His father James Kirkwood Sr. was an actor and director in silent films, and his mother was actress Lila Lee.

[1] Kirkwood wrote the semi-autobiographical novel There Must Be a Pony, made into a television film starring Elizabeth Taylor and Robert Wagner.

[2][3] Kirkus Reviews wrote that "Kirkwood's portrait of Shaw as St. Sebastian is overdone to the point of self defeat" and that "the book does clinch the impression that legal grounds for the conspiracy charges were insufficient.

The plot concerns a producer with a sure-fire commercial script, but no credibility, who lures two out-of-work but long-time feuding actresses "of a certain age" to star in his putative Broadway production.

The competition is hosted by the UCLA Extension Writers' Program, and the winner is determined by Andrew Morse, the prize's benefactor.