Norton Juster (June 2, 1929 – March 8, 2021) was an American academic, architect, and writer. He was best known as an author of

children's books A child (plural, : children) is a human being between the stages of childbirth, birth and puberty, or between the Development of the human body, developmental period of infancy and puberty. The legal definition of ''child'' generally refers ...

, notably for ''

The Phantom Tollbooth ''The Phantom Tollbooth'' is a children's fantasy adventure novel written by Norton Juster, with illustrations by Jules Feiffer, first published in 1961. The story follows a bored young boy named Milo who unexpectedly receives a magic tollb ...

'' and ''

The Dot and the Line ''The Dot and the Line: A Romance in Lower Mathematics'' is a 1965 animated short film directed by Chuck Jones and co-directed by Maurice Noble, based on the 1963 book of the same name written and illustrated by Norton Juster. The film was narrat ...

''.

Early life

Juster was born in

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

on June 2, 1929. Both his parents were Jewish and immigrated to the United States. His father, Samuel Juster, was born in Romania and became an

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

through a correspondence course. His mother, Minnie Silberman, was of Polish Jewish descent. His brother, Howard, became an architect as well. Juster studied architecture at the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...

, obtaining a

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

in 1952. He went on to study city planning at the

University of Liverpool , mottoeng = These days of peace foster learning , established = 1881 – University College Liverpool1884 – affiliated to the federal Victoria Universityhttp://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/2004/4 University of Manchester Act 200 ...

Career

Juster enlisted in the

Civil Engineer Corps The Civil Engineer Corps (CEC) is a staff corps of the United States Navy. CEC officers are professional engineers and architects, acquisitions specialists, and Seabee Combat Warfare Officers who qualify within Seabee units. They are responsib ...

of the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

in 1954, and rose to the rank of lieutenant junior grade. During one tour, to combat boredom, he began to write and illustrate a story for children, but the commanding officer later reprimanded him for it. Still, Juster also finished an unpublished satirical fairy tale called "The Passing of Irving". Later posted in the

Brooklyn Navy Yard The Brooklyn Navy Yard (originally known as the New York Navy Yard) is a shipyard and industrial complex located in northwest Brooklyn in New York City, New York. The Navy Yard is located on the East River in Wallabout Bay, a semicircular bend ...

, again to combat boredom, he made up a non-existent military publication called the ''Naval News Service'' as a scheme to request interviews with attractive women. It worked so amazingly well that a neighbor asked to come along as his assistant. His next scheme was to make the "Garibaldi Society" (inspired by a statue in

Washington Square Park Washington Square Park is a public park in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Lower Manhattan, New York City. One of the best known of New York City's public parks, it is an icon as well as a meeting place and center for cultural activity. ...

), whose ''

raison d'être Raison d'être is a French expression commonly used in English, meaning "reason for being" or "reason to be". Raison d'être may refer to: Music * Raison d'être (band), a Swedish dark-ambient-industrial-drone music project * ''Raison D'être' ...

'' was to reject anyone who applied for membership, designing an impressive logo, application, and rejection letter. It was at this time he met

Jules Feiffer Jules Ralph Feiffer (born January 26, 1929)''Comics Buyer's Guide'' #1650; February 2009; Page 107 is an American cartoonist and author, who was considered the most widely read satirist in the country. He won the Pulitzer Prize in 1986 as North- ...

while taking out the trash. Approximately six months after meeting Feiffer, Juster received his discharge from the Navy, and worked for a

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

architectural firm. He also did some part-time teaching and undertook other jobs. Juster, Feiffer, and another friend rented an apartment on State Street. Juster also resorted to pulling pranks occasionally on Feiffer. Juster's children's novel, ''

,'' was published in 1961, with Feiffer doing the drawings. This was followed by ''

'' (1963), which became a standard book in classrooms around the country. Juster went on to author ''Alberic the Wise and Other Journeys'' (1965), '' Stark Naked: A Paranomastic Odyssey'' (1969), ''Otter Nonsense'' (1982), and ''As Silly as Knees, as Busy as Bees'' (1998), among other works. He also published ''A Woman's Place: Yesterday's Women in Rural America'' in 1996 for an adult audience, based on his personal experience of residing on a farm in Massachusetts. Although Juster enjoyed writing, his architectural career remained his primary emphasis. He served as a professor of architecture and

environmental design Environmental design is the process of addressing surrounding environmental parameters when devising plans, programs, policies, buildings, or products. It seeks to create spaces that will enhance the natural, social, cultural and physical environm ...

Hampshire College Hampshire College is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Amherst, Massachusetts. It was opened in 1970 as an experiment in alternative education, in association with four other colleges ...

from 1970 to 1992, when he retired. He also co-founded a small architectural firm, Juster Pope Associates, in

Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts Shelburne Falls is a historic village in the towns of Shelburne and Buckland in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The village is a census-designated place (CDP) with a population of 1,731 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Spr ...

, in 1970. The firm was renamed Juster Pope Frazier after Jack Frazier joined the firm in 1978.

Later life

Juster lived in Massachusetts during his later years. His wife, Jeanne, died in October 2018 after 54 years of marriage. Although he retired from architecture, he continued to write for many years. His book ''

The Hello, Goodbye Window ''The Hello, Goodbye Window'' is a children's picture book written by Norton Juster and illustrated by Chris Raschka. Published in 2005, the book tells the story of a little girl who enjoys visiting her grandparents. Raschka won the 2006 Caldec ...

'', published May 15, 2005, won the

Caldecott Medal The Randolph Caldecott Medal, frequently shortened to just the Caldecott, annually recognizes the preceding year's "most distinguished American picture book for children". It is awarded to the illustrator by the Association for Library Service ...

for Chris Raschka's illustration in 2006. The sequel, ''Sourpuss and Sweetie Pie'', was published in 2008. Two years later, he teamed up again with Feiffer for ''The Odious Ogre''. Juster died on March 8, 2021, at his home in

Northampton, Massachusetts The city of Northampton is the county seat of Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of Northampton (including its outer villages, Florence and Leeds) was 29,571. Northampton is known as an acade ...

. He was 91, and suffered from complications of a stroke prior to his death.

Books

* ''

'' (1961) () illustrated by

* '' The Dot and the Line: A Romance in Lower Mathematics'' (1963) () * ''Alberic the Wise and Other Journeys'' (1965) () * '' Stark Naked: A Paranomastic Odyssey'' (1969) (Library of Congress Catalog Card No. 71-85568), illus.

Arnold Roth :''This is an article about Arnold Roth, the cartoonist. See also Arnie Roth, the musician.'' Arnold Roth (born February 25, 1929) is an American cartoonist and illustrator for advertisements, album covers, books, magazines, and newspapers. Noveli ...

* ''So Sweet to Labor: Rural Women in America 1865-1895'' (

editor Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, photographic, visual, audible, or cinematic material used by a person or an entity to convey a message or information. The editing process can involve correction, condensation, orga ...

) (1979) () — non-fiction * ''Otter Nonsense'' (1982) (), illus.

Eric Carle Eric Carle (June 25, 1929 – May 23, 2021) was an American author, designer and illustrator of children's books. His picture book ''The Very Hungry Caterpillar'', first published in 1969, has been translated into more than 66 languages and sold ...

* ''As: A Surfeit of Similes'' (1989) () * ''A Woman's Place: Yesterday's Women in Rural America'' (1996) () — non-fiction * ''

'' (Michael Di Capua Books, 2005) (), illus.

Chris Raschka Chris Raschka (born March 6, 1959) is an American illustrator, writer, and violist. He contributed to children's literature as a children's illustrator. He was U.S. nominee for the biennial, international Hans Christian Andersen Medal in 2012. ...

* ''Sourpuss and Sweetie Pie'' (2008) (), illus. Chris Raschka * ''The Odious Ogre'' (2010) (), illus. Jules Feiffer * ''Neville'' (2011) (/), illus. G. Brian Karas

Other media

Both ''The Phantom Tollbooth'' and ''The Dot and the Line'' were adapted into films by animator

Chuck Jones Charles Martin Jones (September 21, 1912 – February 22, 2002) was an American animator, director, and painter, best known for his work with Warner Bros. Cartoons on the ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merrie Melodies'' series of shorts. He wrote, produ ...

. The latter film received the 1966

Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film The Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film is an award given by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) as part of the annual Academy Awards, or Oscars, since the 5th Academy Awards (with different names), covering the year ...

. ''The Phantom Tollbooth'' was also adapted into a musical by Norton Juster and

Sheldon Harnick Sheldon Mayer Harnick (born April 30, 1924) is an American lyricist and songwriter best known for his collaborations with composer Jerry Bock on musicals such as ''Fiorello!'' and ''Fiddler on the Roof''. Early life Sheldon Mayer Harnick was bo ...

, with lyrics by Sheldon Harnick and music composed by Arnold Black. There have been musical settings of "A Colorful Symphony" from ''The Phantom Tollbooth'' for narrator and orchestra and of ''The Dot and the Line'' for narrator and chamber ensemble by composer

Robert Xavier Rodriguez Robert Xavier Rodríguez (born June 28, 1946) is an American classical composer, best known for his eight operas and his works for children. Life and career Rodríguez received his early musical education in his native San Antonio and in Aus ...

References

External links

"Norton Juster: Phantom Toll Booth Designer"
– 2007 profile at

Central Rappahannock Regional Library Central Rappahannock Regional Library (CRRL) is a public library system that serves the city of Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania, Stafford, and Westmoreland counties in Virginia. The library system is within Region 5 of Virginia Library Associati ...

, Virginia
Biography
at MTIshows.com

at Powells.com (October 10, 2006)

at Salon.com (March 12, 2001)

by RoseEtta Stone (2001) at Underdown.org
"Fifty Years of ''The Phantom Tollboth''"
by Adam Gopnik, ''The New Yorker'', October 17, 2011 * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Juster, Norton 1929 births 2021 deaths 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American novelists 21st-century American male writers 21st-century American novelists American children's writers American people of Polish-Jewish descent American people of Romanian-Jewish descent Architects from Massachusetts Architects from New York City Hampshire College faculty Jewish American novelists Military personnel from New York City Novelists from Massachusetts Novelists from New York (state) People from Amherst, Massachusetts United States Navy officers Writers from Brooklyn Writers from Northampton, Massachusetts 21st-century American Jews Military personnel from Massachusetts