Arthur Bowie Chrisman
Encyclopedia
Arthur Bowie Chrisman was an American author. He was born in Clarke County, Virginia
. Chrisman was educated in a one-room school and attended Virginia Polytechnic Institute from 1906 to 1908 but left at the end of his sophomore year. His collection of sixteen short stories, Shen of the Sea: A Book for Children
(1925), received the Newbery Medal
in 1926. Chrisman's other works included The Wind That Wouldn't Blow: Stories of the Merry Middle Kingdom for Children, and Myself (1927), Clarke County, 1836–1936 (1936), and Treasures Long Hidden: Old Tales and New Tales of the East (1941).
Chrisman suffered from respiratory problems and moved to Arkansas
in about 1943. In his later years he became reclusive and seldom left his one-room cabin in Shirley, Arkansas
. Two local men discovered his body on February 21, 1953 after Chrisman missed one of his regular grocery-buying trips into Clinton
. The Van Buren County coroner estimated that he had been dead for about a week.
Clarke County, Virginia
Clarke County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2010, the population was 14,034. Its county seat is Berryville.-History:Clarke County was established in 1836 by Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron who built a home, Greenway Court, on part of his 5 million acre property,...
. Chrisman was educated in a one-room school and attended Virginia Polytechnic Institute from 1906 to 1908 but left at the end of his sophomore year. His collection of sixteen short stories, Shen of the Sea: A Book for Children
Shen of the Sea
Shen of the Sea is a collection of short stories by Arthur Bowie Chrisman that won the Newbery Medal in 1926.Chrisman's original stories are written in the style of humorous Chinese folk tales. The title story tells of a king who tries to match wits with the demons of the water in order to save...
(1925), received the Newbery Medal
Newbery Medal
The John Newbery Medal is a literary award given by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association . The award is given to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. The award has been given since 1922. ...
in 1926. Chrisman's other works included The Wind That Wouldn't Blow: Stories of the Merry Middle Kingdom for Children, and Myself (1927), Clarke County, 1836–1936 (1936), and Treasures Long Hidden: Old Tales and New Tales of the East (1941).
Chrisman suffered from respiratory problems and moved to Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
in about 1943. In his later years he became reclusive and seldom left his one-room cabin in Shirley, Arkansas
Shirley, Arkansas
Shirley is a town in northeast Van Buren County, Arkansas, United States, along the Middle Fork of the Little Red River. A one-time railroad outpost, the community today is oriented toward agriculture, particularly its cultivation of shiitake mushrooms....
. Two local men discovered his body on February 21, 1953 after Chrisman missed one of his regular grocery-buying trips into Clinton
Clinton, Arkansas
Clinton is the county seat of Van Buren County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 2,283 at the 2000 census. The city was named for DeWitt Clinton, the New York governor who built the Erie Canal; he previously was also a U.S. Senator from New York. Clinton is located at...
. The Van Buren County coroner estimated that he had been dead for about a week.