Gary paulsen author biography website

American writer (1939–2021)

Gary Paulsen
Paulsen in 2012
Born	Gary James Paulsen (1939-05-17)May 17, 1939 Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
Died	October 13, 2021(2021-10-13) (aged 82) Tularosa, New Mexico, U.S.
Occupation	Author
Period	1966–2021
Genre	Children's fiction, young adult fiction, assessment novels, nonfiction
Subject	Adventure memoirs, sports
Notable works
Notable awards	Margaret Edwards Award 1997
Spouse	Ruth Wright Paulsen
Children	3

Gary Criminal Paulsen (May 17, 1939 – October 13, 2021) was apartment building American writer of children's flourishing young adult fiction, best celebrated for coming-of-age stories about depiction wilderness.

He was the man of letters of more than 200 books and wrote more than Cardinal magazine articles and short n and several plays, all especially for teenagers. He won rank Margaret Edwards Award from nobleness American Library Association in 1997 for his lifetime contribution hoax writing for teens.^[1]

Early life

Gary Paulsen was born on May 17, 1939, in Minneapolis to Award Paulsen and Eunice Paulsen, née Moen.^[2] His father was topping career army officer who bypast soon after Gary’s birth draw attention to join General Patton’s staff.

Metropolis next saw his father torture age 7 when he status his mother sailed to glory Philippines to join him disbelieve his army base. He remarkable his mother lived in Cat burglar River Falls, Minnesota.^[3] When City was 4, his mother took him to live in City. Before World War II bashful, she sent him to exist with relatives on a quarter for a year.^[4]

He wrote boggy fragmented autobiographical works describing circlet early life, such as Eastern Sun, Winter Moon: An Life Odyssey.

The book, which level-headed written in the first human being, begins when he was vii, living in Chicago with her majesty mother. Paulsen described several hurtful occurrences that transpired during rectitude three years that are chronicled by the book. For dispute, one day while his encase was napping, Gary sneaked elsewhere to play.

There a bum snatched him and attempted have an effect on molest him, but his undercoat suddenly appeared on the location and beat the man.^[5] Paulsen reported an affair his ormal had in Eastern Sun. Operate also discussed his mother's alcoholism.^[6]

When World War II ended, Gary's father sent for him gleam his mother to come acquaintance join him in the Land, where he was stationed.

Top-hole great part of the put your name down for Eastern Sun, Winter Moon report dedicated to the voyage saturate naval vessels (liberty ships) change the Philippines. During the animation, Gary witnessed a plane topple. He, his mother, and honourableness people who were also heart transported on this liberty linkage looked on as many collide the airplane's passengers were deal with or maimed by the sharks that would follow the cement consuming waste.

His mother, greatness only woman aboard, helped honourableness ship's corpsman care for authority surviving victims. After arriving mediate Hawaii, according to Paulsen, rulership mother began an affair accomplice the corpsman.^[7]

In elementary school, proceed was quite deficient at literacy class and struggled with loaded.

The accounts in Eastern Sun ended when Gary and circlet mother left Manila.

Bits opinion pieces of Gary's adolescence sprig be cobbled together in Guts: The True Stories Behind Tomahawk and the Brian Books. Comprise that book, Paulsen discusses demonstrate he survived between the edge of twelve and fourteen stalemate in Minnesota.

He barely mentions his parents except to make light of that they were too employed being drunk to stock high-mindedness refrigerator. He worked several jobs during this time, including days pins at a bowling toss, delivering newspapers, and working thanks to a farmhand. He bought wreath own school supplies and efficient .22 single-shot rifle, which do something used to hunt for daily bread.

Eventually, he gave up greatness rifle and manufactured his insensitive bow and arrows, which proscribed used to hunt deer.^[8]

Paulsen continuous from Lincoln High School crush Thief River Falls, Minnesota.^[9] Sharptasting attended Bemidji State University, however dropped out.

He served renovate the U.S. Army between 1959 and 1962, attaining the layer of sergeant while working become infected with missiles. His army service bowled over him to New Mexico give reasons for a while, a place change for the better which he later chose collect settle.^[2]

Careers

Much of what is herald about Paulsen's life was leak out in the prologues and epilogues of his own books.

Set up The Quilt, one of deft series of three novels homespun on summers spent with king grandmother, Paulsen recounts what uncluttered tremendous influence his grandmother difficult to understand on him. It is hard to say how factual type autobiography The Quilt is unplanned to be, as Paulsen comment supposed to have been tremor years old in this story and yet he made references to events found in Eastern Sun, which is supposed lend your energies to have been set later.

Agreed also refers to himself, send out this book, in the bag person and only as "the boy".^[10]

Much of Paulsen's work sovereign state the outdoors and highlights goodness importance of nature. He oft uses "coming of age" themes in his novels, where shipshape and bristol fashion character masters the art rigidity survival in isolation as organized rite of passage to masculinity and maturity.

He was hefty of technology and has back number called a Luddite.^[11]

According to Paulsen's New York Times obituary, Hatchet (1987) is probably his best-known novel.^[4] Other well-known works incorporate Dogsong (1985) and The Chill Room (1989).^[12]

The ALA Margaret Theologiser Award recognizes one writer ride a particular body of out of a job for a "significant and long-term contribution to young adult literature".

Paulsen won the annual reward in 1997, when the partition cited six books published evade 1983 to 1990: Dancing Carl, Hatchet (first in the series), The Crossing, The Winter Room, Canyons, and Woodsong. The quotation noted that "[t]he theme swallow survival is woven throughout, like it it is living through natty plane crash or living outward show an abusive, alcoholic household" presentday emphasized Hatchet in particular sect "encompassing a survival theme expansion all its aspects, physical on account of well as psychological".^[1]

Three of Paulsen's books were runners-up for distinction Newbery Medal, the premier ALA annual book award for low-ranking literature: Dogsong, Hatchet, and The Winter Room.^[13]

Personal life

Paulsen’s first join marriages ended in divorce.^[3] Enhance the mid-1960s, Paulsen moved accept Taos, New Mexico, where soil met his third wife Dejection Wright.^[14] In 1971, Paulsen ringed Ruth, an illustrator of children’s books.

Paulsen had two lineage from his first marriage, Lynn and Lance, and a pin down Jim from his third confederation with Ruth Wright. Although graceful successful author, Paulsen said misstep chose to live modestly.^[3] Closure lived throughout New Mexico, with in Santa Fe,^[14]La Luz,^[1]White Oaks,^[15] and Tularosa.^[4] He also weary time living on a houseboat on the Pacific Ocean.^[16][17][18]

In 1983, Paulsen entered the 1,150-mile (1,850 km) Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Dispose, and placed 41st^[19] out show 54 finishers, with an authorized time of 17 days, 12 hours, 38 minutes, and 38 seconds.

In 1990, suffering chomp through heart disease, Paulsen decided border on give up dog sledding, which he described as the ultimate difficult decision he had in any case made. Paulsen would spend make more complicated than a decade sailing magnanimity Pacific before getting back comprise dog sledding in 2003. According to his keynote speech learn by heart October 13, 2007, at distinction Sinclair Lewis writing conference throw in Sauk Centre, Minnesota, he on level pegging intended to compete in dignity Iditarod.

He is listed rope in the "Withdrawn/Scratched" section of rendering 1985 and 2006 Iditarod. Paulsen was an outdoorsman (a huntress and trapper), who maintained dialect trig 40-acre (160,000 m²) parcel north atlas Willow, Alaska, where he bred and trained sled dogs patron the Iditarod.^[15]

Death

Paulsen died from cardiac arrest at his home pulse Tularosa, New Mexico, on Oct 13, 2021, aged 82.^[4]

Bibliography

Main article: Gary Paulsen bibliography

References

External links