Sipherd, Ray 1935-

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SIPHERD, Ray 1935-

PERSONAL: Born August 27, 1935, in Uniontown, PA; son of Irwin Raymond (a chemist) and Ozma Lois (a teacher; maiden name, Ruth) Sipherd; married Polly Starbuck, November 27, 1972 (died, September 10, 1984); married Anne Marie Foran (an artist and designer), October 4, 1986. Education: Yale University, B.A., 1957. Hobbies and other interests: Aviation, sailing.

ADDRESSES: Agent—Michael V. Carlisle, William Morris Agency, 1325 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10019.

CAREER: CBS-TV, New York, NY, story editor, 1957-61; WNET-TV, New York, NY, writer and producer, 1962-65; freelance writer, 1965-68; Reader's Digest Books, Pleasantville, NY, editor, 1968-96. Children's Television Workshop, writer for Sesame Street, 1968-85. National Endowment for the Humanities, member of advisory panel for films and television, 1968-74. Writer and producer of documentary film Years without Harvest and National Public Radio program All Things Considered.

MEMBER: Writers Guild of America East, Yale Club of New York City.

AWARDS, HONORS: Emmy Awards, National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, 1969, 1974, 1985, all for Sesame Street.

WRITINGS:

The Courtship of Peggy McCoy (novel), St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1990.

The Christmas Store (stories), St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1993.

"jonathan wilder" series; mystery novels

Dance of the Scarecrows, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1996.

The Audubon Quartet, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1998.

The Devil's Hawk, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 2002.

juvenile fiction

The White Kite, Bradbury (New York, NY), 1972.

Ernie and Bert's Telephone Call, Western Publishing (New York, NY), 1978.

The Count's Poem, Western Publishing (New York, NY), 1978.

Down on the Farm with Grover, Western Publishing (New York, NY), 1980.

Sherlock Hemlock and the Creatures from Outer Space, Western Publishing (New York, NY), 1981.

Big Bird's Animal Alphabet, Western Publishing (New York, NY), 1987.

When Is My Birthday?, Western Publishing (New York, NY), 1988.

SIDELIGHTS: Fiction writer Ray Sipherd is the author of a number of mystery novels for adults, as well as books for younger readers. Drawing on his interest in all things ornithological, in 1996 he introduced a new sleuth to fans of detective fiction. In Dance of the Scarecrows small-town Connecticut ornithologist Jonathan Wilder finds himself embroiled in the murder of his town's mayor, a man dressed as a scarecrow for Halloween. Wrongly accused of the crime, Wilder sets out to clear his name and discover the real killer. When another "scarecrow" turns up dead, Wilder uncovers a conspiracy that threatens his own life. "Bird lore and legend are woven effortlessly into the story, enriching it considerably," noted a Publishers Weekly contributor. George Cohen in Booklist cited occasional "stilted" dialogue, but added that Sipherd "keeps the reader guessing right up to the end."

Ornithology figures prominently in the second "Jonathan Wilder" mystery, The Audubon Quartet. When wealthy Brian Ravener throws a gala to announce his purchase of four newly uncovered bird paintings by John James Audubon, art critic Abel Lasher loudly disputes the works as fakes. A scuffle between the two breaks up the party; the next morning Lasher is discovered murdered. With Ravener singled out as the killer, it is up to Wilder to help the millionaire prove his innocence. Still, "it is disturbing to Jon that the inconsistencies in Brian's story are large, many and critical," explained Mystery Reader reviewer Thea Davis. A Publishers Weekly writer decided that, because of problems with plotting, The Audubon Quartet "never really takes flight," but found praise for the "quietly agreeable" character of Wilder. Harriet Klausner in BookBrowser likewise faulted the book's story line; "that is too bad because … Sipherd clearly demonstrates that he has plenty of talent," Klausner added. Davis, however, ultimately summed up the novel as "a fun quick read, especially if you number birds among your many interests."

The action moves from New England to the American West in the third "Wilder" tale. The Devil's Hawk finds the sleuth in Tucson, Arizona, searching for the elusive acorn woodpecker while visiting his friend Emilio Flores. Tragedy strikes when several relatives of Flores are found murdered, apparently killed as they attempted to enter the United States from Mexico. To investigate, Wilder slips into Mexico disguised as a priest; when his ruse is found out, the ornithologist "becomes a prisoner of the evil genius he's been after," according to a writer for Kirkus Reviews. While that critic called the mystery "lusterless," Gary Niebuhr in Booklist maintained that Sipherd "makes good use of the southwestern setting."

Sipherd once told CA: "Given my choice of almost any day-to-day activity, I would certainly choose writing, not that it's easy or enjoyable. It is sometimes, but not enough to compensate for the effort and frustration it involves. Still, in those moments when the words you have set down on paper are exactly as you wish them (and you know they cannot be any other way), it is one of the most gratifying and exhilarating experiences in the world. I feel fortunate to have written for a variety of media: films and television, documentaries and dramas, stage plays and musicals. The books, as well, have ranged from children's fiction to adult novels and stories. If there were an automobile bumper sticker that said 'I'd Rather Be Writing,' I'm not sure I'd put it on my car, but it would be true all the same."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

periodicals

Booklist, August, 1996, George Cohen, review of Dance of the Scarecrows, p. 1888; June 1, 2002, Gary Niebuhr, review of The Devil's Hawk, p. 1692.

Kirkus Reviews, July 15, 1996, review of Dance of the Scarecrows, p. 1008; March 1, 1998, review of The Audubon Quartet, p. 304; June 15, 2002, review of The Devil's Hawk, p. 844.

Library Journal, May 1, 1998, Rex Klett, review of The Audubon Quartet, p. 143.

Publishers Weekly, July 1, 1996, review of Dance of the Scarecrows, p. 45; March 30, 1998, review of The Audubon Quartet, p. 72.