William Harry Harding has written three novels, all from Holt, Rinehart & Winston: Rainbow (1979; Book-of-the-Month Club featured alternate), Young Hart (1982; winner of the New Jersey Writer’s Award of Merit) and Mill Song (1985; excerpted in the anthology Italian American Writers of New Jersey [Rutgers University Press: 2003]). His children’s book, Alvin’s Famous No-Horse (Henry Holt: 1992), illustrated by Michael Chesworth, was nominated for the Florida Sunshine State Award and has been translated into six languages.
His recent short fiction and poetry have appeared in The Paterson Literary Review and have earned two Pushcart Prize nominations.
He served as Book Critic for Westways (1980-90), contributed literary criticism to the Los Angeles Times and worked as Sports Editor of The Californian (1986-91).
A former president of the Vallecitos School District governing board and a board member and former president of the Rainbow Property Owners Association, he edited The Rainbow News, a quarterly chronicle of life in Rainbow, for 24 years of uninterrupted publication.
President and Chairman of the Board of the local arts non-profit San Diego Entertainment &Arts Guild (SDEAG), a 501(c)(3) public charity, he is a member of ASCAP, the Writer’s Guild of America, West and The Author’s Guild.
Under the stage name Franco Z, he led a local jazz band, Z-BOP!, at venues throughout Southern California. (lodestarz.com)
He came to San Diego in 1969 to fly fighters for the U.S. Navy, completing over 200 combat mission aboard the aircraft carriers USS America and USS Constellation.
That is awesome.