VOL. 10 NO. 3 THE MAGAZINE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH WINTER 2000 Continuum
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Home Page "I was inspired as a very young child to be a writer because I couldn't do anything else," says Barbara (Bea) Wright Williams BS'46 MA'72.
The author of such children's books as Titanic Crossing and Beheaded, Survived, Williams is today a standout in the competitive world of children's literature. "My inspiration in those early days was Olive Woolley Burt," Williams says. Williams was one of Burt's Salt Lake Tribune "School News and Views" classroom reporters from kindergarten through 7th grade-except for one year when her best friend led an insurrection, declaring that "Barbara Wright has been classroom reporter every year, and I think it's someone else's turn." When she was 11 and 12 years old, Williams contributed to Burt's Tribune Junior feature, where students could submit stories other than school news. Her first paycheck of $1.50 arrived when one of her stories was printed in the regular Tribune. Her quandary was whether to save the check or spend it. Her father came to the rescue, persuading the Tribune treasurer to return the check to Williams after it had been cashed. "It's still in my scrapbook," she laughs. Although she never achieved her dream of being a professional actress, Williams did diversify and become a teacher in the English department at the U. Jack Adamson, department chair, asked her to teach remedial English to those students who were unable to gain admittance to the University due to low scores in English. Two weeks into that new career, she received word that a baby girl was immediately available for adoption. With three sons at home, the Williamses jumped at the opportunity to welcome a daughter into the family. At night Williams would study, a book in one hand, a bottle in the other, "feeding the adorable little baby who lay on my lap. It was a wonderful time of my life," she says. During the 12 years she taught at the U, Williams also earned her master's degree. She then taught a summer course in writing for children through the English department, and after one quarter there, the education department hired her to teach a class in children's writing-which became an eight-year stint. Her next teaching move was to her home, where, for about 10 years she held classes on writing children's books. One of Williams' office mates in the English department was Emma Lou Thayne BA'45 MA'70, with whom she has been friends since high school. "We became friends by writing poems to each other that were fun and silly," says Thayne. "For example, I wrote one to her called 'Beawatha,' to the cadence of Longfellow's 'Hiawatha.'" "I'm sure Bea doesn't remember the first time we met," says Ann Cannon, Deseret News columnist, "but I do. It was at a writer's workshop at BYU. She was the teacher, and I was the student. I was blown away by how knowledgeable she was. I also loved her wry, slightly sarcastic sense of humor. A few years later I actually called her on the telephone, introduced myself-an aspiring, wanna-be writer-and asked for her advice. I think if somebody did this to me I would have to drive myself over to their house and slap them. But Bea was incredibly gracious with me. She was generous with time and information." Adds Cannon, "What I admire most about her is her deep kindness. When I delivered a stillborn baby boy, Bea was there with flowers."
Rick Walton, author of 40 published children's books, was in a writing group with Williams. He credits her with having helped launch his career, and says, "Her advice and critiquing were invaluable. She saw what I was trying to do better than other people did." Cannon adds, "When Bea spoke, people listened, because she had both experience and instinct to back up her observations about our work. It's a pleasure to find someone whose willingness to work matches her talent." Williams has traveled to many states as an invited guest to speak and read to schoolchildren. "That was a lot of fun," she says. "It was an important aspect of my writing career that I really loved and did for about 13 years." Like many writers, Williams says she has no formula for writing a book. "I don't know how the book I'm currently working on is going to end. I have a general idea which direction I want to go, but I don't know the details." The intrigue exists for the author as well as her vast reading audience. And each person who knows Bea Williams, along with each of her dedicated readers, only hopes that numbers 52, 53, and so on won't be too far away. —Nettie Bagley BA'59 is Continuum editorial assistant. Continuum
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