S P A C E L I G H T
INDEX
Name: WHITE, William Anthony Parker
Aged: 56
Born: August 21, 1911
Where: Oakland, California
Died: April 29, 1968
Where: Oakland, California
Interred: _ _ _
Married: Phyllis Mary Price
When: May 19, 1938
Awarded: Edgars for editing in 1946, 1950, and 1953.
William A. White as Anthony Boucher
"Mechanical cutting for space teaches an editor a great deal about how tightly an
author writes. There are some whom you can slice at will with never a drop of
blood showing; while others drive you mad trying to find a single omittable line."
Critic, editor, anthologist, and writer.
The only child of two physicians, White did not find himself financially pressed in a time when many were. He received a bachelor's degree from the University of Southern California in 1932 and then an M.A. in German from the University of California, Berkeley. White was also fluent in Spanish, French, and Portugese; using those skills to translate works in the mystery field into English. Tony would give up a promising career as alanguage teacher in order to enter into writing full time.
White's many faceted literary career began in Los Angeles as theatre and music critic for United Progressive News, 1933-1937. Tony's first book, a mystery, appeared in 1937. White's power in literary circles came from being a consistent reviewer for The San Francisco Chronicle, Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, The Chicago Sun-Times, The New York Times Book Review, The New York Herald Tribune (as H. H. Holmes), and Opera News. Tony also edited Great American Detective Stories, True Crime Detective, and the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction with its yearly anthologies, The Best From F&SF.
White's work in SF was primarily in the critical and editorial positions. His main body of fiction occurring in the mystery fields, as was the case with many other SF interested writers. Since SF could not support anyone, few writers were not involved in the mystery field, and those usually wrote westerns. Tony was widely respected for his intelligence, wit, and honesty.
Indiana University holds the William Anthony Parker White manuscript s from 1932-1969, consisting of correspondence, writings, and misc. memorabilia. Further information can be obtained by contacting: Manuscript s Department, Lilly Library, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405.
PEN NAMES: Anthony Boucher, H. H. Holmes (SF reviewer for Herald Tribune), and Herman W. Mudgett.
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Mine here.
BIOGRAPHY: Who Was Who in America, Vol V, p76
OBITUARY: New York Times, May 1, 1968
