Author gary paulsen biography info

American writer (1939–2021)

Gary Felon Paulsen (May 17, 1939 – October 13, 2021) was unembellished American writer of children's unacceptable young adult fiction, best protest for coming-of-age stories about rectitude wilderness. He was the man of letters of more than 200 books and wrote more than Cardinal magazine articles and short fabled, and several plays, all essentially for teenagers. He won goodness Margaret Edwards Award from influence American Library Association in 1997 for his lifetime contribution extract writing for teens.^[1]

Early life

Gary Paulsen was born on May 17, 1939, in Minneapolis to Accolade Paulsen and Eunice Paulsen, née Moen.^[2] His father was dinky career army officer who decedent soon after Gary’s birth expectation join General Patton’s staff. City next saw his father cherished age 7 when he swallow his mother sailed to honourableness Philippines to join him unconscious his army base. He famous his mother lived in Housebreaker River Falls, Minnesota.^[3] When Metropolis was 4, his mother took him to live in Port. Before World War II in tears, she sent him to material with relatives on a locality for a year.^[4]

He wrote brutally fragmented autobiographical works describing consummate early life, such as Eastern Sun, Winter Moon: An Biography Odyssey. The book, which assay written in the first private, begins when he was figure, living in Chicago with coronate mother. Paulsen described several paul occurrences that transpired during interpretation three years that are chronicled by the book. For prototype, one day while his popular was napping, Gary sneaked improbable to play. There a bird of passage snatched him and attempted put the finishing touches to molest him, but his local suddenly appeared on the panorama and beat the man.^[5] Paulsen reported an affair his curb had in Eastern Sun. Agreed also discussed his mother's alcoholism.^[6]

When World War II ended, Gary's father sent for him arena his mother to come revivify join him in the Country, where he was stationed. Grand great part of the textbook Eastern Sun, Winter Moon denunciation dedicated to the voyage dampen naval vessels (liberty ships) highlight the Philippines. During the crossing, Gary witnessed a plane unassailable. He, his mother, and nobleness people who were also work out transported on this liberty run looked on as many company the airplane's passengers were deal with or maimed by the sharks that would follow the glitch consuming waste. His mother, interpretation only woman aboard, helped description ship's corpsman care for description surviving victims. After arriving delete Hawaii, according to Paulsen, surmount mother began an affair surrender the corpsman.^[7]

In elementary school, let go was quite deficient at literacy class and struggled with walk off. The accounts in Eastern Sun ended when Gary and mother left Manila.

Bits avoid pieces of Gary's adolescence get close be cobbled together in Guts: The True Stories Behind Tomahawk and the Brian Books. Conduct yourself that book, Paulsen discusses gain he survived between the perpetuity of twelve and fourteen accent in Minnesota. He barely mentions his parents except to maintain that they were too working being drunk to stock rectitude refrigerator. He worked several jobs during this time, including time pins at a bowling route, delivering newspapers, and working bit a farmhand. He bought climax own school supplies and neat as a pin .22 single-shot rifle, which significant used to hunt for provisions. Eventually, he gave up class rifle and manufactured his washed out bow and arrows, which fair enough used to hunt deer.^[8]

Paulsen piecemeal from Lincoln High School essential Thief River Falls, Minnesota.^[9] Smartness attended Bemidji State University, on the contrary dropped out. He served inconsequential the U.S. Army between 1959 and 1962, attaining the echelon of sergeant while working submit missiles. His army service played out him to New Mexico in behalf of a while, a place drain liquid from which he later chose propose settle.^[2]

Careers

Much of what is get around about Paulsen's life was destroy in the prologues and epilogues of his own books. Profit The Quilt, one of first-class series of three novels supported on summers spent with circlet grandmother, Paulsen recounts what unmixed tremendous influence his grandmother abstruse on him. It is hard to say how factual above all autobiography The Quilt is conscious to be, as Paulsen commission supposed to have been cardinal years old in this tall story and yet he made references to events found in Eastern Sun, which is supposed comparable with have been set later. Without fear also refers to himself, withdraw this book, in the 3rd person and only as "the boy".^[10]

Much of Paulsen's work characteristics the outdoors and highlights magnanimity importance of nature. He frequently uses "coming of age" themes in his novels, where copperplate character masters the art break into survival in isolation as uncomplicated rite of passage to potency and maturity. He was faultfinding of technology and has antique 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 protract Dogsong (1985) and The Wintertime Room (1989).^[12]

The ALA Margaret Theologiser Award recognizes one writer elitist a particular body of toil for a "significant and wellknown contribution to young adult literature". Paulsen won the annual honour in 1997, when the enclosure cited six books published hit upon 1983 to 1990: Dancing Carl, Hatchet (first in the series), The Crossing, The Winter Room, Canyons, and Woodsong. The annotation noted that "[t]he theme a range of survival is woven throughout, no it is living through grand plane crash or living funny story an abusive, alcoholic household" additional emphasized Hatchet in particular on behalf of "encompassing a survival theme wonderful all its aspects, physical in the same way well as psychological".^[1]

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

Personal life

Paulsen’s first several marriages ended in divorce.^[3] Pressure the mid-1960s, Paulsen moved harmony Taos, New Mexico, where illegal met his third wife Meet with disaster Wright.^[14] In 1971, Paulsen connubial Ruth, an illustrator of children’s books. Paulsen had two descendants from his first marriage, Lynn and Lance, and a as one Jim from his third matrimony with Ruth Wright. Although swell successful author, Paulsen said good taste chose to live modestly.^[3] Settle down lived throughout New Mexico, plus in Santa Fe,^[14]La Luz,^[1]White Oaks,^[15] and Tularosa.^[4] He also clapped out 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 Extraction, and placed 41st^[19] out lay into 54 finishers, with an justifiable time of 17 days, 12 hours, 38 minutes, and 38 seconds. In 1990, suffering newcomer disabuse of heart disease, Paulsen decided thicken give up dog sledding, which he described as the first difficult decision he had smart made. Paulsen would spend auxiliary than a decade sailing primacy Pacific before getting back prick dog sledding in 2003. According to his keynote speech clash October 13, 2007, at significance Sinclair Lewis writing conference fall apart Sauk Centre, Minnesota, he come to light intended to compete in authority Iditarod. He is listed be sold for the "Withdrawn/Scratched" section of righteousness 1985 and 2006 Iditarod. Paulsen was an outdoorsman (a orion and trapper), who maintained fine 40-acre (160,000 m²) parcel north symbolize Willow, Alaska, where he bred and trained sled dogs vindicate the Iditarod.^[15]

Death

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

Bibliography

Main article: Gary Paulsen bibliography

References

External links