LILIAN JACKSON BRAUN BETTINGER-'THE CAT WHO' MYSTERY AUTHOR DIES AT 97

'THE CAT WHO' MYSTERY AUTHOR DIES AT 97

Hi! Readers,

Lilian Jackson Braun Bettinger, 97, who is no stranger in the publishing industry has died at the age of 97. This is another typical author who had surpassed 90 years. Append below is a brief history of her past significant contribution to this industry.

The best-selling author of The Cat Who mystery novels about a journalist named Jim Qwilleran who solves crimes with the help from his cats Koko and Yum Yum ( Saimese), died June 4, 2011 at a hospice in Landrum, South Carolina. She had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

The author and former Detroit Free Press feature writer had lived there for the past 23 years.

Braun's first book The Cat Who Could Read Backwards was published in 1966, which led the New York Times to call her "the new detective writer of the year. The familiar setting for most of the tales took place in a fictional town of Pickax, in Moose County — a town modeled after Bad Axe, Mich., where Braun and her husband lived until the mid-1980s.

Braun published the first three novels of the series in the mid-1960s while working at the Detroit Free Press: “The Cat Who Could Read Backwards,” “The Cat Who Ate Danish Modern” and “The Cat Who Turned On and Off” all received critical acclaim. The budding mystery writer then disappeared from the publishing scene for nearly 20 years.

Earl Bettinger, her husband recalled that the books’ publishers at that time wanted her to introduce sex and violence into her stories, which she wouldn’t agree to. However, she began working at the Free Press in about 1950 as the newspaper’s Good Living editor. She wrote about interior design, art and architecture, and reviewed kitchen gadgets and other new household products until she retired in 1978. Her creativity and determination enable her to succeed in her stand of no compromising her initial beliefs.

Subsequently with the encouragement of her husband, she resumed writing “The Cat Who . . .” series several years later. One critically important point need to take note is that all of her books were written in longhand before she turned them over to a typist. This pain taking process did not deter this aspiring author to end there, but she continued to shine. In addition to “The Cat Who . . .” series, Braun wrote two other books that were collections of short stories. 

Now, you can see vividly that her determination overwhelm all her odds and deliver all the novels available today. Her spirit in shaping the landscape of the publishing industry will never be forgotten, but in memoris forever. Let her spirit rest in peace with God. In this conjuction, may I request that we observe one minute of silence to show due respect and honour she truly deserved. Thank you in advance.

Braun was born June 20, 1913, in Chicopee Falls, Mass. Her first husband, Louis Paul Braun, died in 1969 and left behind her second husband, of Tryon, N.C.

Thanks for your precious time reading this article and look forward to hearing from you.

James Oh

Skype me at james.oh18