# R.S. Jones > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/R.S._Jones > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/R.S._Jones.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R.S._Jones > Source revision: 1234410121 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) **Robert S. Jones** (March 3, 1954 – August 13, 2001) was an American [novelist](/source/Novelist) and [editor](/source/Editing). He was born in [Santa Monica, California](/source/Santa_Monica,_California). ## Life Jones grew up in southern California and northern New Jersey. His undergraduate studies were at [Hobart and William Smith Colleges](/source/Hobart_and_William_Smith_Colleges) in central New York State. He received a master's degree from the [Divinity School](/source/University_of_Chicago_Divinity_School) of the University of Chicago, where he studied with the theologian [David Tracy](/source/David_Tracy).[1] After graduate school Jones taught courses in Women's Studies, Art History, and Literature part-time at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, and in a college program for inmates at Attica Correctional Facility in upstate New York.[2] At the height of the AIDS crisis in the U.S., Jones was media coordinator of the New York chapter of the ACT UP AIDS Awareness Organization.[3] Jones began work as an editor at [HarperCollins](/source/HarperCollins)[4] (then Harper & Row) in 1985, and at the time of his death in 2001 was Editor in Chief. ## Awards - In 1992, Jones received the [Whiting Award](/source/Whiting_Awards) for emerging writers. The award was presented by [Ralph Ellison](/source/Ralph_Ellison), the author of *[Invisible Man](/source/Invisible_Man)*. ## Work As an editor Jones was often acknowledged by the authors with whom he worked as an advocate and supporter. [Richard Bausch](/source/Richard_Bausch) expressed his gratitude to Jones "for fighting" in *Good Evening Mr. and Mrs. America, and All the Ships at Sea*, published in 1996. [Russell Banks](/source/Russell_Banks) recognized Jones for his support in the creation of *[Cloudsplitter (novel)](/source/Cloudsplitter_(novel))* (1998) and *The Angel on the Roof* (2000), as did [Armistead Maupin](/source/Armistead_Maupin) for *[The Night Listener](/source/The_Night_Listener_(novel))* (2000). [John Colapinto](/source/John_Colapinto) cited Jones' painstaking explanation for editorial changes in the acknowledgments for *[As Nature Made Him](/source/As_Nature_Made_Him)* (2000). *[Bel Canto](/source/Bel_Canto_(novel))*, another of his editing projects, was dedicated to him by the author, [Ann Patchett](/source/Ann_Patchett). In addition to his work as an editor, Jones published two novels and a number of short stories. His first novel *Force of Gravity* was described by Iris Murdoch as "a beautiful, terrifying tale of a quiet descent into insanity." His second novel, *Walking on Air* "examines all the psychological nuances of the dying and their caretakers."[5] Jones' shorter work appeared in *Q* and in *Best American Gay Fiction 1996*. - [*Force of Gravity*](https://archive.org/details/forceofgravity00jone). Viking. 1991. ISBN 978-0-670-83591-1. - [*Walking on Air*](http://www.harpercollins.com/books/Walking-Air-R-S-Jones/?isbn=9780060511319). Houghton Mifflin. 1995. ISBN 0-395-74545-4. - "I Am Making a Mistake". *Best American Gay Fiction 1996*. Back Bay Books. 1996. ISBN 0316103179. ISBN 978-0316103176 ## References 1. DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK (August 14, 2001). ["Robert S. Jones, HarperCollins Editor, Is Dead at 47"](https://www.nytimes.com/2001/08/14/arts/robert-s-jones-harpercollins-editor-is-dead-at-47.html?pagewanted=1). *The New York Times* 1. "Mister Jones". *Vanity Fair*. November 1995. 1. ANDREW L. YARROW (September 23, 1990). ["AIDS Group Office Hit by Arson"](https://www.nytimes.com/1990/09/23/nyregion/aids-group-office-hit-by-arson.html). *The New York Times* 1. ["R.S. Jones from HarperCollins Publishers"](https://web.archive.org/web/20100206062220/http://harpercollins.com/authors/24852/RS_Jones/index.aspx). Archived from [the original](http://www.harpercollins.com/authors/24852/RS_Jones/index.aspx) on 2010-02-06. Retrieved 2010-01-03. 1. JOSEPH OLSHAN (November 10, 1995). ["Walking on Air"](https://web.archive.org/web/20081008023922/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,299435,00.html). *Entertainment Weekly*. Archived from [the original](http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,299435,00.html) on October 8, 2008. ## External links - [Profile at The Whiting Foundation](http://www.whiting.org/awards/winners/rs-jones#/) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [R.S. Jones](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R.S._Jones) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R.S._Jones?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.