Jay O'Connell

Jay O'Connell is the author of TRAIN ROBBER'S DAUGHTER: THE MELODRAMATIC LIFE OF EVA EVANS, 1876-1970 about the life and times of the daughter of one of Californias most notorious outlaws. He also authored CO-OPERATIVE DREAMS: A HISTORY OF THE KAWEAH COLONY, which is considered the definitive study of that late 19th-century utopian community in present-day Sequoia National Park. He is also the co-author of A STRENGTH BORN OF GIANTS: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF DR. FOREST GRUNIGEN, the biography of an accomplished California osteopathic physician.

He has written numerous newspaper and magazine articles on regional and California history and for several years wrote a local history column for THE KAWEAH COMMONWEALTH newspaper. He served as Executive Director of THE EVANS & SONTAG PROJECT, producing a permanent museum exhibit for the Tulare County Museum and bringing to the stage, for the first time in over a century, the blood-and-thunder melodrama EVANS AND SONTAG: THE VISALIA BANDITS at the historic Fox Theatre in downtown Visalia, California.

When not researching and writing about California history, O'Connell works in the television industry as a producer and production manager for Warner Bros. Television. Some of the shows he has worked on include THE BIG BANG THEORY; 2 BROKE GIRLS; and $#*! MY DAD SAYS with William Shatner. He currently produces the CBS comedy UNITED STATES OF AL for Chuck Lorre Productions and Warner Bros. TV.

He is a regular contributor to 3 RIVERS NEWS,the on-line news site that was formerly (in print) THE KAWEAH COMMONWEALTH. Look for his 3RNews features METH, MURDER, AND BIGFOOT: A CALIFORNIA CRIME SAGA and IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOUNTAIN to be available as Kindle books soon, as well as his earlier print books.

An avid Dodger fan, O'Connell lives in the Los Angeles area, with his wife, Susie, his two sons, J.P. (James Patrick) and Colin.