Ben Lucien Burman (December 12, 1895 – November 12, 1984) was an American author and journalist born in

Covington, Kentucky Covington is a list of cities in Kentucky, home rule-class city in Kenton County, Kentucky, Kenton County, Kentucky, United States, located at the confluence of the Ohio River, Ohio and Licking River (Kentucky), Licking Rivers. Cincinnati, Ohio, ...

. He also fought in both

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

and

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, and graduated from

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

. He was married to Alice Caddy who illustrated many of his children's books, including his most popular books, the ''Catfish Bend'' series, which became popular with both children and adults. The series is set in Catfish Bend,

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...

, and tells a tale of many animal residents in Catfish Bend. The series was eventually published in eleven different languages. Ben Burman died from a

stroke A stroke is a medical condition in which poor blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding. Both cause parts of the brain to stop functionin ...

at the age of 88.

Bibliography

*''Mississippi'', illustrated by wife, Alice Caddy, 1929 ** adapted to film as '' Heaven on Earth'' in 1931, directed by

Russell Mack Russell Mack (November 11, 1892 – June 1, 1972) was an American vaudeville performer in the 1910s and a stage actor, film director, and producer in the 1920s and 1930s. Vaudeville and stage career Born Edward Russell Mahoney in Oneonta, New ...

*''Then There's Cripple Creek'', 1930 *''Steamboat 'round the Bend'', illustrated by Caddy, 1933 ** adapted to film as ''

Steamboat Round the Bend ''Steamboat Round the Bend'' is a 1935 American comedy film directed by John Ford, released by 20th Century Fox and produced by Fox Film Corporation, based on the 1933 novel of the same name by author Ben Lucien Burman. It was the final film made ...

'' in 1935, directed by

John Ford John Martin Feeney (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973), known professionally as John Ford, was an American film director and naval officer. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers of his generation. He ...

*''Blow for a Landing'', 1938 *''Big River to Cross: Mississippi Life Today'', illustrated by Caddy, 1940 *''Miracle on the Congo: Report from the Free French Front'', 1942 *''Rooster Crows for Day'', illustrated by Caddy, 1945 *''Everywhere I Roam'', illustrated by Caddy, 1949 *''Children of Noah: Glimpses of Unknown America'', illustrated by Caddy, 1951 *''The Four Lives of Mundy Tolliver'', 1953 *''It's a Big Country: America off the Highways'', illustrated by Caddy, 1956 *''The Street of the Laughing Camel'', illustrated by Caddy, 1959 *''It's a Big Continent'', illustrated by Caddy, 1961 *''The Generals Wear Cork Hats: An Amazing Adventure That Made World History'', illustrated by Caddy, 1963 *''The Sign of the Praying Tiger'', illustrated by Caddy, 1966 *''Look Down That Winding River: An Informal Profile of the Mississippi'', illustrated by Caddy, 1973 *''High Water at Catfish Bend'', 1952, reprinted, 1981 *''Seven Stars for Catfish Bend'', 1956, reprinted, 1981 *''The Owl Hoots Twice at Catfish Bend'', 1961, reprinted, 1981 *''Blow a Wild Bugle for Catfish Bend'', 1967 *''High Treason at Catfish Bend'', 1977 *''The Strange Invasion of Catfish Bend'', 1980 *''Thunderbolt at Catfish Bend'', 1984

Discography

*''Steamboat 'Round the Bend: Songs & Stories of the Mississippi'', 1956,

Folkways Records Folkways Records was a record label founded by Moses Asch that documented folk, world, and children's music. It was acquired by the Smithsonian Institution in 1987 and is now part of Smithsonian Folkways. History The Folkways Records & Service ...

References

Sources

''The New York Times''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Burman, Ben Lucien American children's writers Writers from Kentucky Harvard University alumni 1895 births 1984 deaths