H. B. Gilmour
Encyclopedia
H. B. Gilmour was a bestselling author of children's books. She grew up in Williamsburg, Brooklyn with her mother and the extended family and fondly remembered writing her very first poem for Arbor Day when she was just eight years old. As a teenager, she moved to Florida to live with her father. She attended college there and then moved back to New York City.
Gilmour’s first publishing job was at E.P. Dutton. In 1964 she joined Bantam Books where she worked as copywriter, editor, and copy chief and as an associate director of marketing. She was married to Bruce Gilmour in 1968. She had a child, Jessica, with him in 1970. They were divorced in 1972. Her first novel "The Trade", a trashy paperback about the publishing business, was published in 1969.
She wrote novelizations (including Saturday Night Fever) and children's books (including Muppets books) while working full-time at Bantam and raising a child on her own. She published her second original novel "So Long, Daddy" in 1985. The artwork for the dust jacket of the hardcover release includes a photo of her daughter, Jessica. Her third novel was "Ask Me If I Care", a book about a teenage girl who gets in with the wrong crowd.
In 1992 she joined the book division at Scholastic, leaving in 1995 to pursue writing full-time. She focused her energy on books for "tweens" and children which is what gave her the most joy.
She met John Johann, whom she would later marry, in 1992. They later moved to Cornwallville in upstate New York
where she happily tended to the garden she never had in the city until her death. She died on June 21, 2009 of pneumonia due to complications from lung cancer. She is survived by her husband John, daughter Jessica, stepchildren Wendy and John, Jr. and step-grandchildren Reef, Riley, John Jr. and Jasmine.
Gilmour's best known novels are the Clueless series with author Randi Reisfeld.
Gilmour’s first publishing job was at E.P. Dutton. In 1964 she joined Bantam Books where she worked as copywriter, editor, and copy chief and as an associate director of marketing. She was married to Bruce Gilmour in 1968. She had a child, Jessica, with him in 1970. They were divorced in 1972. Her first novel "The Trade", a trashy paperback about the publishing business, was published in 1969.
She wrote novelizations (including Saturday Night Fever) and children's books (including Muppets books) while working full-time at Bantam and raising a child on her own. She published her second original novel "So Long, Daddy" in 1985. The artwork for the dust jacket of the hardcover release includes a photo of her daughter, Jessica. Her third novel was "Ask Me If I Care", a book about a teenage girl who gets in with the wrong crowd.
In 1992 she joined the book division at Scholastic, leaving in 1995 to pursue writing full-time. She focused her energy on books for "tweens" and children which is what gave her the most joy.
She met John Johann, whom she would later marry, in 1992. They later moved to Cornwallville in upstate New York
Upstate New York
Upstate New York is the region of the U.S. state of New York that is located north of the core of the New York metropolitan area.-Definition:There is no clear or official boundary between Upstate New York and Downstate New York...
where she happily tended to the garden she never had in the city until her death. She died on June 21, 2009 of pneumonia due to complications from lung cancer. She is survived by her husband John, daughter Jessica, stepchildren Wendy and John, Jr. and step-grandchildren Reef, Riley, John Jr. and Jasmine.
Gilmour's best known novels are the Clueless series with author Randi Reisfeld.
Books
- The Trade (1973)
- Saturday Night Fever (1977)
- Eyes of Laura Mars (1978)
- All That Jazz (1979)
- Electric Horseman
- So Long, Daddy
- Even Kermit Gets Angry
- Why Wembley Fraggle Couldn't Sleep
- The Giant Next Door
- Fatal Attraction
- Pretty in PinkPretty in Pink (novel)Pretty in Pink is a 1986 novel based on an early screenplay for the classic 1986 John Hughes film Pretty in Pink, starring Molly Ringwald, Jon Cryer and Andrew McCarthy. It was written by H. B. Gilmour and Randi Reisfield....
(1986) - Ask Me If I Care
- Wedded To Crime: The Autobiography of a Mafia Wife (with Sandy Leibowitz)
- The Amazing Zoo
- One Fine Day
- Clarissa Explains It All
- Godzilla: A Junior Novelization (1998) (Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards Nominee)
- Curse of Katana
- Spontaneously Combustible
- My Fantasy Dream Date With......
- Making Waves (with Randi Reisfeld)
- Oh Baby! (with Randi Reisfeld)
- Twitches series (with Randi Reisfeld)
- Clueless series (with Randi Reisfeld)
External links
- Interview with HB Gilmour at Teen FX