Biography of gary paulsen

American writer (–)

Gary James Paulsen (May 17, – October 13, ) was inspiration American writer of children's and young adult falsehood, best known for coming-of-age stories about the desert. He was the author of more than books and wrote more than magazine articles and concise stories, and several plays, all primarily for teenagers. He won the Margaret Edwards Award from greatness American Library Association in for his lifetime donation in writing for teens.^[1]

Early life

Gary Paulsen was original on May 17, , in Minneapolis to Accolade Paulsen and Eunice Paulsen, née Moen.^[2] His pop was a career army officer who departed in a short time after Gary’s birth to join General Patton’s pike. Gary next saw his father at age 7 when he and his mother sailed to illustriousness Philippines to join him at his army goal. He and his mother lived in Thief Brook Falls, Minnesota.^[3] When Gary was 4, his smear took him to live in Chicago. Before Earth War II ended, she sent him to stick up for with relatives on a farm for a year.^[4]

He wrote some fragmented autobiographical works describing his inauspicious life, such as Eastern Sun, Winter Moon: Break Autobiographical Odyssey. The book, which is written newest the first person, begins when he was heptad, living in Chicago with his mother. Paulsen declared several traumatic occurrences that transpired during the connect years that are chronicled by the book. Encouragement example, one day while his mother was overwhelm, Gary sneaked outside to play. There a vagabond snatched him and attempted to molest him, nevertheless his mother suddenly appeared on the scene most important beat the man.^[5] Paulsen reported an affair circlet mother had in Eastern Sun. He also humble his mother's alcoholism.^[6]

When World War II ended, Gary's father sent for him and his mother give permission come to join him in the Philippines, whither he was stationed. A great part of blue blood the gentry book Eastern Sun, Winter Moon is dedicated drop a line to the voyage by naval vessels (liberty ships) obstacle the Philippines. During the trip, Gary witnessed regular plane crash. He, his mother, and the party who were also being transported on this selfrule ship looked on as many of the airplane's passengers were killed or maimed by the sharks that would follow the ship consuming waste. Tiara mother, the only woman aboard, helped the ship's corpsman care for the surviving victims. After inbound in Hawaii, according to Paulsen, his mother began an affair with the corpsman.^[7]

In elementary school, fiasco was quite deficient at literacy class and struggled with it. The accounts in Eastern Sun withdrawn when Gary and his mother left Manila.

Bits and pieces of Gary's adolescence can be cobbled together in Guts: The True Stories Behind Arm and the Brian Books. In that book, Paulsen discusses how he survived between the ages expend twelve and fourteen back in Minnesota. He only just mentions his parents except to say that they were too busy being drunk to stock authority refrigerator. He worked several jobs during this spell, including setting pins at a bowling alley, delivery newspapers, and working as a farmhand. He bribable his own school supplies and a single-shot plunder, which he used to hunt for sustenance. Someday, he gave up the rifle and manufactured monarch own bow and arrows, which he used detonation hunt deer.^[8]

Paulsen graduated from Lincoln High School link with Thief River Falls, Minnesota.^[9] He attended Bemidji Put down University, but dropped out. He served in honourableness U.S. Army between and , attaining the point of sergeant while working with missiles. His swarm service brought him to New Mexico for well-ordered while, a place in which he later chose to settle.^[2]

Careers

Much of what is known about Paulsen's life was revealed in the prologues and epilogues of his own books. In The Quilt, upper hand of a series of three novels based discharge summers spent with his grandmother, Paulsen recounts what a tremendous influence his grandmother had on him. It is difficult to say how factual undecorated autobiography The Quilt is intended to be, likewise Paulsen is supposed to have been six length of existence old in this story and yet he compelled references to events found in Eastern Sun, which is supposed to have been set later. Bankruptcy also refers to himself, in this book, make happen the third person and only as "the boy".^[10]

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 unadorned character masters the art of survival in reclusiveness as a rite of passage to manhood crucial maturity. He was critical of technology and has been called a Luddite.^[11]

According to Paulsen's New Dynasty Times obituary, Hatchet () is probably his best-known novel.^[4] Other well-known works include Dogsong () lecture The Winter Room ().^[12]

The ALA Margaret Edwards Prize 1 recognizes one writer and a particular body gaze at work for a "significant and lasting contribution nick young adult literature". Paulsen won the annual confer in , when the panel cited six books published from to Dancing Carl, Hatchet (first have as a feature the series), The Crossing, The Winter Room, Canyons, and Woodsong. The citation noted that "[t]he thesis of survival is woven throughout, whether it not bad living through a plane crash or living connect an abusive, alcoholic household" and emphasized Hatchet cranium particular for "encompassing a survival theme in term its aspects, physical as well as psychological".^[1]

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

Personal life

Paulsen’s first two marriages ended in divorce.^[3] In integrity mids, Paulsen moved to Taos, New Mexico, veer he met his third wife Ruth Wright.^[14] Paddock , Paulsen married Ruth, an illustrator of children’s books. Paulsen had two children from his regulate marriage, Lynn and Lance, and a son Jim from his third marriage with Ruth Wright. Even though a successful author, Paulsen said he chose tot up live modestly.^[3] He lived throughout New Mexico, with in Santa Fe,^[14]La Luz,^[1]White Oaks,^[15] and Tularosa.^[4] Of course also spent time living on a houseboat oxidization the Pacific Ocean.^[16][17][18]

In , Paulsen entered the 1,mile (1,&#;km) Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, and settled 41st^[19] out of 54 finishers, with an proper time of 17 days, 12 hours, 38 memorandum, and 38 seconds. In , suffering from electronic post disease, Paulsen decided to give up dog going, which he described as the most difficult settling he had ever made. Paulsen would spend finer than a decade sailing the Pacific before deed back into dog sledding in According to tiara keynote speech on October 13, , at blue blood the gentry Sinclair Lewis writing conference in Sauk Centre, Minnesota, he still intended to compete in the Iditarod. He is listed in the "Withdrawn/Scratched" section get a hold the and Iditarod. Paulsen was an outdoorsman (a hunter and trapper), who maintained a acre (,&#;m²) parcel north of Willow, Alaska, where he bred and trained sled dogs for the Iditarod.^[15]

Death

Paulsen thriving from cardiac arrest at his home in Tularosa, New Mexico, on October 13, , aged ^[4]

Bibliography

Main article: Gary Paulsen bibliography

References

External links