Jones, Idwal 1887(?)–1964

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Jones, Idwal 1887(?)–1964

PERSONAL: Born c. 1887 in Blaenau Ffestiniog, Wales; immigrated to United States, c. 1899; died 1964.

CAREER: Freelance writer. Mining prospector; lumberjack; journalist in San Francisco, CA; historical researcher for Paramount Film Studios.

WRITINGS:

The Splendid Shilling (novel), Doubleday, Page (Garden City, NY), 1926.

(With Blanding Sloan) Etchings & Block Prints of Blanding Sloan, 1913–1926, Johnck, Kibbee (San Francisco, CA), 1926.

Steel Chips (novel), Knopf (New York, NY), 1929.

Whistlers' Van (for children), illustrated by Zhenya Gay, Viking Press (New York, NY), 1936.

China Boy (short stories), Primavera Press (Los Angeles, CA), 1936.

Black Bayou (fiction), 1941.

The Vineyard (fiction), Duell, Sloan & Pearce (New York, NY), 1942, reprinted, University of California Press (Berkeley, CA), 1997.

High Bonnet, Prentice-Hall (New York, NY), 1945, published as High Bonnet: A Novel of Epicurean Adventures, Modern Library (New York, NY), 2001.

Vermilion (fiction), Prentice-Hall (New York, NY), 1947.

Vines in the Sun: A Journey through the California Vineyards (nonfiction), illustrated by Albert J. Camille, Morrow (New York, NY), 1949.

(With Lindley Bynum) Biscailuz, Sheriff of the New West, introduction by Erle Stanley Gardner, Morrow (New York, NY), 1950.

Ark of Empire: San Francisco's Montgomery Block (nonfiction), Doubleday (Garden City, NY), 1951.

Chef's Holiday, illustrated by Roger Duvoisin, Longmans, Green (New York, NY), 1952.

(With Betsan Jones) Dirgelwch y Teigr: Ilyfrau Tryfan Llanrwst (for children; based on Jones's radio script S.O.S. Salw Gari Tryfan), Llyfrfa'r Methodistiaid Calfinaidd (Caernarvon, Wales), 1967.

Mr. Saceus a'i siort: storiau pregethwr (short stories), Llyfrau Tryfan (Llanrwst, Wales), 1976.

Y llofrudd da: stori (fiction), Llyfrau Tryfan (Llanrwst, Wales), 1977.

Diflaniadau Nant y Mynach (fiction), Llyfrau Tryfan (Llanrwst, Wales), 1978.

A glywsoch chi?, Llyfrau Tryfan (Llanrwst, Wales), 1978.

Y fainc: stori iasoer (short stories), Llyfrau Tryfan (Llanrwst, Wales), 1978.

Y gydwybod frysiog: stori (short stories), Llyfrau Tryfan (Llanrwst, Wales), 1978.

Dirgelwch yr Wylan Ddu (short stories; for children), Llyfrau Tryfan (Llanrwst, Wales), 1978.

Y gragen wag (short stories; for children), Llyfrau Tryfan (Llanrwst, Wales), 1979.

Parti yn y Plas (short stories; for children), Llyfrau Tryfan (Llanrwst, Wales), 1982.

Picnic Beni Byns (short stories; for children), Llyfrau Tryfan (Llanrwst, Wales), 1982.

Cyfrinach Mali Pegs (fiction), Llyfrau Tryfan (Llanrwst, Wales), 1983.

The Adventures of Chef Gallois, illustrated by Milton Glaser, afterword by Thomas Keller, salutation by M.F.K. Fisher, Yolla Bolly Press (Covelo, CA), 2000.

Contributor to books, including Great California Stories, edited by A. Grove Day, University of Nebraska Press, 1991. Contributor to periodicals, including American Mercury and Welsh Review. Author of radio scripts, including S.O.S. Salw Gari Tryfan.

Vermilion was translated into Spanish.

SIDELIGHTS: Idwal Jones was brought from his native Wales to America with his family when he was just twelve years old. He eventually became a journalist in San Francisco, as well as the author of novels, nonfiction, and short stories. Much of his fiction is set in his adopted state, though many of his short stories for children and adults would later be published in his native Welsh back in his homeland. Becoming fond of the vineyards and food of California, many of Jones's writings dealt with these topics, including the nonfiction work Vines in the Sun: A Journey through the California Vineyards. Although set in Paris, his novel High Bonnet also centers on food. A loosely constructed piece of fiction about the career of chef Jean-Marie Gallois, the book is "about food with a capital F," according to a Publishers Weekly writer, who concluded that "readers who want a full-blown story will be disappointed, but those who savor food writing will be thrilled." Jones was also the author of the novel Vermilion, which is about the mining industry, a topic he came to know in his early years as a mining prospector. He also gained a measure of critical acclaim for the short story collection China Boy.