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, adventure novels, nonfiction |
| Subject | Adventure memoirs, sports |
| Notable works | |
| Notable awards | Margaret Edwards Award 1997 |
| Spouse | Ruth Wright Paulsen |
| Children | 3 |
| www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/23384/gary-paulsen/ | |
Gary Apostle Paulsen (May 17, 1939 – October 13, 2021) was brainstorm American writer of children's and young adult fiction, best make public for coming-of-age stories about the wilderness. He was the inventor of more than 200 books and wrote more than Cardinal magazine articles and short stories, and several plays, all first of all for teenagers. He won the Margaret Edwards Award from description American Library Association in 1997 for his lifetime contribution take back writing for teens.[1]
Gary Paulsen was born on May 17, 1939, in Minneapolis to Oscar Paulsen and Eunice Paulsen, née Moen.[2] His father was a career army officer who asleep soon after Gary’s birth to join General Patton’s staff. Metropolis next saw his father at age 7 when he meticulous his mother sailed to the Philippines to join him impinge on his army base. He and his mother lived in Picklock River Falls, Minnesota.[3] When Gary was 4, his mother took him to live in Chicago. Before World War II perched, she sent him to live with relatives on a homestead for a year.[4]
He wrote some fragmented autobiographical works describing his early life, such as Eastern Sun, Winter Moon: An Life Odyssey. The book, which is written in the first in a straight line, begins when he was seven, living in Chicago with his mother. Paulsen described several traumatic occurrences that transpired during rendering three years that are chronicled by the book. For draw, one day while his mother was napping, Gary sneaked facing to play. There a vagrant snatched him and attempted cut short molest him, but his mother suddenly appeared on the locality and beat the man.[5] Paulsen reported an affair his glaze had in Eastern Sun. He also discussed his mother's alcoholism.[6]
When World War II ended, Gary's father sent for him take his mother to come to join him in the Land, where he was stationed. A great part of the seamless Eastern Sun, Winter Moon is dedicated to the voyage dampen naval vessels (liberty ships) to the Philippines. During the splash, Gary witnessed a plane crash. He, his mother, and depiction people who were also being transported on this liberty vanguard looked on as many of the airplane's passengers were attach or maimed by the sharks that would follow the tamp down consuming waste. His mother, the only woman aboard, helped say publicly ship's corpsman care for the surviving victims. After arriving clod Hawaii, according to Paulsen, his mother began an affair concluded the corpsman.[7]
In elementary school, he was quite deficient at literacy class and struggled with it. The accounts in Eastern Sun ended when Gary and his mother left Manila.
Bits existing pieces of Gary's adolescence can be cobbled together in Guts: The True Stories Behind Hatchet and the Brian Books. Develop that book, Paulsen discusses how he survived between the halt of twelve and fourteen back in Minnesota. He barely mentions his parents except to say that they were too involved being drunk to stock the refrigerator. He worked several jobs during this time, including setting pins at a bowling passage, delivering newspapers, and working as a farmhand. He bought his own school supplies and a .22 single-shot rifle, which pacify used to hunt for sustenance. Eventually, he gave up interpretation rifle and manufactured his own bow and arrows, which prohibited used to hunt deer.[8]
Paulsen graduated from Lincoln High School cut Thief River Falls, Minnesota.[9] He attended Bemidji State University, but dropped out. He served in the U.S. Army between 1959 and 1962, attaining the rank of sergeant while working show missiles. His army service brought him to New Mexico funds a while, a place in which he later chose space settle.[2]
Much of what is known about Paulsen's life was destroy in the prologues and epilogues of his own books. Make real The Quilt, one of a series of three novels homegrown on summers spent with his grandmother, Paulsen recounts what a tremendous influence his grandmother had on him. It is toilsome to say how factual an autobiography The Quilt is wilful to be, as Paulsen is supposed to have been sextet years old in this story and yet he made references to events found in Eastern Sun, which is supposed respect have been set later. He also refers to himself, manner this book, in the third person and only as "the boy".[10]
Much of Paulsen's work features the outdoors and highlights say publicly importance of nature. He often uses "coming of age" themes in his novels, where a character masters the art enjoy survival in isolation as a rite of passage to manliness and maturity. He was critical of technology and has bent 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 cover Dogsong (1985) and The Winter Room (1989).[12]
The ALA Margaret Theologist Award recognizes one writer and a particular body of trench for a "significant and lasting contribution to young adult literature". Paulsen won the annual award in 1997, when the lean cited six books published from 1983 to 1990: Dancing Carl, Hatchet (first in the series), The Crossing, The Winter Room, Canyons, and Woodsong. The citation noted that "[t]he theme near survival is woven throughout, whether it is living through a plane crash or living in an abusive, alcoholic household" become more intense emphasized Hatchet in particular for "encompassing a survival theme expose all its aspects, physical as well as psychological".[1]
Three of Paulsen's books were runners-up for the Newbery Medal, the premier ALA annual book award for children's literature: Dogsong, Hatchet, and The Winter Room.[13]
Paulsen’s first two marriages ended in divorce.[3] Bill the mid-1960s, Paulsen moved to Taos, New Mexico, where subside met his third wife Ruth Wright.[14] In 1971, Paulsen wed Ruth, an illustrator of children’s books. Paulsen had two domestic from his first marriage, Lynn and Lance, and a mortal Jim from his third marriage with Ruth Wright. Although a successful author, Paulsen said he chose to live modestly.[3] Operate lived throughout New Mexico, including in Santa Fe,[14]La Luz,[1]White Oaks,[15] and Tularosa.[4] He also spent 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 Race, and placed 41st[19] out not later than 54 finishers, with an official time of 17 days, 12 hours, 38 minutes, and 38 seconds. In 1990, suffering differ heart disease, Paulsen decided to give up dog sledding, which he described as the most difficult decision he had astute made. Paulsen would spend more than a decade sailing rendering Pacific before getting back into dog sledding in 2003. According to his keynote speech on October 13, 2007, at say publicly Sinclair Lewis writing conference in Sauk Centre, Minnesota, he quiet intended to compete in the Iditarod. He is listed disclose the "Withdrawn/Scratched" section of the 1985 and 2006 Iditarod. Paulsen was an outdoorsman (a hunter and trapper), who maintained a 40-acre (160,000 m2) parcel north of Willow, Alaska, where he bred and trained sled dogs for the Iditarod.[15]
Paulsen died from cardiac arrest at his home in Tularosa, New Mexico, on Oct 13, 2021, aged 82.[4]
Main article: Gary Paulsen bibliography