' (1963)
* ''Cravings'' (1963)
* ''Ecstasy Girl'' (1948)
* ''Ecstasy Girl'' (1948)
* ''Evangelical Cockroach'' (an early [1929] collection of seriously sardonic short stories, including the classic title piece)- arguably Woodford's best work, comparable to a cross between O.Henry, De Maupassant, and Hemingway. (Dustjacket illustration of erudite insect by John M. Meekison.)
* ''Evangelical Cockroach'' (an early [1929] collection of short stories)
* ''Find the Motive''
* ''Find the Motive''
* ''Five Fatal Days''
* ''Five Fatal Days''
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* ''Person To Person Call''
* ''Person To Person Call''
* ''Possessed''
* ''Possessed''
* ''[https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/74145 Radio razz]'' (1925)
* ''Rented Wife''
* ''Rented Wife''
* ''She Liked The Man''
* ''She Liked The Man''
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== References==
== References==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}
⚫
{{Wikiquote}}


== External links ==
== External links ==
⚫
{{Wikiquote}}
* [http://www.woodfordmemorial.com Woodford Memorial Editions]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090612230510/http://www.woodfordmemorial.com/ Woodford Memorial Editions]
* {{IMDb name|0940257}}
* {{IMDb name|0940257}}
* [http://mysteriousmri.googlepages.com/44kn.pdf Tale Incredible: The True Story of Harry Stephen Keeler‘s Literary Rise] Short article about [[Harry Stephen Keeler]] by Woodford published in the October 1934 issue of ''10 Story Book''.
* [http://mysteriousmri.googlepages.com/44kn.pdf Tale Incredible: The True Story of Harry Stephen Keeler‘s Literary Rise] Short article about [[Harry Stephen Keeler]] by Woodford published in the October 1934 issue of ''10 Story Book''.
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[[Category:20th-century American novelists]]
[[Category:20th-century American novelists]]
[[Category:American male novelists]]
[[Category:American male novelists]]
[[Category:American non-fiction writers]]
[[Category:Novelists from Chicago]]
[[Category:Writers from Chicago]]
[[Category:American erotica writers]]
[[Category:American erotica writers]]
[[Category:20th-century American male writers]]
[[Category:20th-century American non-fiction writers]]
[[Category:American male non-fiction writers]]

Latest revision as of 12:37, 28 July 2024

Jack Woodford
Jack Woodford (1926)
Born
Josiah Pitts Woolfolk

1894 (1894)
Woodford County, Kentucky
Died1971 (aged 76–77)
Occupation(s)Non-fiction writer, author
Notable workTrial and error

Jack Woodford (1894–1971) was an American novelist and non-fiction writer,[1] author of successful pulp novels and non-fiction, including books on writing and getting published. Most famously, Woodford authored Trial and Error, which caused something of a scandal at the time of publication because of its no-holds-barred insights into the publishing industry.

Born Josiah Pitts Woolfolk,[1] he also wrote under the name Jack Woolfolk. The pen name "Jack Woodford" was derived from the first name of a writer he admired (Jack Lait, a writer for Hearst Publications) and the county where his father was born (Woodford County, Kentucky). Other pen names include Gordon Sayre, Sappho Henderson Britt, and Howard Hogue Kennedy.

Life

[edit]

Woodford grew up in Chicago when the dominant form of transportation was horse-drawn carriage. He was raised in well-to-do circumstances by his grandmother Annette (of Welsh stock) whom he called "Nettie". Nettie was a practicing member of Christian Science but was unable to bring Jack into the fold. Despite his general hatred of organized religion, Woodford joined the Freemasonry organization and remained a lifelong member.

His father was a doctor who started a private practice in Sioux City, Iowa, eventually moving it to Chicago. He later taught diagnosis at Rush Medical College, before dying at the age of forty-nine, likely from mercury poisoning. Calomel (mercurous chloride) was a popular medicine at the time and one the doctor himself used to excess. Woodford, always physically vibrant, thought of his father as a hypochondriac.

Woodford witnessed the Eastland disaster where the steamer ship rolled over in the Chicago River and killed 845 people. He gave a firsthand account to the Chicago newspaper the Herald-Examiner and described the event in Chapter 21 of his autobiography.

Among the many famous contemporaries Woodford befriended, the most notable are H. L. Mencken, writer/satirist James Branch Cabell, novelist Sherwood Anderson, composer George Antheil, and poet Ezra Pound. Woodford wrote a piece that was published in Pound's early Exile magazine. He also accompanied Winston Churchill when the former Prime Minister visited New York City.

Woodford was married on November 20, 1916, to the 16-year-old Josephine Hutchings, and divorced 17 years later. The only child from this marriage, Louella Woolfolk (who wrote under the pen name Louella Woodford), was also a published author who, at the age of 18, wrote a 273-page novel titled Maid Unafraid that was published in 1937 by Godwin.

Woodford founded Jack Woodford Press in the 1930s and the company's work was distributed by Citadel in the 1940s. The editors of the company in the 1940s were Allan Wilson and Aaron Moses ("Moe") Shapiro.

Selected bibliography

[edit]

Non-fiction

  • Trial and error (1933)
  • Plotting (also published as Plotting - How to Have A Brain Child) (1939) details numerous methods of creating plots for short stories, novels, and other works of fiction.
  • Why Write A Novel? (1943, also published as How To Write and Sell A Novel)
  • Plotting For Every Kind of Writing
  • How To Write For Money (1944)
  • The Loud Literary Lamas of New York (1950)
  • Writer's Cramp (1953)
  • Jack Woodford On Writing (1979) Compiled, selected, and edited by Jess E. Stewart, Woodford Memorial Editions, Seattle WA, second edition 1980 ISBN 0-9601574-1-7
  • The Autobiography of Jack Woodford (1962, published under Jack Woolfolk)
  • Home Away From Home (1962, a follow-up to the Autobiography describing the author's incarceration)
  • My Years With Capone
  • How to Make Your Friends and Murder Your Enemies (Published posthumously by Jess E. Stewart in 1981)
  • The Rabelaisian Letters of Jack Woodford
  • The Secret Confessions of Joseph Stalin: A third-dimensional Creative Confession of Life and Destiny

Fiction

  • The Abortive Hussy (1947, Avon 146)
  • City Limits- the novel was adapted for the screen in 1934- https://archive.org/details/City_Limits_1934
  • The College Crowd (1963)
  • Cravings (1963)
  • Ecstasy Girl (1948)
  • Evangelical Cockroach (an early [1929] collection of short stories)
  • Find the Motive
  • Five Fatal Days
  • Four Eves
  • Free Lovers
  • Gentlemen from Parnassus
  • God's Lap
  • Grounds for Divorce (Love at Last) (1948)
  • The Hard-Boiled Virgin (1947)
  • Here is My Body
  • Home Away from Home (1962)
  • Illegitimate
  • Illicit
  • Indecent?
  • Iris
  • Journey to Passion (1950) - Revised version of "God's Lap"
  • Lady Killers (1935, writing as Howard Kennedy)
  • Male and Female (1950)
  • Mirage of Marriage
  • Passion in the Pines (1956)
  • Person To Person Call
  • Possessed
  • Radio razz (1925)
  • Rented Wife
  • She Liked The Man
  • Sin and Such (1930)
  • Strangers In Love
  • Surrender
  • Tale Incredible: The True Story of Harry Stephen Keeler's Literary Rise (article)
  • Temptress
  • Three Gorgeous Hussies (1948)
  • Traded Lives
  • Unmoral
  • Vice Versa
  • White Heat

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Josiah Pitts Woolfolk". The New York Times. 17 May 1971. p. 38. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
[edit]
Wikiquote has quotations related to Jack Woodford.
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