Jean Henry-Mead
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American novelist, award-winning photojournalist, historian and editor/publisher, Jean Henry-Mead (pseudonyms: Jean Mead, Jean Henry and S. Jean Mead) grew up in Los Angeles, resided in Delaware and a number of western states, and became a resident of Wyoming in 1972. She founded the Western Writers Hall of Fame in 1981 and served in a number of writers' organizations. She's currently an active member of Mystery Writers of America, Western Writers of America and Wyoming Writers, Inc.
[edit] Biography
Founder of the Western Writers Hall of Fame in 1981, Jean Henry-Mead has been a member of WWA (Western Writers of America) since 1979, and was asked by then-president Leon Metz in 1980 to serve as national publicity director of the 645-member organization. WWA members at that time included Louis L'Amour, Elmore Leonard, Janet Dailey, Will Henry, British Western authors J.T. Edson and Robin May as well as German writer Tom Jeier. Henry-Mead wrote her book, Maverick Writers, at that time to publicize the western genre. Among the 52 interviewees were not only those previously listed, but A. B. Guthrie, Jr.; Elmer Kelton, and Hollywood screenwriters, among them screen legend Mary Pickford's first cousin, John Mantley.
Henry-Mead later served as WWA's secretary-treasurer, president of Wyoming Writers, Inc. and Wyoming Press Women's historian. The photojournalist-novelist began her writing career as a news reporter for the Hanford-Sentinel in California's San Joaquin Valley in 1968. She later worked as a staff writer/photographer and editor in San Diego, and for the statewide newspaper, the Casper Star-Tribune. She also freelanced for the Denver Post's Empire Magazine and other publications in the U.S., Germany and Norway. She then served as editor of In Wyoming Magazine. In 1983 she formed her own publishing company, Misty Mountain Press, and published the work of Wyoming authors. She later established Medallion Books and continued to publish Western historical fact and fiction for Wyoming authors.
Her first book, Wyoming in Profile was published in 1982 (Pruett Publishing, Boulder, CO.) The book of interviews includes vice president Dick Cheney and a host of other Wyoming notables, including Governor Ed Herschler and his wife, "Casey," U.S. Senator Alan Simpson and his family, U.S. Senator Malcolm Wallup, sportscaster Curt Gowdy, attorney Gerry Spence, and many others.
Her second book, Casper Country: Wyoming's Heartland (Pruett, 1987), a centennial five-year research and writing project, was the result of reading 97-years' worth of microfilmed newspapers, during the early to mid 1980s. The nonfiction book covers the period of prehistory through the mid 1800s emigration period of the Oregon, Mormon and California trails; the Pony Express, Indian wars, homesteaders, outlaws, railroads, political upheaval, gambling, early oil production, Johnson County War, hanging of "Cattle Kate," and historical events through the Sagebrush Rebellion of the 1980s. An updated version was published in 2004 by Medallion Books, Evansville, WY.
Maverick Writers was published in 1989 by Caxton, followed by Escape on the Wind, A Wyoming Historical Novel, in 1999 by Pagefree Publishing on CD-ROM, and a mystery novel, Shirl Lock & Holmes, in 1999 by Pagefree Publishing. Both books were republished in print form, Escape in 2005 by Medallion Books, and Shirl Lock, Medallion Books, 2007.
The author edited and published a compilation of important essays by honor students titled, What Our Parents Should Know: Advice From Teens in 2003, which launched her second publishing company, Medallion Books. The company's second nonfiction book, Westerners: Candid and Historic Interviews includes the best of hundreds of her interviews with famous and infamous western people, including the late country singer, Chris LeDoux, and Buffalo Bill's grandson, Bill Cody.
She then published profiles of Wyoming's best cowboy poets with samples of their poetry, aptly titled, Wyoming's Cowboy Poets and Their Poetry in 2004, and edited J.J. Hammond's Wyoming Historical Trivia (nearly everything you ever wanted to know about the cowboy state) the same year. The author, historian, photographer, editor and publisher also edited and ghostwrote a number of other books.
Jean Henry-Mead volunteered her time for many years to help fledgling writers, and worked with youth groups in her native California. She's also the mother of five and grandmother of eight.
[edit] BIBLIOGRAPHY
- Shirl Lock and Holmes, (2007) Medallion Books, Evansville, WY. ISBN: 1-931415-13-7, 1-931415-14-5. (1999) Pagefree Publishing, MI (ebook) ISBN: 1-929077-78-51.
- Wyoming's Cowboy Poets and Their Poetry (2004), Medallion Books, Evansville, WY. ISBN: 1-931415-01-3, 1-931415-00-5.
- Casper Country: Wyoming's Heartland (2004) Medallion Books, Evansville, WY. ISBN: 1-931415-07-2. (1987), Pruett Publishing, Boulder, CO. ISBN: 0-87108-738-3.
- Wyoming Historical Trivia (2004), edited, Medallion Books, Evansville, WY. ISBN: 1-931415-02-1, 1-931415-03-X.
- Escape on the Wind: A Wyoming Historical Novel (2004) Medallion Books, Evansville, WY. ISBN: 1-931415-12-9. ISBN: 1-931415-10-2 (1999) Pagefree Publishing, MI (book). ISBN: 1-929077-79-3.
- Westerners; Candid and Historic Interviews (2003), Medallion Books, Evansville, WY. ISBN: 1-931415-05-6, 1-931415-06-4.
- What Our Parents Should Know: Advice From Teens (2003), edited, Medallion Books, Evansville, WY. ISBN: 1-931415-11-0, 1-931415-01-3.
- Maverick Writers: Comments by 52 of the Best (2004), Medallion Books, Evansville, WY. ISBN: 1-931415-07-2, 1-931415-08-0. (1989) Caxton Press, Caldwell, ID. ISBN: 0-870043-31-5
- Wyoming in Profile, (1982), Pruett Publishing, Boulder, CO. ISBN: 0-87108-600-X
Sources: Information gleaned from author interviews with American Western Magazine, the Wyo-Writer newsletter, interview by Cindy Penn of Word Weaving, and Wyoming authors' wikipedia.
