Maiya Williams (born December 18, 1962, in Corvallis, Oregon) is an American

author An author is the writer of a book, article, play, mostly written work. A broader definition of the word "author" states: "''An author is "the person who originated or gave existence to anything" and whose authorship determines responsibility f ...

television producer A television producer is a person who oversees one or more aspects of video production on a television program. Some producers take more of an executive role, in that they conceive new programs and pitch them to the television networks, but upon ...

, and screenwriter.

Early life

The daughter of a

forester A forester is a person who practises forestry, the science, art, and profession of managing forests. Foresters engage in a broad range of activities including ecological restoration and management of protected areas. Foresters manage forests to ...

, Williams grew up in New Haven, Connecticut and Berkeley, California. She attended Berkeley High School, and graduated from

Harvard College Harvard College is the undergraduate college of Harvard University, an Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636, Harvard College is the original school of Harvard University, the oldest institution of higher lea ...

in 1984 where she was the first African-American officer of ''

The Harvard Lampoon ''The Harvard Lampoon'' is an undergraduate humor publication founded in 1876 by seven undergraduates at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Overview The ''Harvard Lampoon'' publication was founded in 1876 by seven undergraduates ...

''.

Career

Williams has written and produced various television series including '' Roc'', ''

Amen Amen ( he, אָמֵן, ; grc, ἀμήν, ; syc, ܐܡܝܢ, ; ar, آمين, ) is an Abrahamic declaration of affirmation which is first found in the Hebrew Bible, and subsequently found in the New Testament. It is used in Jewish, Christian, and ...

'', '' The Fresh Prince of Bel Air'', ''

The Wayans Bros. ''The Wayans Bros.'' is an American sitcom television series that aired on The WB from January 11, 1995, to May 20, 1999. The series starred real life brothers Shawn and Marlon Wayans. The series also starred John Witherspoon and Anna Maria Hors ...

'', ''

MAD TV ''Mad TV'' (stylized as ''MADtv'') is an American sketch comedy television series originally inspired by '' Mad'' magazine. In its initial run, it aired on Fox from 1995 to 2009. After a one-off reunion show in 2015 to celebrate the twentie ...

'', ''

Rugrats ''Rugrats'' is an American animated television series created by Arlene Klasky, Gábor Csupó, and Paul Germain for Nickelodeon. The show focuses on a group of toddlers; most prominently— Tommy, Chuckie, Angelica, and twins Phil and Lil, a ...

'', '' Futurama'' and ''

The Haunted Hathaways ''The Haunted Hathaways'' is an American television supernatural sitcom that began airing on Nickelodeon July 13, 2013, and ended on March 5, 2015. It tells the story of a single mother and her two daughters who move into a home occupied by thre ...

''. Williams wrote her first book for children, '' The Golden Hour'', in 2004. A time travel adventure set in the French Revolution, it was followed by ''The Hour of the Cobra'' (2006), set in ancient Egypt, and ''The Hour of the Outlaw'' (2007), set in nineteenth century California. ''The Fizzy Whiz Kid: The Rise and Fall of a Hollywood Nobody'', a contemporary cautionary tale about fame, was published in 2010. Her most recent book is ''Middle School Cool'' (2014).

Personal life

Williams lives in Pacific Palisades with TV writer Patric M. Verrone, their children, and dog.

References

1962 births American television writers American women television producers American women screenwriters Living people Writers from Corvallis, Oregon American women television writers Harvard College alumni The Harvard Lampoon alumni Screenwriters from Oregon 21st-century American women writers 21st-century American screenwriters African-American screenwriters 21st-century African-American women writers 21st-century African-American writers 20th-century African-American people 20th-century African-American women Television producers from Oregon {{US-tv-producer-stub