RARA-AVIS: William Campbell Gault

Frank Denton (bearlodge@classic.msn.com)
Sat, 20 Dec 97 05:28:59 UT Hello, Rare Birds,

Someone mentioned hearing about William Campbell Gault a week ago and wanted
to know more about him. I've been too busy to write until now. The season,
you know.

I had the pleasure of knowing Mr. Gault slightly at the end of his career, not
well, but as a cadre of admirers who belonged to Dapa-Em and had first met him
in 1981. He had been invited to come to Bouchercon in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
and wondered how on earth anyone could remember him. Nonetheless he was
pleased to be there and to meet people who remembered his mystery writing.
This was the same Bouchercon at which The Mick, Mickey Spillane, was present.
As I recall it was the beer company (was it Miller's?) in whose commercials he
appeared at the time who paid his hotel and travel expenses. At any rate,
Bill Gault was encouraged by many at that convention to go back to writing
mysteries at that convention.

He had begun writing in 1952 and won an Edgar right out of the chute. The
novel was Don't Cry for Me (1952), Between then and 1963 he wrote
twenty-three mystery novels, many of them featuring either Brock "The Rock"
Callahan or Joe Puma, both private eyes. In 1963 he quit writing mysteries,
but continued to write in his other field which was Young Adult books for boys
featuring sports backgrounds of all kinds. Quite a few were about car racing
of various sorts. As a one-time junior high school librarian I was much more
familiar with those books, often recommending titles to my young patrons.
Bill often said that these books made more money for him, staying in print for
a longer time than the mysteries.

After the Milwaukee Bouchercon Bill succumbed to the encouragement he had
received and began to write mysteries once again. As many as four or five saw
publication, several featuring Brock Callahan once again. Two were published
by Raven House and two or three by Walker. Bill was a special guest at the
1991 Bouchercon in Pasadena but he was already suffering from Alzheimer's. An
interview which many of us had looked forward to turned out to be a near
disaster. As I recall he died early in 1992. Many of us who knew him,
however so slightly, mourned his passing.

On another topic, I'm both amused and amazed at how many academics participate
in this discussion group. Just so I can join the group, I remain,

Frank Denton, long retired but former Director of Library and Media Services,
North Seattle Community College.

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