Gary Paulsen
Gary Paulsen is a prolific American author renowned for his captivating stories aimed at young adults and children. Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, he faced a challenging childhood marked by instability and limited parental supervision. Despite these hardships, a pivotal moment with a librarian inspired his lifelong love for reading and writing. Paulsen's diverse experiences—including his time in the army, work in journalism, and adventures in the wilderness—greatly influenced his writing. He is best known for his novel "Hatchet," which tells the gripping survival story of a boy stranded in the wilderness and has inspired several sequels. Paulsen's other notable works include "Dogsong" and "The Winter Room," both of which reflect themes of growth and self-discovery. His writing style is characterized by concise, engaging prose that appeals to a wide range of readers. Over the years, Paulsen has received numerous accolades for his contributions to literature, including the Newbery Honor and the Margaret A. Edwards Award, solidifying his legacy as an influential storyteller.
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Gary Paulsen
Author
- Born: May 17, 1939
- Birthplace: Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Died: October 13, 2021
- Place of death: Tularosa, New Mexico
Biography
Prolific author Gary Paulsen’s real life reads like an adventure tale from start to finish. He drew upon many of his experiences to create more than two hundred books for young adults, children, and adults. Paulsen was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Oscar Paulsen and Eunice Paulsen. Both of his parents were first-generation Americans of Scandinavian descent. His father, whom Paulsen did not even meet until 1946 when he was seven, served as an army officer in World War II under General George S. Patton. His mother worked in a Chicago munitions factory during the war. He saw little of his mother and was raised by his grandmother and aunts. He was united with his father in the Philippines, where he lived with his parents from 1946 until 1949. He describes his life at that time as essentially that of a street child, unsupervised by his alcoholic parents.
His life back in the United States was little better, as he moved constantly and did poorly in school. He worked at a variety of jobs, barely graduating from high school in Thief River Falls, Minnesota. In a fortuitous incident in an otherwise grim youth, Paulsen was enticed into the world of books by a sympathetic librarian who offered him a library card, an incident that he would credit with changing his life.
After high school, Paulsen attended Bemidji College in Minnesota from 1957 to 1958, working at hunting and trapping to pay his tuition. After leaving college, Paulsen served in the army for three years, working with missiles. After his discharge, he became a certified field engineer, working for Bendix and Lockheed. Attracted by the idea of being a writer, Paulsen turned to work in journalism and editing, even though he had no previous experience. He bluffed his way onto the staff of a magazine in California, where he learned the basics of writing and editing. In 1971, he married his third wife, Ruth Ellen Wright, who would also illustrate several of his works. They had one child, and Paulsen had two children during his first marriage.
Over the years, Paulsen called upon his varied experiences in the wilderness, in the army, and in dogsledding to create his popular and exciting works. He was probably best known for his books for young adults, an audience he began to cultivate in the 1980s. He received Newbery Honor Book Awards for three of these novels: Dogsong (1985), Hatchet (1987), and The Winter Room (1989). Dogsong draws upon Paulsen’s experience as a dogsledder running the Iditarod race to tell the coming-of-age story of the young Eskimo boy Russell. Hatchet, arguably Paulsen’s most successful novel, follows the survival adventure of a young boy who is stranded in a wilderness area after a plane crash. Hatchet inspired several sequels: The River (1991), Brian’s Winter (1996), Brian’s Return (1999), and Brian's Hunt (2003). The Winter Room is another coming of age story that focuses on farming and logging in Minnesota.
In addition to his standalone novels and the famous Hatchet series (known as Brian's Saga), Paulsen wrote several other ongoing series over the course of his career. These include the Tucket saga, beginning with Mr Tucket (1969); the World of Adventure books; and the Culpepper Adventures. Paulsen’s work relies upon taut, spare prose that has proven enticing and accessible, even to reluctant readers. In 1997, Paulsen was awarded the Margaret A. Edwards Award for the body of his work. He also wrote numerous works of nonfiction, most focusing on outdoors skills or instruction in various sports.
Bibliography
Burns, Janet. "13 Wild Facts about 'Hatchet' and Gary Paulsen." Mental Floss. Mental Floss, 9 July 2015. Web. 22 Jun. 2016.
Lodge, Sally. "Q & A with Gary Paulsen and Jim Paulsen." Publishers Weekly. PWxyz, 6 Dec. 2012. Web. 22 Jun. 2016.
McGuinness, Denis E., and Sarah L. Thomson. Gary Paulsen. New York: Rosen, 2016. Print.
Paulsen, Gary. Eastern Sun, Winter Moon: An Autobiographical Odyssey. London: Phoenix, 2001. Print.
Paulsen, Gary. Guts: The True Stories Behind Hatchet and the Brian Books. New York: Delacorte, 2001. Print.
Sides, Anne Goodwin. "On the Road and Between the Pages, an Author is Restless for Adventure." New York Times. New York Times, 26 Aug. 2006. Web. 22 Jun. 2016.