| Phyllis Whitney | |
 | |
| Birth: | 9 September 1903 Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan |
| Death: | 8 February 2008 Faber, Virginia, USA |
| Age: | 104 years, 152 days |
| Country: |  JPN USA
|
| Centenarian | |
Phyllis Ayame Whitney (9 September 1903 – 8 February 2008) was an American centenarian and mystery writer of more than 70 novels.
Biography[]
Phyllis Whitney was born to American parents in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan on 9 September 1903. She spent her early years in Asia. After the death of her parents, she emigrated to the United States, moving into her aunt's home in Chicago, Illinois.
Later in her life, Whitney moved to Staten Island, New York, and resided there for 20 years with her daughter and second husband, Lovell Jahnke. Staten Island became the inspiration and setting for several of her books.
A rarity for her genre, Whitney wrote mysteries for both the juvenile and the adult markets, many of which feature exotic settings. Although she was often described as a Gothic novelist, a review in The New York Times even dubbing her "The Queen of the American Gothics", Whitney claimed to hate this title. She preferred to say she wrote "romantic novels of suspense".
In 1961, Whitney's book The Mystery of the Haunted Pool won an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for Best Juvenile Novel; she duplicated the honor in 1964 for The Mystery of the Hidden Hand. In 1988, the MWA gave her a Grand Master Award for lifetime achievement. In 1990, she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Romance Writers of America.
Phyllis Whitney died of pneumonia in Faber, Virginia, USA on 8 February 2008 at the age of 104 years, 152 days. A collection of her writing, correspondence, and photographs are available at the College of Staten Island's Archives and Special Collections.
External Links[]
References[]
- SIM-12: Phyllis A. Whitney Collection College of Staten Island
- Phyllis A. Whitney, Author, Dies at 104 The New York Times, 9 February 2008 (Paywalled)
- Phyllis Ayame Whitney Find A Grave