author
J. B. (James Ball) Naylor
1860–1945
A country doctor from Ohio who turned frontier history, poetry, and children’s stories into a long and varied writing career. His books blend storytelling with a strong sense of place, especially the American Midwest and early frontier era.
2 Audiobooks
The sign of the prophet : A tale of Tecumseh and Tippecanoe
by J. B. (James Ball) Naylor
The Little Green Goblin
by J. B. (James Ball) Naylor
About the author
James Ball Naylor was an American physician and writer born in 1860 and died in 1945. He wrote novels, short stories, children’s books, and poems, and he also lectured. Some sources note that he used the pen name S. Q. Lapius, a playful nod to his medical background.
Naylor is especially associated with Ohio and with fiction rooted in frontier and regional history. Alongside his medical work, he built a substantial literary output that included historical novels such as Under Mad Anthony's Banner and The Sign of the Prophet, as well as poetry collections including Songs from the Heart of Things.
He seems to have been one of those writers whose career crossed several worlds at once: small-town medicine, public speaking, journalism, and popular literature. That mix helps explain the range in his work, which can feel both imaginative and grounded in everyday American life.