James D. Houston
Encyclopedia
James Dudley Houston was an American
novel
ist. He wrote nine novels in total.
Houston was born in San Francisco, where his parents had migrated from Quanah, Texas
, a small town near Oklahoma. Their story kindled an interest in treks and quests that intensified when he met his future wife, Jeanne Wakatsuki
, whose family had immigrated to California from Japan.
He attended Lowell High School
and San José State University
where he met Jeanne Wakatsuki, whom he would marry in 1957.
Houston co-authored his wife's autobiographical memoir, Farewell to Manzanar
, about her experiences in the Manzanar
internment camp. The book became a bestseller after it was published in 1973.
Snow Mountain Passage (2001) was inspired by a personal link to the ill-fated Donner Party
of early Californian history.
, aged 75, in Santa Cruz, California
. He is survived by his widow and their three children: Joshua Houston, Corinne Houston Traugott, and Gabrielle Houston Neville.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
ist. He wrote nine novels in total.
Houston was born in San Francisco, where his parents had migrated from Quanah, Texas
Quanah, Texas
Quanah is a city in and the county seat of Hardeman County, Texas, United States, northwest of Fort Worth, and a few miles from the Oklahoma-Texas state line...
, a small town near Oklahoma. Their story kindled an interest in treks and quests that intensified when he met his future wife, Jeanne Wakatsuki
Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston
Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston is an American writer. Her writings are mostly focused on the ethnic diversity of the United States...
, whose family had immigrated to California from Japan.
He attended Lowell High School
Lowell High School (San Francisco)
Lowell High School is a public magnet school in San Francisco, California. The school opened in 1856 as the Union Grammar School and attained its current name in 1896. Lowell moved to its current location in the Merced Manor neighborhood in 1962....
and San José State University
San José State University
San Jose State University is a public university located in San Jose, California, United States...
where he met Jeanne Wakatsuki, whom he would marry in 1957.
Houston co-authored his wife's autobiographical memoir, Farewell to Manzanar
Farewell to Manzanar
Farewell to Manzanar is a memoir published in 1973 by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston and James D. Houston. It was adapted in the form of a television movie in 1976 starring Yuki Shimoda, Nobu McCarthy, Pat Morita, and Mako....
, about her experiences in the Manzanar
Manzanar
Manzanar is most widely known as the site of one of ten camps where over 110,000 Japanese Americans were imprisoned during World War II. Located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada in California's Owens Valley between the towns of Lone Pine to the south and Independence to the north, it is...
internment camp. The book became a bestseller after it was published in 1973.
Snow Mountain Passage (2001) was inspired by a personal link to the ill-fated Donner Party
Donner Party
The Donner Party was a group of American pioneers who set out for California in a wagon train. Delayed by a series of mishaps, they spent the winter of 1846–47 snowbound in the Sierra Nevada...
of early Californian history.
Death
Houston died of complications of lymphomaLymphoma
Lymphoma is a cancer in the lymphatic cells of the immune system. Typically, lymphomas present as a solid tumor of lymphoid cells. Treatment might involve chemotherapy and in some cases radiotherapy and/or bone marrow transplantation, and can be curable depending on the histology, type, and stage...
, aged 75, in Santa Cruz, California
Santa Cruz, California
Santa Cruz is the county seat and largest city of Santa Cruz County, California in the US. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, Santa Cruz had a total population of 59,946...
. He is survived by his widow and their three children: Joshua Houston, Corinne Houston Traugott, and Gabrielle Houston Neville.