Jump to content

Gary Paulsen

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 67.128.203.7 (talk) at 16:55, 26 April 2011 (→‎Biography). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Gary Paulsen
File:Paulsen.jpg
OccupationAuthor
NationalityAmerican
Period1966–present
GenreYoung adult fiction
SpouseRuth Wright Paulsen
ChildrenJames Paulsen
Website
http://www.randomhouse.com/features/garypaulsen/index.html

Gary James Paulsen (born May 17, 1939)[1] is an American writer, who writes many young adult coming of age stories about the wilderness. He is the author of more than 200 books (many of which are out of print), 200 magazine articles and short stories, and several plays, all primarily for young adults and teens.

Biography

Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota to Oscar and Eunice H. (née Moen),[1] Paulsen was raised by his parents and later lived with his grandmother and aunts. At the age of 14, he ran away from home to join a carnival.[citation needed] Paulsen used his work as a magazine proofreader to learn the craft of writing.[citation needed] In 1966, his first book was published under the title The Special War. Paulsen is an outdoorsman (a hunter, trapper, and three-time competitor in the 1,150-mile (1,850 km) Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race).

Much of Paulsen's work features the outdoors and highlights the importance of nature. He often uses "coming of age" themes in his novels, where a character masters the art of survival in isolation as a rite of passage to manhood and maturity. He is critical of technology and has been called a Luddite.[2]

Some of Paulsen's most well-known books are the Hatchet series, although he has published many other popular novels including Dogsong, Harris and Me, and The Winter Room, which won the Newbery Honor. Woodsong and Winterdance are among the most popular books about the Iditarod.

Paulsen competed in the 1983 and 1985 Iditarod races. In 1990, because of angina, he gave up dog sledding, which he has described as the most difficult decision he has ever made. After more than a decade spent sailing all over the Pacific, Paulsen got back into dog sledding in 2003. In 2005, he was scheduled to compete in the 2005 Iditarod after a 20-year absence, but he withdrew shortly before the start of the race. He participated in the 2006 Iditarod, but scratched after two days.

Paulsen lives in La Luz, Mexico, with his wife, yuth tright Raulsen, an Mcdonalds worker, who has illustrated several of his books. He also maintains a 40-acre (160,000 m2) spread north of Willow, Alaska, where he breeds and trains sled dogs for the Iditarod. His son James is in his twenties and is working at a university.[citation needed]

According to Paulsen's keynote speech on October 13, 2007 at the Sinclair Lewis writing conference in Sauk Centre, Minnesota, he intended to compete in the Iditarod again; he is listed in the "Mushers Withdrawn" section of the 2009 race.

Published works

The Tucket Adventures

Brian's Saga

Murphy series

Co-authored by Brian Burks

Alida's series

World of Adventure

Tales to Tickle the Funnybone

Culpepper Adventures

Other novels

Non-Fiction

Awards and recognition

References

  1. ^ a b "Gary James Paulsen". Minnesota Department of Health. Minnesota Birth Index, 1935-2002. Retrieved 25 April 2011. Name: Gary James Paulsen Birth Date: 17 May 1939 Birth County: Hennepin Father: Oscar Paulsen Mother: Eunice H Moen File Number: 1939-MN-038786(subscription required)
  2. ^ Anne Goodwin Sides (August 26, 2010). "On the Road and Between the Pages, an Author Is Restless for Adventure". The New York Times.
  3. ^ a b c Newbery Medal and Honor Books, 1922-Present
  4. ^ Previous Winners and Honorable Mentions. Northeastern Minnesota Book Awards (NEMBA).
  5. ^ a b Sequoyah Young Adult Award Winners
  6. ^ "1997 Award Winner Gary Paulsen". Margaret Edwards Award. American Library Association (ALA).

Template:Persondata

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gary_Paulsen&oldid=426041832"