Paulsen, Gary 1939-
PAULSEN, Gary 1939-
Personal
May 17, 1939, in Minneapolis, MN; son of Oscar (an army officer) and Eunice Paulsen; married third wife, Ruth Ellen Wright (an artist), May 5, 1971; children: (first marriage) two; (third marriage) James Wright. Education: Attended Bemidji College, 1957-58, and University of Colorado, 1976. Politics: "As Russian author Alexander Solzhenitsyn has said, 'If we limit ourselves to political structures we are not artists.'" Religion: "I believe in spiritual progress."
Addresses
Home— New Mexico. Agent— Author Mail, c/o Random House Children's Publicity, 1540 Broadway, New York, NY 10036.
Career
Writer, beginning 1960s. Has also worked as a teacher, field engineer, editor, soldier, actor, director, farmer, rancher, truck driver, trapper, professional archer, migrant farm worker, singer, and sailor. Military service: U.S. Army, 1959-62; attained rank of sergeant.
Awards, Honors
Society of Midland Authors Book Award, 1985, for Tracker; Parents' Choice Award, Parents' Choice Foundation, 1985, Newbery Honor Book citation, 1986, and Children's Book of the Year Award, Child Study Association of America, 1986, all for Dogsong; Newbery Honor Book citation, and Booklist Editor's Choice citation, bothh 1988, and Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award, 1989, all for Hatchet; Parenting magazine Reading-Magic Award, Teachers' Choice Award from International Reading Association (IRA), and Best Books of the Year citation from Learning magazine, all 1990, all for The Voyage of the Frog; Newbery Honor Book citation, Judy Lopez Memorial Award, and Parenting Best Book of the Year citation, all 1990, all for The Winter Room; Parents' Choice Award, 1991, for The Boy Who Owned the School; ALAN Award, 1991; Booklist Editor's Choice citation, Society of Midland Authors Book Award, and Spur Award from Western Writers of America, all 1991, all for Woodsong; Spur Award, 1993, for The Haymeadow; Booklist Books for Youth Top of the List citation, 1993, for Harris and Me; Children's Choice citations, IRA/Children's Book Council, 1994, for Nightjohn and Dogteam; Children's Literature Award finalist, PEN Center USA West, 1994, for Sisters/Hermanas; Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in writing for young adults, 1997. Many of Paulsen's books have been selected as American Library Association (ALA) best books for young adults, ALA notable children's books, National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) notable books in the language arts, School Library Journal best Books of the year, Notable Children's Books in the Social Studies, and New York Library Books for the Teen Age. In addition, several of his books have won or been nominated for state awards, including the Wisconsin Golden Archer Award, North Dakota Flicker Tale Children's Book Award, Colorado Blue Spruce Young Adult Award, Maryland Black-eyed Susan Book Award, and Illinois Rebecca Caudill Young Readers Book Award.
Writings
Mr. Tucket, illustrated by Noel Sickles, Funk & Wagnalls (New York, NY), 1968.
The C. B. Radio Caper, illustrated by John Asquith, Raintree Press (Milwaukee, WI), 1977.
The Curse of the Cobra, illustrated by John Asquith, Raintree Press (Milwaukee, WI), 1977.
Winterkill, Thomas Nelson (Nashville, TN), 1977.
The Foxman, Thomas Nelson (Nashville, TN), 1977.
Tiltawhirl John, Thomas Nelson (Nashville, TN), 1977.
The Golden Stick, illustrated by Jerry Scott, Raintree Press (Milwaukee, WI), 1977.
The Night the White Deer Died, Thomas Nelson (Nashville, TN), 1978.
(With Ray Peekner) The Green Recruit, Independence Press (Independence, MO), 1978.
JUVENILE FICTION
The Spitball Gang, Elsevier (New York, NY), 1980.
Popcorn Days and Buttermilk Nights, Lodestar Books (New York, NY), 1983.
Dancing Carl, Bradbury (Scarsdale, NY), 1983.
Tracker, Bradbury (Scarsdale, NY), 1984.
Dogsong, Bradbury (Scarsdale, NY), 1985.
Sentries, Bradbury (Scarsdale, NY), 1986.
The Crossing, Orchard Books (New York, NY), 1987.
Hatchet, Bradbury (Scarsdale, NY), 1987.
The Island, Orchard Books (New York, NY), 1988.
The Voyage of the Frog, Orchard Books (New York, NY), 1989.
The Winter Room, Orchard Books (New York, NY), 1989.
The Boy Who Owned the School, Orchard Books (New York, NY), 1990.
Canyons, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1990.
Woodsong, illustrated by wife, R. W. Paulsen, Bradbury (Scarsdale, NY), 1990.
The Cookcamp, Orchard Books (New York, NY), 1991.
The River, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1991.
The Monument, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1991.
The Haymeadow, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1992.
Christmas Sonata, illustrated by Leslie Bowman, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1992.
Nightjohn, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1993.
Sisters/Hermanas, Harcourt (New York, NY), 1993.
Dogteam, illustrated by R. W. Paulsen, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1993.
Harris and Me: A Summer Remembered, Harcourt (New York, NY), 1993.
The Car, Harcourt (New York, NY), 1994.
The Tortilla Factory, paintings by R. W. Paulsen, Harcourt (New York, NY), 1995.
Call Me Francis Tucket, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1995.
The Tent: A Parable in One Sitting, Harcourt (New York, NY), 1995.
The Rifle, Harcourt (New York, NY), 1995.
Brian's Winter, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1996.
Worksong, illustrated by R. W. Paulsen, Harcourt (New York, NY), 1997.
Tucket's Ride, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1997.
The Schernoff Discoveries, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1997.
Sarny: A Life Remembered, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1997.
The Transall Saga, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1998.
Soldier's Heart: A Novel of the Civil War, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1998.
Canoe Days, illustrated by R. W. Paulsen, Doubleday (New York, NY), 1999.
The White Fox Chronicles, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1999.
Brian's Return, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1999.
Alida's Song, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1999.
Tucket's Gold, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1999.
Escape, Delacorte (New York, NY), 2000.
Tucket's Home, Delacorte (New York, NY), 2000.
Brian's Hunt, Wendy Lamb Books (New York, NY), 2003.
(Editor) Shelf Life: Stories by the Book, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 2003.
The Glass Café; or, The Stripper and the State: How My Mother Started a War with the System That Made Us Kind of Rich and a Little Bit Famous, Wendy Lamb Books (New York, NY), 2003.
The Quilt, Wendy Lamb Books (New York, NY), 2004.
Molly McGinty Has a Really Good Day, Wendy Lamb Books (New York, NY), 2004.
The Time Hackers, Wendy Lamb Books (New York, NY), 2005.
"CULPEPPER ADVENTURES" SERIES
The Case of the Dirty Bird, Dell (New York, NY), 1992.
Dunc's Doll, Dell (New York, NY), 1992.
Culpepper's Cannon, Dell (New York, NY), 1992.
Dunc Gets Tweaked, Dell (New York, NY), 1992.
Dunc's Halloween, Dell (New York, NY), 1992.
Dunc Breaks the Record, Dell (New York, NY), 1992.
Dunc and the Flaming Ghost, Dell (New York, NY), 1992.
Amos Gets Famous, Dell (New York, NY), 1993.
Dunc and Amos Hit the Big Top, Dell (New York, NY), 1993.
Dunc's Dump, Dell (New York, NY), 1993.
Dunc and the Scam Artist, Dell (New York, NY), 1993.
Dunc and Amos and the Red Tattoos, Dell (New York, NY), 1993.
The Wild Culpepper Cruise, Dell (New York, NY), 1993.
Dunc's Undercover Christmas, Dell (New York, NY), 1993.
Dunc and the Haunted House, Dell (New York, NY), 1993.
Cowpokes and Desperadoes, Dell (New York, NY), 1994.
Prince Amos, Dell (New York, NY), 1994.
Coach Amos, Dell (New York, NY), 1994.
Dunc and the Greased Sticks of Doom, Dell (New York, NY), 1994.
Amos's Killer Concert Caper, Dell (New York, NY), 1994.
Amos Gets Married, Dell (New York, NY), 1995.
Amos Goes Bananas, Dell (New York, NY), 1995.
Dunc and Amos Go to the Dogs, Dell (New York, NY), 1996.
Amos and the Vampire, Dell (New York, NY), 1996.
Amos and the Chameleon Caper, Dell (New York, NY), 1996.
Super Amos, Dell (New York, NY), 1997.
Dunc and Amos on Thin Ice, Dell (New York, NY), 1997.
Amos Binder, Secret Agent, Dell (New York, NY), 1997.
"GARY PAULSEN WORLD OF ADVENTURE" SERIES
The Legend of Red Horse Cavern, Dell (New York, NY), 1994.
Escape from Fire Mountain, Dell (New York, NY), 1995.
The Rock Jockeys, Dell (New York, NY), 1995.
Danger on Midnight River, Dell (New York, NY), 1995.
Hook 'Em Snotty!, Dell (New York, NY), 1995.
Rodomonte's Revenge, Dell (New York, NY), 1995.
The Gorgon Slayer, Dell (New York, NY), 1995.
Captive!, Dell (New York, NY), 1996.
Project: A Perfect New World, Dell (New York, NY), 1996.
Skydive!, Dell (New York, NY), 1996.
The Treasure of El Patron, Dell (New York, NY), 1996.
The Seventh Crystal, Dell (New York, NY), 1996.
The Creature of Black Water Lake, Dell (New York, NY), 1997.
The Grizzly, Dell (New York, NY), 1997.
Thunder Valley, Dell (New York, NY), 1998.
Curse of the Ruins, Dell (New York, NY), 1998.
Time Benders, Dell (New York, NY), 1998.
Flight of the Hawk, Dell (New York, NY), 1998.
JUVENILE NONFICTION
(With Dan Theis) Martin Luther King: The Man Who Climbed the Mountain, Raintree Press (Milwaukee, WI), 1976.
The Small Ones, illustrated by K. Goff, photographs by Wilford Miller, Raintree Press (Milwaukee, WI), 1976.
The Grass-Eaters: Real Animals, illustrated by K. Goff, photographs by Wilford Miller, Raintree Press (Milwaukee, WI), 1976.
Dribbling, Shooting, and Scoring Sometimes, photographs by Heinz Kluetmeier, Raintree Press (Milwaukee, WI), 1976.
Hitting, Pitching, and Running Maybe, photographs by Heinz Kluetmeier, Raintree Press (Milwaukee, WI), 1976.
Tackling, Running, and Kicking—Now and Again, photographs by Heinz Kluetmeier, Raintree Press (Milwaukee, WI), 1977.
Riding, Roping, and Bulldogging—Almost, photographs by Heinz Kluetmeier, Raintree Press (Milwaukee, WI), 1977.
Careers in an Airport, photographs by R. Nye, Raintree Press (Milwaukee, WI), 1977.
Running, Jumping, and Throwing—If You Can, photographs by Heinz Kluetmeier, Raintree Press (Milwaukee, WI), 1978, revised with Roger Barrett as Athletics, Macdonald (Milwaukee, WI), 1980.
Forehanding and Backhanding—If You're Lucky, photographs by Heinz Kluetmeier, Raintree Press (Milwaukee, WI), 1978, revised with Roger Barrett as Tennis, Macdonald (Milwaukee, WI), 1980.
(With John Morris) Hiking and Backpacking, illustrated by R. W. Paulsen, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1978.
(With Morris) Canoeing, Kayaking, and Rafting, illustrated by John Peterson and Jack Storholm, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1979.
Downhill, Hotdogging, and Cross-Country—If the Snow Isn't Sticky, photographs by Heinz Kluetmeier and Willis Wood, Raintree Press (Milwaukee, WI), 1979, revised with Roger Barrett as Skiing, Macdonald (Milwaukee, WI), 1980.
Facing Off, Checking, and Goaltending—Perhaps, photographs by Heinz Kluetmeier and Melchior DiGiacomo, Raintree Press (Milwaukee, WI), 1979, revised with Roger Barrett as Ice Hockey, Macdonald (Milwaukee, WI), 1980.
Going Very Fast in a Circle—If You Don't Run out of Gas, photographs by Heinz Kluetmeier and Bob D'Olivo, Raintree Press (Milwaukee, WI), 1979, revised with Roger Barrett as Motor Racing, Macdonald (Milwaukee, WI), 1980.
Pummeling, Falling, and Getting Up—Sometimes, photographs by Heinz Kluetmeier and Joe DiMaggio, Raintree Press (Milwaukee, WI), 1979.
Track, Enduro, and Motocross—Unless You Fall Over, photographs by Heinz Kluetmeier, Raintree Press (Milwaukee, WI), 1979, revised with Roger Barrett as Motor-cycling, Macdonald (Milwaukee, WI), 1980.
(With Art Browne, Jr.) TV and Movie Animals, Messner (Englewood Cliffs, NJ), 1980.
Sailing: From Jibs to Jibing, illustrated by R. W. Paulsen, Messner (Englewood Cliffs, NJ), 1981.
Launching, Floating High, and Landing—If Your Pilot Light Doesn't Go Out, photographs by Heinz Kluetmeier, Raintree Press (Milwaukee, WI), 1979, published as Full of Hot Air: Launching, Floating High, and Landing, photographs by Mary A. Heltshe, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1993.
Father Water, Mother Woods: Essays on Fishing and Hunting in the North Woods, illustrated by R. W. Paulsen, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1994.
My Life in Dog's Years, drawings by R. W. Paulsen, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1998.
The Beet Fields: Memories of a Sixteenth Summer, Delacorte (New York, NY), 2000.
Guts: The True Story behind Hatchet and the Brian Books, Delacorte (New York, NY), 2001.
Caught by the Sea: My Life in Boats, Delacorte (New York, NY), 2001.
How Angel Peterson Got His Name and Other Outrageous Tales about Extreme Sports, Wendy Lamb Books (New York, NY), 2003.
FICTION; FOR ADULTS
The Implosion Effect, Major Books (Canoga Park, CA), 1976.
The Death Specialists, Major Books (Canoga Park, CA), 1976.
C. B. Jockey, Major Books (Canoga Park, CA), 1977.
The Sweeper, Harlequin (Tarrytown, NY), 1981.
Campkill, Pinnacle Books (New York, NY), 1981.
Clutterkill, Harlequin (Tarrytown, NY), 1982.
Murphy, Walker & Co. (New York, NY), 1987.
Murphy's Gold, Walker & Co. (New York, NY), 1988.
The Madonna Stories, Van Vliet (Minneapolis, MN), 1988.
Murphy's Herd, Walker & Co. (New York, NY), 1989.
(With Brian Burks) Murphy's Stand, Walker & Co. (New York, NY), 1993.
(With Brian Burks) Murphy's Ambush, Walker & Co. (New York, NY), 1995.
(With Brian Burks) Murphy's Trail, Walker & Co. (New York, NY), 1996.
PLAYS
Communications, (one-act), produced in New Mexico, 1974.
Together-Apart, (one-act), produced in Denver, CO, at Changing Scene Theater, 1976.
OTHER
(With Raymond Friday Locke) The Special War, Sirkay (Los Angeles, CA), 1966.
Some Birds Don't Fly, Rand McNally (Chicago, IL), 1969.
The Building a New, Buying an Old, Remodeling a Used, Comprehensive Home and Shelter Book, Prentice-Hall (New York, NY), 1976.
Farm: A History and Celebration of the American Farmer, Prentice-Hall (New York, NY), 1977
Successful Home Repair, Structures (Farmington, MI), 1978
Money-saving Home Repair Guide, Ideals (State College, PA), 1981
Beat the System: A Survival Guide, Pinnacle Books (New York, NY), 1983
Kill Fee, Donald I. Fine (New York, NY), 1990
Night Rituals, Bantam (New York, NY), 1991
Clabbered Dirt, Sweet Grass (adult nonfiction), illustrated by R. W. Paulsen, Harcourt (New York, NY), 1992
Eastern Sun, Winter Moon (adult nonfiction), Harcourt (New York, NY), 1993
Winterdance: The Fine Madness of Running the Iditarod (adult nonfiction), Harcourt (New York, NY), 1994
(Author of introduction) Jack London, The Call of the Wild, illustrated by Barry Moser, Macmillan, 1994
Puppies, Dogs, and Blue Northers: Reflections on Being raised by a Pack of Sled Dogs (adult nonfiction), Harcourt (New York, NY), 1996.
Pilgrimage on a Steel Ride: A Memoir about Men and Motorcycles (adult nonfiction), Harcourt (New York, NY), 1997.
Author of numerous short stories and articles. Paulsen's works have been published in German, Japanese, Danish, Dutch, Russian, Norwegian, Italian, Spanish, French, Swedish, and Chinese.
Adaptations
Dogsong was released as a filmstrip with cassette, Random House/Miller-Brody, 1986; Hatchet was released as a filmstrip with cassette, Random House, 1988; Woodsong was released as an audiocassette, Bantam Audio, 1991; Canyons, Hatchet, and The River were released as audiocassettes, all read by Peter Coyote, Bantam Audio, 1992; The Haymeadow and The Monument were released as audiocassettes, both Bantam Audio, 1992.
Work in Progress
Books in the "Gary Paulsen World of Adventure" series.
Sidelights
A writer of popular and finely wrought young adult novels and nonfiction with sales totaling more than three million worldwide, Gary Paulsen joined a select group of YA writers when he received the 1997 Margaret A. Edwards Award honoring an author's lifetime achievement in writing books for teens. His work is widely praised by critics, and he has been awarded Newbery Medal Honor Book citations for three of his books, Dogsong, Hatchet, and The Winter Room.
In prose lean and echoing of Hemingway, Paulsen creates powerful young adult fiction, often set in wilderness or rural areas and featuring teenagers who arrive at self-awareness by way of experiences in nature—through challenging tests of their own survival instincts—or through the ministrations of understanding adults. He displays an "extraordinary ability to picture for the reader how man's comprehension of life can be transformed with the lessons of nature," wrote Evie Wilson in Voice of Youth Advocates. "With humor and psychological genius, Paulsen develops strong adolescent characters who lend new power to youth's plea to be allowed to apply individual skills in their risk-taking." In addition to writing young adult fiction, Paulsen has also authored numerous picture books with his illustrator wife R. W. Paulsen, penned children's nonfiction, and authored two plays and many works of adult fiction and nonfiction.
Paulsen was born in Minnesota in 1939, the son of first-generation Danish and Swedish parents. During his childhood, he saw little of his father, who served in the military in Europe during World War II, and little of his mother, who worked in a Chicago ammunitions factory. "I was reared by my grandmother and several aunts," he once told Something about the Author. "I first saw my father when I was seven in the Philippines where my parents and I lived from 1946 to 1949." Writing of that experience a half century later in Riverbank Review, Paulsen noted that he "lived essentially as a street child in Manila, because my parents were alcoholics and I was not supervised. The effect was profound and lasting."
When the family returned to the United States, Paulsen suffered from being continually uprooted. "We moved around constantly....The longest time I spent in one school was for about five months," Paulsen once told SATA. "I was an 'Army brat,' and it was a miserable life. School was a nightmare because I was unbelievably shy, and terrible at sports. . . . I wound up skipping most of the ninth grade." In addition to problems at school, he faced many ordeals at home. "My father drank a lot, and there would be terrible arguments," he noted. Eventually Paulsen was sent again to live with relatives and worked to support himself with jobs as a newspaper boy and as a pin-setter in a bowling alley.
Things began to change for the better during his teen years. He found security and support with his grandmother and aunts—"safety nets" as he described them in his interview. A turning point in his life came one sub-zero winter day when, as he was walking past the public library, he decided to stop in to warm himself. "To my absolute astonishment the librarian walked up to me and asked if I wanted a library card," he related. "When she handed me the card, she handed me the world. I can't even describe how liberating it was. She recommended westerns and science fiction but every now and then would slip in a classic. I roared through everything she gave me and in the summer read a book a day. It was as though I had been dying of thirst and the librarian had handed me a five-gallon bucket of water. I drank and drank."
After just barely graduating from high school in Thief River Falls, Minnesota, in 1959, Paulsen attended Bemidji College in Minnesota, for two years, paying for his tuition with money he'd earned as a trapper for the state of Minnesota. When he flunked out of college, he joined the U.S. Army, serving from 1959 to 1962, and working with missiles. After his tour of duty was completed, he took extension courses to become a certified field engineer, finding work in the aerospace departments of the Bendix and Lockheed corporations. There it occurred to him that he might try and become a writer. "I'd finished reading a magazine article on flight-testing . . . and thought, gad, what a way to make a living—writing about something you like and getting paid for it!" he told F. Serdahely in Writer's Digest. "I remembered writing some of my past reports, some fictionalized versions I'd included. And I thought: 'What the hell, I am an engineering writer.' But, conversely, I also realized I didn't know a thing about writing professionally. After several hours of hard thinking, a way to learn came to me. All I had to do was go to work editing a magazine."
Creating a fictitious resume, Paulsen was able to obtain an associate editor position on a men's magazine in Hollywood, California. Although it soon became apparent to his employers that he had no editorial experience, he once told SATA that "they could see I was serious about wanting to learn, and they were willing to teach me." He spent nearly a year with the magazine, finding it "the best of all possible ways to learn about writing. It probably did more to improve my craft and ability than any other single event in my life." Still living in California, Paulsen also found work as a film extra (he once played a drunken Indian in a movie called Flap ), and took up sculpting as a hobby, even winning first prize in a local exhibition.
Paulsen's first book, The Special War, was published in 1966, and he soon proved himself to be one of the most prolific authors in the United States. In little over a decade, working mainly out of northern Minnesota—where he returned after becoming disillusioned with Hollywood—he published nearly forty books and close to two hundred articles and stories for magazines. Among Paulsen's diverse titles were a number of children's nonfiction books about animals, a biography of Martin Luther King, Jr., several humorous titles under the "Sports on the Light Side" series published by Raintree Press, two plays, adult fiction and nonfiction, as well as some initial ventures into juvenile fiction. On a bet with a friend, he once wrote eleven articles and short stories inside four days and sold all of them.
His prolific output was interrupted by a libel lawsuit brought against his 1977 young adult novel Winterkill, the powerful story of a semi-delinquent boy befriended by a hard-bitten cop named Duda in a small Minnesota town. Paulsen eventually won the case, but, as he noted, "the whole situation was so nasty and ugly that I stopped writing. I wanted nothing more to do with publishing and burned my bridges, so to speak." Unable to earn any other type of living, he went back to trapping for the state of Minnesota, working his sixty-mile trap line on foot or skis.
To help Paulsen in his hunting job, a friend gave him a team of sled dogs, a gift that ultimately had a profound influence on Paulsen. "One day, about midnight, we were crossing Clear Water Lake, which is about three miles long," Paulsen recounted. "There was a full moon shining so brightly on the snow you could read by it. There was no one around, and all I could hear was the rhythm of the dogs' breathing as they pulled the sled." The intensity of the moment prompted an impulsive seven-day trip by Paulsen through northern Minnesota. "I didn't go home—my wife was frantic—I didn't check lines, I just ran the dogs....For food, we had a few beaver carcasses. . . . I was initiated into this incredibly ancient and very beautiful bond, and it was as if everything that had happened to me before ceased to exist." Paulsen afterwards made a resolution to permanently give up hunting and trapping, and proceeded to pursue dogsled racing as a hobby. He went so far as to enter the grueling twelve-hundred-mile Iditarod race in Alaska, an experience that later provided the basis for his award-winning novel Dogsong.
Paulsen's acclaimed young adult fiction—all written since the 1980s—often centers around teenage characters who arrive at an understanding of themselves and their world through pivotal experiences with nature. His writing has been praised for its almost poetic effect, and he is also credited with creating vivid descriptions of his characters' emotional states. His 1984 novel, Tracker, tells about a thirteen-year-old boy who faces his first season of deer hunting alone while his grandfather is bedridden, dying of cancer. Ronald A. Jobe praised the novel in Language Arts as "powerfully written," adding that Paulsen "explores with the reader the innermost frustrations, hurts, and fears of the young boy."Tracker was the first book to receive wide critical and popular recognition.
Dogsong, a Newbery Medal honor book, is a rite-of-passage novel about a young Inuit boy named Russel who wishes to abandon the increasingly modern ways of his people. Through the guidance of a tribal elder, Russel learns to bow-hunt and dogsled, and eventually leads his own pack of dogs on a trip across Alaska and back. "While the language of [Dogsong ] is lyrical, Paulsen recognizes the reality of Russel's world—the dirty smoke and the stinking yellow fur of the bear," wrote Nel Ward in the Voice of Youth Advocates. "He also recognizes the reality of killing to save lives, and of dreaming to save sanity, in the communion between present and past, life and death, reality and imagination, in this majestic exploration into the Alaskan wilderness by a master author who knows his subject well."
Paulsen's 1987 novel Hatchet, also a Newbery honor book, tells the story of Brian, a thirteen-year-old thoroughly modern boy who is forced to survive alone in the Canadian woods after a plane crash. Like Russel in Dogsong, Hatchet 's hero is also transformed by the wilderness. "By the time he is rescued, Brian is permanently changed," noted Suzanne Rahn in Twentieth-Century Children's Writers; "he is far more observant and thoughtful, and knows what is really important in his life." As noted in Children's Books and Their Creators, Hatchet became "one of the most popular adventure stories of all time," combining "elementary language with a riveting plot to produce a book both comprehensible and enjoyable for those children who frequently equate reading with frustration."
Hatchet proved so popular with readers that they demanded, and won, a number of sequels: The River, Brian's Winter, Brian's Return, and Brian's Hunt. In Brian's Hunt, Paulsen "delivers a gripping, gory tale about survival in the north woods, based on a real bear attack," noted Paula Rohrlick in Kliatt.
In My Life in Dog's Years, The Beet Fields: Memories of a Sixteenth Summer, Eastern Sun, Winter Moon, and Guts: The True Stories behind Hatchet and the Brian Books, Paulsen recounts stories from his own life, many of which he has fictionalized in his young adult books. While most of the remembrances are intended for an adult audience, one of his most powerful memoirs for young readers is Woodsong, an autobiographical account of his life in Minnesota and Alaska while preparing his sled dogs to run the Iditarod. A reviewer noted in Horn Book that the "lure of the wilderness is always a potent draw, and Paulsen evokes its mysteries as well as anyone since Jack London." In another memoir intended for a young adult audience, How Angel Peterson Got His Name and Other Outrageous Tales about Extreme Sports, Paulsen recalls a number of daredevil stunts he and his friends performed during their early teen years. "Paulsen laces his tales with appealing '50s details and broad asides about the boys' personalities, ingenuity, and idiocy," noted a reviewer in Publishers Weekly.
Paulsen tells of a different kind of growing up in Harris and Me: A Summer Remembered. Instead of the main character reaching maturity while struggling in the wilderness, in Harris the unnamed protagonist discovers a sense of belonging while spending a summer on his relatives' farm. A child of abusive and alcoholic parents, the young narrator is sent to live with another set of relations—his uncle's family—and there he meets the reckless Harris, who leads him in escapades involving playing Tarzan in the loft of the barn and using pig pens as the stage for G.I. Joe games. "Through it all," explained a reviewer for Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, "the lonely hero imperceptibly learns about belonging." In Voice of Youth Advocates, Penny Blubaugh pointed out that "for the first time in his life [the narrator] finds himself surrounded by love."
In books like Nightjohn and Mr. Tucket Paulsen draws on history for literary inspiration. Nightjohn is set in the nineteenth-century South and revolves around Sarny, a young slave girl who risks severe punishment when she is persuaded to learn to read by Nightjohn, a runaway slave who has just been recaptured. A commentator for Kirkus Reviews called Nightjohn "a searing picture of slavery" and an "unbearably vivid book."
Sarny is reprised as a character in Sarny: A Life Remembered, in which the former slave narrates her life in 1930, at the ripe old age of ninety-four. A focal point of the woman's story is the fact that she learned to read: this saves her on more than one occasion. Sarny' "story makes absorbing reading," concluded Bruce Anne Shook in a School Library Journal review.
In Mr. Tucket fourteen-year-old Francis Tucket has a number of hair-raising adventures when he is captured by the Pawnee after wandering away from his family's Oregon-bound wagon train. After Francis escapes from the tribe, a one-armed fur trader named Jason Grimes continues the young teen's frontier education. Tucket's adventures are continued in several more works, including Call Me Francis Tucket, Tucket's Ride, and Tucket's Home.
The White Fox Chronicles is a departure for Paulsen in its futuristic setting and a plot that a Publishers Weekly reviewer likened to that of a "shoot-'em-up computer game." The novel's hero is fourteen-year-old Cody, who has been captured by the nefarious Confederation of Consolidated Republics, a group that has overrun the United States and is hatching Nazi-like purges of its enemies. A Publishers Weekly reviewer noted that the work will cause readers to "cheer on the good guys without ever fearing that they might not triumph in the end." Paulsen's 2005 work The Time Hackers also employs elements of science fiction, as a seventh-grader discovers that he is able to travel through time using his laptop computer. "Paulsen writes with his usual skill, creating believable characters and moving the action along at a fairly fast pace," noted Booklist contributor Cindy Welch.
The prolific author, having published over five decades, shows no signs of slowing down by the early 2000s. Paulsen follows a rigorous writing schedule, which he related to Sharon Miller Cindrich in the Writer: "Eighteen hours a day, seven days a week for about ten years. Writers like me are extinct. People don't do that anymore. They don't study. The dedication, obsession, the compulsion-driven need to be like me is just not done anymore. I just work." Asked to describe his motivation, Paulsen replied in typically blunt fashion, "There is no motivation; it's just what I do. It's my nature. The stories are like a river that's going by all the time, and I just 'bucket in' and up comes a story. It's a cliche, but it's like that."
Paulsen's concern with literacy is personal: he still believes, as he told David Gale in a School Library Journal interview celebrating his Margaret A. Edwards Award, that "there's nothing that has happened to me that would have happened if a librarian hadn't got me to read....All of our knowledge, everything we are—is locked up in books, and if you can't read, it's lost." Waging a one-writer campaign against illiteracy, Paulsen has consciously crafted his books with clean, spare language in order to attract reluctant readers. It is exactly this empathic power that has made him such a popular and respected author. As Gary M. Salvner commented in Writers for Young Adults: "Whether angry or happy, whether writing about survival or growing up, Gary Paulsen is always a hopeful writer, for he believes that young people must be respected as they are guided into adulthood. And he continues to write enthusiastically, commenting that he has 'fallen in love with writing, with the dance of it.' Taken together, Gary Paulsen's sense of purpose and love of writing ensure that he will continue to write enjoyable and effective books for young adults for years to come."
In awarding the writer the 1997 Margaret A. Edwards Award, the award committee, as noted in School Library Journal, commented on this empathetic trait: "With his intense love of the outdoors and crazy courage born of adversity, Paulsen reached young adults everywhere. His writing conveys respect for their intelligence and ability to overcome life's worst realities. As Paulsen himself has said, 'I know if there is any hope at all for the human race, it has to come from young people.'"
Biographical and Critical Sources
BOOKS
Beacham's Guide to Literature for Young Adults, Beacham (Osprey, FL), Volume 6, 1994, Volume 7, 1994, Volume 8, 1994, Volume 10, Gale (Detroit, MI), 2000, Volume 11, 2001.
Children's Books and Their Creators, edited by Anita Silvey, Houghton Mifflin (Boston, MA), 1995.
Children's Literature Review, Gale (Detroit, MI), Volume 19, 1990, Volume 54, 1999.
Drew, Bernard A., The 100 Most Popular Young Adult Authors: Biographical Sketches and Bibliographies, Libraries Unlimited, Inc., 1996.
Peters, Stephanie True, Gary Paulsen, Learning Works, 1999.
St. James Guide to Young Adult Writers, St. James Press (Detroit, MI), 1999.
Salvner, Gary M., Presenting Gary Paulsen, Twayne (New York, NY), 1996.
Twentieth-Century Children's Writers, 4th edition, St. James Press (Detroit, MI), 1995.
Writers for Young Adults, Scribner (New York, NY), 1997.
PERIODICALS
ALAN Review, spring, 1994.
Booklist, November 1, 1992, p. 514; December 15, 1992, pp. 727-728; January 15, 1993, p. 850; February 15, 1994, p. 1051; March 15, 1995, p. 1323; July, 1995, p. 1880; December 15, 1995, Hazel Rochman, review of Brian's Winter, p. 700; December 15, 1996, p. 727; June 1 & 15, 1997, p. 1705; January 1, 1998, Stephanie Zvirin, review of My Life in Dog Years, p. 799; May 15, 1998, Roger Leslie, review of The Transall Saga, p. 1623; June 1, 1998, Carolyn Phelan, review of Soldier's Heart: A Novel of the Civil War, p. 1750; January 1, 1999, review of My Life in Dog Years and Soldier's Heart, p. 782, and Stephanie Zvirin, interview with Paulsen, p. 864; February 1, 1999, review of Brian's Return, p. 975, and Kay Weisman, review of Canoe Days, p. 982; February 15, 1999, Karen Harris, review of Sarney: A Life Remembered, p. 1084; April 1, 1999, Stephanie Zvirin, review of My Life in Dog Years, p. 1382; June 1, 1999, Roger Leslie, review of Alida's Song, p. 1816; December 1, 1999, Kay Weisman, review of Tucket's Gold, p. 707; February 15, 2000, Pat Austin, review of Soldier's Heart, p. 1129; July, 2000, review of The Beet Fields: Memories of a Sixteenth Summer, p. 2033; August, 2000, Gillian Engberg, review of The White Fox Chronicles, p. 2131; September 1, 2000, Kay Weisman, review of Tucket's Home, p. 119; December 1, 2000, Stephanie Zvirin, review of The Beet Fields, p. 693; February 15, 2001, Kelly Milner Halls, review of Guts: The True Story behind Hatchet and the Brian Books, p. 1128; August, 2001, Elaine Hanson, review of Tucket's Home, p. 2142; September 15, 2001, review of Caught by the Sea: My Life in Boats, p. 222; December 15, 2002, GraceAnne A. DeCandido, review of How Angel Peterson Got His Name: And Other Outrageous Tales about Extreme Sports, p. 754; August, 2003, Kathleen Odean, review of Shelf Life: Stories by the Book, p. 1983; September 1, 2003, Ilene Cooper, review of The Glass Café; or, The Stripper and the State: How My Mother Started a War with the System That Made Us Kind of Rich and a Little Bit Famous, p. 115; January 1, 2004, Michael Cart, review of Brian's Hunt, p. 848; May 15, 2004, Hazel Rochman, review of The Quilt, p. 1632; January 1, 2005, Cindy Welch, review of The Time Hackers, p. 860.
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, February, 1993, pp. 187-188; January, 1994, review of Harris and Me: A Summer Remembered, pp. 164-165; June, 1995, pp. 356-357; October, 1995, pp. 64-65; July-August, 1997, pp. 406-407; March, 1998, pp. 254-255; September, 1998, p. 26; September, 1999, pp. 26-27.
Horn Book, July-August, 1983, Dorcas Hand, review of Dancing Carl, pp. 446-447; November-December, 1990, review of Woodsong, p. 762; November, 1998, Nancy Vasilakis, review of Soldier's Heart, p. 737, and Kristi Beavin, review of Sarny, p. 768; January, 1999, review of Brian's Return, p. 69.
Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, October, 2004, Jo Ann Yazzie, review of The Glass Café, p. 175.
Kirkus Reviews, July 15, 1987, review of The Crossing, p. 1074; June 15, 1991, review of The River, p. 792; January 1, 1993, review of Eastern Sun, Winter Moon, p. 48; January 1, 1993, review of Nightjohn, p. 67; June 1, 1999, p. 887; August 15, 1999, p. 1314; June 1, 2003, review of The Glass Café, p. 809; November 15, 2003, review of Brian's Hunt, p. 1362; April 1, 2004, review of The Quilt, p. 335; September 1, 2004, review of Molly McGinty Has a Really Good Day, p. 872.
Kliatt, May, 1995, p. 39; March, 1997, p. 12; May, 1998, p. 7; July, 1998, p. 8; September, 1999, p. 12; March, 2003, Jennifer Banas, review of Guts, p. 44; July, 2003, Paula Rohrlick, review of The Glass Café, p. 16; January, 2004, Paula Rohrlick, review of Brian's Hunt, pp. 10-11; May, 2004, Tom Adamich, review of Caught by the Sea, p. 34.
Language Arts, September, 1984, Ronald A. Jobe, review of Tracker, p. 527.
Los Angeles Times Book Review, March 21, 1993, Tim Winton, "His Own World War," pp. 1, 11.
Publishers Weekly, September 29, 1989, review of The Winter Room, p. 69; December 14, 1992, p. 58; January 25, 1993, p. 73; August 30, 1993, p. 94; September 30, 1993, p. 63; March 28, 1994, pp. 70-71; July 3, 1995, review of Call Me Francis Tucket, p. 62; September 2, 1996, p. 132; August 11, 1997, p. 403; May 25, 1998, p. 91; July 20, 1998, review of Soldier's Heart, p. 221; January 11, 1999, review of Brian's Return, p. 26; May 31, 1999, review of Alida's Song, pp. 94-95; September 6, 1999, review of Sarny, p. 106; February 14, 2000, Leonard S. Marcus, interview with Paulsen, p. 98; June 26, 2000, review of The White Fox Chronicles, p. 75; September 4, 2000, review of The Beet Fields, p. 109; June 25, 2001, review of Canoe Days, p. 75; November 18, 2002, review of Guts, p. 63; January 20, 2003, review of How Angel Peterson Got His Name, p. 83; March 17, 2003, "The Perfect Book Tour," p. 34; June 30, 2003, reviews of Shelf Life, p. 79, and The Glass Café, p. 81; August 30, 2004, review of Molly McGinty Has a Really Good Day, p. 56; January 24, 2005, review of The Time Hackers, p. 245.
Reading Time, May, 1999, p. 29.
Riverbank Review, spring, 1999, Gary Paulsen, "The True Face of War," pp. 25-26.
School Library Journal, October, 1992, p. 43; November, 1992, pp. 97-98; July, 1993, p. 82; August, 1993, pp. 208-209; October, 1993, p. 120; January, 1994, p. 132; May, 1995, p. 122; June, 1995, pp. 112-113; August, 1995, p. 38; February, 1996, p. 102; November, 1996, p. 130; March, 1997, p. 190; June, 1997, David Gale, "The Maximum Expression of Being Human," pp. 24-29; September, 1997, Bruce Anne Shook, review of Sarny, p. 224; March, 1998, p. 238; May, 1998, John Peters, review of The Transall Saga, p. 147; September, 1998, Steve Engelfried, review of Soldier's Heart, p. 206; June-July, 1999, p. 99; August, 1999, Suzette Kragenbrink, review of The Transall Saga, p. 70; October, 1999, Coop Renner, review of Tucket's Gold, p. 156; January, 2000, Barbara S. Wysocki, review of Soldier's Heart, p. 74; August, 2000, Trish Anderson, review of The White Fox Chronicles, p. 188; September, 2000, Vicki Reutter, review of The Beet Fields, and Victoria Kidd, review of Tucket's Home, p. 235; October, 2001, Vicki Reutter, review of Caught by the Sea, p. 190; February, 2003, Vicki Reutter, review of How Angel Peterson Got His Name, p. 168; August, 2003, Edward Sullivan, review of Shelf Life, p. 164; November, 2003, Carol Fazioli, review of The Beet Fields: Memories of a Sixteenth Summer, p. 84; December, 2003, Sean George, review of Brian's Hunt, p. 158; May, 2004, Vicki Reutter, review of Guts, p. 65, and review of Winterdance: The Fine Madness of Running the Iditarod, p. 66, and Edith Ching, review of The Quilt, p. 156; September, 2004, Jean Gaffney, review of Molly McGinty Has a Really Good Day, p. 215; January, 2005, Diana Pierce, review of The Time Hackers, pp. 134-135.
Voice of Youth Advocates, December, 1985, Nel Ward, review of Dogsong, pp. 321-22; June, 1988, Evie Wilson, review of The Island, pp. 89-90; February, 1994, Penny Blubaugh, review of Harris and Me: A Summer Remembered, p. 371; April, 1994, p. 29; October, 1994, p. 234; February, 1996, p. 375; February, 1997, p. 352; February, 1997, Helen Turner, review of Brian's Winter, p. 332.
Washington Post Book World, December 6, 1992, p. 20; December 20, 1992.
Wilson Library Bulletin, January, 1993, Frances Bradburn, "Middle Books," pp. 87-88.
Writer, June, 2004, Sharon Miller Cindrich, "Gary Paulsen's Love Affair with Writing," p. 22.
Writers' Digest, January, 1980, F. Serdahely, "Prolific Paulsen," July, 1994, pp. 42-44, 65.
ONLINE
Gary Paulsen Web site, http://www.randomhouse.com/features/garypaulsen (March 25, 2005).*
Paulsen, Gary 1939-
Paulsen, Gary 1939-
Personal
Born May 17, 1939, in Minneapolis, MN; son of Oscar (an army officer) and Eunice Paulsen; married third wife, Ruth Ellen Wright (an artist), May 5, 1971; children: (first marriage) two; (third marriage) James Wright. Education: Attended Bemidji College, 1957-58, and University of Colorado, 1976. Politics: "As Russian author Alexander Solzhenitsyn has said, ‘If we limit ourselves to political structures we are not artists.’" Religion: "I believe in spiritual progress."
Addresses
Home—La Luz, NM; Willow, AK. Agent—Jennifer Flannery, 34-34 28th St., No. 5, Long Island City, NY 11106.
Career
Writer, beginning 1960s. Has also worked as a teacher, field engineer, editor, actor, director, farmer, rancher, truck driver, trapper, professional archer, migrant farm worker, singer, and sailor. Participant in Iditarods, 1983, 1985. Military service: U.S. Army, 1959-62; attained rank of sergeant.
Awards, Honors
Society of Midland Authors Book Award, 1985, for Tracker; Parents' Choice Award, Parents' Choice Foundation, 1985, Newbery Honor Book citation, 1986, and Children's Book of the Year Award, Child Study Association of America, 1986, all for Dogsong; Newbery Honor Book citation, 1988, and Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award, 1989, both for Hatchet; Parenting magazine Reading Magic Award, Teachers' Choice Award, International Reading Association (IRA), and Best Books of the Year citation, Learning magazine, all 1990, all for The Voyage of the Frog; Newbery Honor Book citation, Judy Lopez Memorial Award, and Parenting Best Book of the Year citation, all 1990, all for The Winter Room; Parents' Choice Award, 1991, for The Boy Who Owned the School; ALAN Award, 1991; Society of Midland Authors Book Award, and Spur Award from Western Writers of America, both 1991, both for Woodsong; Spur Award, 1993, for The Haymeadow; Booklist Books for Youth Top of the List citation, 1993, for Harris and Me; Children's Choice citation, IRA/Children's Book Council, 1994, for both Nightjohn and Dogteam; Children's Literature Award finalist, PEN Center USA West, 1994, for Sisters/Hermanas; Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in writing for young adults, 1997; Parents' Choice Award, and Chicago Tribune Young-Adult Book Prize, both 2007, and National Council for Social Studies/Children's Book Council Notable Children's Trade Books in the Field of Social Studies designation, New Mexico Land of Enchantment Book Award, Texas Bluebonnet Award nomination, and ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers designation, all 2008, all for Lawn Boy. Many of Paulsen's books have been selected as American Library Association (ALA) best books for young adults, ALA notable children's books, National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) notable books in the language arts, School Library Journal best books of the year, Notable Children's Books in the Social Studies, and New York Library books for the teen age. In addition, several of his books have won or been nominated for state awards, including the Wisconsin Golden Archer Award, North Dakota Flicker Tale Children's Book Award, Colorado Blue Spruce Young Adult Award, Maryland Black-eyed Susan Book Award, and Illinois Rebecca Caudill Young Readers Book Award.
Writings
JUVENILE FICTION
Mr. Tucket, illustrated by Noel Sickles, Funk & Wagnalls (New York, NY), 1968.
The C.B. Radio Caper, illustrated by John Asquith, Raintree Press (Milwaukee, WI), 1977.
The Curse of the Cobra, illustrated by John Asquith, Raintree Press (Milwaukee, WI), 1977.
Winterkill, Thomas Nelson (Nashville, TN), 1977.
The Foxman, Thomas Nelson (Nashville, TN), 1977.
Tiltawhirl John, Thomas Nelson (Nashville, TN), 1977.
The Golden Stick, illustrated by Jerry Scott, Raintree Press (Milwaukee, WI), 1977.
The Night the White Deer Died, Thomas Nelson (Nashville, TN), 1978.
(With Ray Peekner) The Green Recruit, Independence Press (Independence, MO), 1978.
The Spitball Gang, Elsevier (New York, NY), 1980.
Popcorn Days and Buttermilk Nights, Lodestar Books (New York, NY), 1983.
Dancing Carl, Bradbury (Scarsdale, NY), 1983, reprinted, Aladdin (New York, NY), 2007.
Tracker, Bradbury (Scarsdale, NY), 1984, reprinted, Aladdin (New York, NY), 2007.
Dogsong, Bradbury (Scarsdale, NY), 1985, reprinted, Simon Pulse (New York, NY), 2007.
Sentries, Bradbury (Scarsdale, NY), 1986.
The Crossing, Orchard Books (New York, NY), 1987.
Hatchet, Bradbury (Scarsdale, NY), 1987.
The Island, Orchard Books (New York, NY), 1988.
The Voyage of the Frog, Orchard Books (New York, NY), 1989.
The Winter Room, Orchard Books (New York, NY), 1989.
The Boy Who Owned the School, Orchard Books (New York, NY), 1990.
Canyons, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1990.
Woodsong, illustrated by wife, R.W. Paulsen, Bradbury (Scarsdale, NY), 1990.
The Cookcamp, Orchard Books (New York, NY), 1991.
The River, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1991.
The Monument, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1991.
The Haymeadow, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1992.
Christmas Sonata, illustrated by Leslie Bowman, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1992.
Nightjohn, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1993.
Sisters/Hermanas, Harcourt (New York, NY), 1993.
Dogteam, illustrated by R.W. Paulsen, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1993.
Harris and Me: A Summer Remembered, Harcourt (New York, NY), 1993, reprinted, Harcourt (Orlando, FL), 2007.
The Car, Harcourt (New York, NY), 1994.
The Tortilla Factory, paintings by R.W. Paulsen, Harcourt (New York, NY), 1995.
Call Me Francis Tucket, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1995.
The Tent: A Parable in One Sitting, Harcourt (New York, NY), 1995.
The Rifle, Harcourt (New York, NY), 1995.
Brian's Winter, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1996.
Worksong, illustrated by R.W. Paulsen, Harcourt (New York, NY), 1997.
Tucket's Ride, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1997.
The Schernoff Discoveries, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1997.
Sarny: A Life Remembered, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1997.
The Transall Saga, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1998.
Soldier's Heart: A Novel of the Civil War, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1998.
Canoe Days, illustrated by R.W. Paulsen, Doubleday (New York, NY), 1999.
The White Fox Chronicles, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1999.
Brian's Return, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1999.
Alida's Song, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1999.
Tucket's Gold, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1999.
Escape, Delacorte (New York, NY), 2000.
Tucket's Home, Delacorte (New York, NY), 2000.
Brian's Hunt, Wendy Lamb Books (New York, NY), 2003.
Shelf Life: Stories by the Book, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 2003.
The Glass Café; or, The Stripper and the State: How My Mother Started a War with the System That Made Us Kind of Rich and a Little Bit Famous, Wendy Lamb Books (New York, NY), 2003.
The Quilt, Wendy Lamb Books (New York, NY), 2004.
Molly McGinty Has a Really Good Day, Wendy Lamb Books (New York, NY), 2004.
The Time Hackers, Wendy Lamb Books (New York, NY), 2005.
The Legend of Bass Reeves: Being the True and Fictional Account of the Most Valiant Marshal in the West, Wendy Lamb Books (New York, NY), 2006.
The Amazing Life of Birds: The Twenty-Day Puberty Journal of Duane Homer Leech, Wendy Lamb Books (New York, NY), 2006.
Lawn Boy, Wendy Lamb Books (New York, NY), 2007.
"CULPEPPER ADVENTURES" SERIES
The Case of the Dirty Bird, Dell (New York, NY), 1992.
Dunc's Doll, Dell (New York, NY), 1992.
Culpepper's Cannon, Dell (New York, NY), 1992.
Dunc Gets Tweaked, Dell (New York, NY), 1992.
Dunc's Halloween, Dell (New York, NY), 1992.
Dunc Breaks the Record, Dell (New York, NY), 1992.
Dunc and the Flaming Ghost, Dell (New York, NY), 1992.
Amos Gets Famous, Dell (New York, NY), 1993.
Dunc and Amos Hit the Big Top, Dell (New York, NY), 1993.
Dunc's Dump, Dell (New York, NY), 1993.
Dunc and the Scam Artist, Dell (New York, NY), 1993.
Dunc and Amos and the Red Tattoos, Dell (New York, NY), 1993.
The Wild Culpepper Cruise, Dell (New York, NY), 1993.
Dunc's Undercover Christmas, Dell (New York, NY), 1993.
Dunc and the Haunted House, Dell (New York, NY), 1993.
Cowpokes and Desperadoes, Dell (New York, NY), 1994.
Dunc and the Greased Sticks of Doom, Dell (New York, NY), 1994.
Amos's Killer Concert Caper, Dell (New York, NY), 1994.
Amos Gets Married, Dell (New York, NY), 1995.
Amos Goes Bananas, Dell (New York, NY), 1995.
Dunc and Amos Go to the Dogs, Dell (New York, NY), 1996.
Amos and the Vampire, Dell (New York, NY), 1996.
Amos and the Chameleon Caper, Dell (New York, NY), 1996.
Super Amos, Dell (New York, NY), 1997.
Dunc and Amos on Thin Ice, Dell (New York, NY), 1997.
Amos Binder, Secret Agent, Dell (New York, NY), 1997.
"GARY PAULSEN WORLD OF ADVENTURE" SERIES
The Legend of Red Horse Cavern, Dell (New York, NY), 1994.
Escape from Fire Mountain (also see below), Dell (New York, NY), 1995.
The Rock Jockeys, Dell (New York, NY), 1995.
The Gorgon Slayer, Dell (New York, NY), 1995.
Danger on Midnight River (also see below), Dell (New York, NY), 1995.
Hook 'Em Snotty! (also see below), Dell (New York, NY), 1995.
Rodomonte's Revenge, Dell (New York, NY), 1995.
Captive!, Dell (New York, NY), 1996.
Project: A Perfect New World, Dell (New York, NY), 1996.
Skydive!, Dell (New York, NY), 1996.
The Treasure of El Patron, Dell (New York, NY), 1996.
The Seventh Crystal, Dell (New York, NY), 1996.
The Creature of Black Water Lake, Dell (New York, NY), 1997.
The Grizzly, Dell (New York, NY), 1997.
Thunder Valley, Dell (New York, NY), 1998.
Curse of the Ruins, Dell (New York, NY), 1998.
Time Benders, Dell (New York, NY), 1998.
Flight of the Hawk, Dell (New York, NY), 1998.
World of Adventure Trio (includes Escape from Fire Mountain, Hook 'Em, Snotty!, and Danger on Midnight River), Yearling (New York, NY), 2006.
JUVENILE NONFICTION
(With Dan Theis) Martin Luther King: The Man Who Climbed the Mountain, Raintree Press (Milwaukee, WI), 1976.
The Small Ones, illustrated by K. Goff, photographs by Wilford Miller, Raintree Press (Milwaukee, WI), 1976.
The Grass-Eaters: Real Animals, illustrated by K. Goff, photographs by Wilford Miller, Raintree Press (Milwaukee, WI), 1976.
Dribbling, Shooting, and Scoring Sometimes, photographs by Heinz Kluetmeier, Raintree Press (Milwaukee, WI), 1976.
Hitting, Pitching, and Running Maybe, photographs by Heinz Kluetmeier, Raintree Press (Milwaukee, WI), 1976.
Tackling, Running, and Kicking—Now and Again, photographs by Heinz Kluetmeier, Raintree Press (Milwaukee, WI), 1977.
Riding, Roping, and Bulldogging—Almost, photographs by Heinz Kluetmeier, Raintree Press (Milwaukee, WI), 1977.
Careers in an Airport, photographs by R. Nye, Raintree Press (Milwaukee, WI), 1977.
Running, Jumping, and Throwing—If You Can, photographs by Heinz Kluetmeier, Raintree Press (Milwaukee, WI), 1978, revised with Roger Barrett as Athletics, Macdonald (Milwaukee, WI), 1980.
Forehanding and Backhanding—If You're Lucky, photographs by Heinz Kluetmeier, Raintree Press (Milwaukee, WI), 1978, revised with Roger Barrett as Tennis, Macdonald (Milwaukee, WI), 1980.
(With John Morris) Hiking and Backpacking, illustrated by R.W. Paulsen, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1978.
(With John Morris) Canoeing, Kayaking, and Rafting, illustrated by John Peterson and Jack Storholm, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1979.
Downhill, Hotdogging, and Cross-Country—If the Snow Isn't Sticky, photographs by Heinz Kluetmeier and Willis Wood, Raintree Press (Milwaukee, WI), 1979, revised with Roger Barrett as Skiing, Macdonald (Milwaukee, WI), 1980.
Facing Off, Checking, and Goaltending—Perhaps, photographs by Heinz Kluetmeier and Melchior DiGiacomo, Raintree Press (Milwaukee, WI), 1979, revised with Roger Barrett as Ice Hockey, Macdonald (Milwaukee, WI), 1980.
Going Very Fast in a Circle—If You Don't Run out of Gas, photographs by Heinz Kluetmeier and Bob D'Olivo, Raintree Press (Milwaukee, WI), 1979, revised with Roger Barrett as Motor Racing, Macdonald (Milwaukee, WI), 1980.
Pummeling, Falling, and Getting Up—Sometimes, photographs by Heinz Kluetmeier and Joe DiMaggio, Raintree Press (Milwaukee, WI), 1979.
Track, Enduro, and Motocross—Unless You Fall Over, photographs by Heinz Kluetmeier, Raintree Press (Milwaukee, WI), 1979, revised with Roger Barrett as Motor-cycling, Macdonald (Milwaukee, WI), 1980.
Launching, Floating High, and Landing—If Your Pilot Light Doesn't Go Out, photographs by Heinz Kluetmeier, Raintree Press (Milwaukee, WI), 1979, published as Full of Hot Air: Launching, Floating High, and Landing, photographs by Mary A. Heltshe, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1993.
(With Art Browne, Jr.) TV and Movie Animals, Messner (Englewood Cliffs, NJ), 1980.
Sailing: From Jibs to Jibing, illustrated by R.W. Paulsen, Messner (Englewood Cliffs, NJ), 1981.
Father Water, Mother Woods: Essays on Fishing and Hunting in the North Woods, illustrated by R.W. Paulsen, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1994.
My Life in Dog's Years, drawings by R.W. Paulsen, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1998.
The Beet Fields: Memories of a Sixteenth Summer, Delacorte (New York, NY), 2000.
Guts: The True Story behind Hatchet and the Brian Books, Delacorte (New York, NY), 2001.
Caught by the Sea: My Life on Boats, Delacorte (New York, NY), 2001.
How Angel Peterson Got His Name, and Other Outrageous Tales about Extreme Sports, Wendy Lamb Books (New York, NY), 2003.
FICTION; FOR ADULTS
The Implosion Effect, Major Books (Canoga Park, CA), 1976.
The Death Specialists, Major Books (Canoga Park, CA), 1976.
C.B. Jockey, Major Books (Canoga Park, CA), 1977.
The Sweeper, Harlequin (Tarrytown, NY), 1981.
Campkill, Pinnacle Books (New York, NY), 1981.
Clutterkill, Harlequin (Tarrytown, NY), 1982.
Murphy, Walker & Co. (New York, NY), 1987.
Murphy's Gold, Walker & Co. (New York, NY), 1988.
The Madonna Stories, Van Vliet (Minneapolis, MN, 1988.
Murphy's Herd, Walker & Co. (New York, NY), 1989.
(With Brian Burks) Murphy's Stand, Walker & Co. (New York, NY), 1993.
(With Brian Burks) Murphy's Ambush, Walker & Co. (New York, NY), 1995.
(With Brian Burks) Murphy's Trail, Walker & Co. (New York, NY), 1996.
PLAYS
Communications (one-act), produced in New Mexico, 1974.
Together-Apart (one-act), produced in Denver, CO, 1976.
OTHER
(With Raymond Friday Locke) The Special War, Sirkay (Los Angeles, CA), 1966.
Some Birds Don't Fly, Rand McNally (Chicago, IL), 1969.
The Building a New, Buying an Old, Remodeling a Used, Comprehensive Home and Shelter Book, Prentice-Hall (New York, NY), 1976.
Farm: A History and Celebration of the American Farmer, Prentice-Hall (New York, NY), 1977.
Successful Home Repair, Structures (Farmington, MI), 1978.
Money-saving Home Repair Guide, Ideals (State College, PA), 1981.
Beat the System: A Survival Guide, Pinnacle Books (New York, NY), 1983.
Kill Fee, Donald I. Fine (New York, NY), 1990.
Night Rituals, Bantam (New York, NY), 1991.
Clabbered Dirt, Sweet Grass (adult nonfiction), illustrated by R.W. Paulsen, Harcourt (New York, NY), 1992.
Eastern Sun, Winter Moon (adult nonfiction), Harcourt (New York, NY), 1993.
Winterdance: The Fine Madness of Running the Iditarod (adult nonfiction), Harcourt (New York, NY), 1994.
(Author of introduction) Jack London, The Call of the Wild, illustrated by Barry Moser, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1994.
Puppies, Dogs, and Blue Northers: Reflections on Being Raised by a Pack of Sled Dogs (adult nonfiction), Harcourt (New York, NY), 1996.
Pilgrimage on a Steel Ride: A Memoir about Men and Motorcycles (adult nonfiction), Harcourt (New York, NY), 1997.
Author of numerous short stories and articles. Paulsen's works have been published in German, Japanese, Danish, Dutch, Russian, Norwegian, Italian, Spanish, French, Swedish, and Chinese.
Adaptations
Dogsong was released as a filmstrip with cassette, Random House/Miller-Brody, 1986; Hatchet was released as a filmstrip with cassette, Random House, 1988; Woodsong was released as an audiocassette, Bantam Audio, 1991; Canyons, Hatchet, and The River were released as audiocassettes, all read by Peter Coyote, Bantam Audio, 1992; The Haymeadow and The Monument were released as audiocassettes, both Bantam Audio, 1992.
Sidelights
A writer of popular and finely wrought young-adult novels and nonfiction, Gary Paulsen joined a select group of YA writers when he received the 1997 Margaret A. Edwards Award honoring an author's lifetime achievement in writing books for teens. His work is widely praised by critics, and he has been awarded Newbery Medal Honor Book citations for three of his books: Dogsong, Hatchet, and The Winter Room. Although Paulsen has also written for adult readers, since the mid-1990s his focus has been primarily on teens. "Adults are locked into car payments and divorces and work," he told New York Times Book Review interviewer Anne Goodwin Sides. "They haven't got time to think fresh. Name the book that made the biggest impression on you. I bet you read it before you hit puberty. In the time I've got left, I intend to write artistic books—for kids—because they're still open to new ideas."
In lean prose that critics have cited for containing echoes of novelist Ernest Hemingway, Paulsen creates powerful young-adult fiction, often setting his stories in wilderness or rural areas and featuring teenagers who arrive at self-awareness by way of experiences in nature—through challenging tests of their own survival instincts—or through the ministrations of understanding adults. He displays an "extraordinary ability to picture for the reader how man's comprehension of life can be transformed with the lessons of nature," wrote Evie Wilson in Voice of Youth Advocates. "With humor and psychological genius, Paulsen develops strong adolescent characters who lend new power to youth's plea to be allowed to apply individual skills in their risk-taking." In addition to writing young adult fiction, Paulsen has also authored numerous picture books with his illustrator wife R.W. Paulsen, penned children's nonfiction, and authored two plays and many works of adult fiction and nonfiction.
Paulsen was born in Minnesota in 1939, the son of first-generation Danish and Swedish parents. During his childhood, he saw little of his father, who served in the military in Europe during World War II, and little of his mother, who worked in a Chicago ammunitions factory. "I was reared by my grandmother and several aunts," he once told SATA. "I first saw my father when I was seven in the Philippines where my parents and I lived from 1946 to 1949." Writing of that experience a half century later in Riverbank Review, Paulsen noted that he "lived essentially as a street child in Manila, because my parents were alcoholics and I was not supervised. The effect was profound and lasting."
When the family returned to the United States, Paulsen suffered from being continually uprooted. "We moved around constantly…. The longest time I spent in one school was for about five months," Paulsen once told SATA. "I was an ‘Army brat,’ and it was a miserable life. School was a nightmare because I was unbelievably shy, and terrible at sports…. I wound up skipping most of the ninth grade." In addition to problems at school, he faced many ordeals at home. "My father drank a lot, and there would be terrible arguments," he noted. Eventually Paulsen was sent again to live with relatives and worked to support himself with jobs as a newspaper boy and as a pin-setter in a bowling alley.
Things began to change for the better during his teen years. He found security and support with his grandmother and aunts—"safety nets" as he described them in his interview. A turning point in his life came one sub-zero winter day when, as he was walking past the public library, he decided to stop in to warm up. "To my absolute astonishment the librarian walked up to me and asked if I wanted a library card," he related. "When she handed me the card, she handed me the world. I can't even describe how liberating it was. She recommended westerns and science fiction but every now and then would slip in a classic. I roared through everything she gave me and in the summer read a book a day. It was as though I had been dying of thirst and the librarian had handed me a five-gallon bucket of water. I drank and drank."
After just barely graduating from high school in Thief River Falls, Minnesota, in 1959, Paulsen attended Bemidji College in Minnesota for two years, paying for his tuition with money he'd earned as a trapper for the state of Minnesota. When he flunked out of college, he joined the U.S. Army, serving from 1959 to 1962, and working with missiles. After his tour of duty was completed, he took extension courses to become a certified field engineer, finding work in the aerospace departments of Bendix and Lockheed corporations. There it occurred to him that he might try and become a writer. "I'd finished reading a magazine article on flight-testing … and thought, gad, what a way to make a living—writing about something you like and getting paid for it!" he told F. Serdahely in Writer's Digest. "I remembered writing some of my past reports, some fictionalized versions I'd included. And I thought: ‘What the hell, I am an engineering writer.’ But, conversely, I also realized I didn't know a thing about writing professionally. After several hours of hard thinking, a way to learn came to me. All I had to do was go to work editing a magazine."
Creating a fictitious resumé, Paulsen was able to obtain an associate editor position on a men's magazine in Hollywood, California. Although it soon became apparent to his employers that he had no editorial experience, he once told SATA that "they could see I was serious about wanting to learn, and they were willing to teach me." He spent nearly a year with the magazine, finding it "the best of all possible ways to learn about writing. It probably did more to improve my craft and ability than any other single event in my life." Still living in California, Paulsen also found work as a film extra (he once played a drunken Indian in a movie called Flap), and took up sculpting as a hobby, even winning first prize in a local exhibition.
Paulsen's first book, The Special War, was published in 1966, and he soon proved himself to be one of the most prolific authors in the United States. In little over a de-
cade, working mainly out of northern Minnesota—where he returned after becoming disillusioned with Hollywood—he published nearly forty books and close to two hundred articles and stories for magazines. Among Paulsen's diverse titles were a number of children's nonfiction books about animals, a biography of Martin Luther King, Jr., several humorous titles under the "Sports on the Light Side" series published by Raintree Press, two plays, adult fiction and nonfiction, as well as some initial ventures into juvenile fiction. On a bet with a friend, he once wrote eleven articles and short stories inside four days and sold all of them.
His prolific output was interrupted by a libel lawsuit brought against his 1977 young-adult novel Winterkill, the powerful story of a semi-delinquent boy befriended by a hard-bitten cop named Duda in a small Minnesota town. Paulsen eventually won the case, but, as he noted, "the whole situation was so nasty and ugly that I stopped writing. I wanted nothing more to do with publishing
and burned my bridges, so to speak." Unable to earn any other type of living, he went back to trapping for the state of Minnesota, working his sixty-mile trap line on foot or skis.
To help Paulsen in his hunting job, a friend gave him a team of sled dogs, a gift that ultimately had a profound influence on Paulsen. "One day, about midnight, we were crossing Clear Water Lake, which is about three miles long," Paulsen recounted. "There was a full moon shining so brightly on the snow you could read by it. There was no one around, and all I could hear was the rhythm of the dogs' breathing as they pulled the sled." The intensity of the moment prompted an impulsive seven-day trip by Paulsen through northern Minnesota. "I didn't go home—my wife was frantic—I didn't check lines, I just ran the dogs…. For food, we had a few beaver carcasses…. I was initiated into this incredibly ancient and very beautiful bond, and it was as if everything that had happened to me before ceased to exist." Paulsen afterwards made a resolution to permanently give up hunting and trapping, and proceeded to pursue dogsled racing as a hobby. He entered the grueling twelve-hundred-mile Iditarod race in Alaska in both 1983 and 1985, and this experience provided the basis for his award-winning novel Dogsong.
Paulsen's acclaimed young adult fiction—all written since the 1980s—often centers around teenage characters who arrive at an understanding of themselves and their world through pivotal experiences with nature. His writing has been praised for its almost poetic effect, and he is also credited with creating vivid descriptions of his characters' emotional states. Tracker tells about a thirteen-year-old boy who faces his first season of deer hunting alone while his grandfather is bedridden, dying of cancer. Ronald A. Jobe praised the novel in Language Arts as "powerfully written," adding that Paulsen "explores with the reader the innermost frustrations, hurts, and fears of the young boy. "Tracker was the first book by Paulsen to receive wide critical and popular recognition.
Dogsong, a Newbery Medal honor book, is a rite-of-passage novel about a young Inuit boy named Russel who wishes to abandon the increasingly modern ways of his people. Through the guidance of a tribal elder, Russel learns to bow-hunt and dogsled, and eventually leads his own pack of dogs on a trip across Alaska and back. "While the language of … [Dogsong] is lyrical, Paulsen recognizes the reality of Russel's world—the dirty smoke and the stinking yellow fur of the bear," wrote Nel Ward in the Voice of Youth Advocates. "He also recognizes the reality of killing to save lives, and of dreaming to save sanity, in the communion between present and past, life and death, reality and imagination, in this majestic exploration into the Alaskan wilderness by a master author who knows his subject well."
Paulsen's novel Hatchet, also a Newbery honor book, tells the story of Brian, a thirteen-year-old thoroughly modern boy who is forced to survive alone in the Canadian woods after a plane crash. Like Russel in Dogsong, Hatchet's hero is also transformed by the wilderness. "By the time he is rescued, Brian is permanently changed," noted Suzanne Rahn in Twentieth-Century Children's Writers; "he is far more observant and thoughtful, and knows what is really important in his life." As noted in Children's Books and Their Creators, Hatchet became "one of the most popular adventure stories of all time," combining "elementary language with a riveting plot to produce a book both comprehensible and enjoyable for those children who frequently equate reading with frustration."
Hatchet proved so popular with readers that they demanded, and won, a number of sequels: The River, Brian's Winter, Brian's Return, and Brian's Hunt. In Brian's Hunt, Paulsen "delivers a gripping, gory tale about survival in the north woods, based on a real bear attack," noted Paula Rohrlick in Kliatt.
In My Life in Dog's Years, The Beet Fields: Memories of a Sixteenth Summer, Eastern Sun, Winter Moon,
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Caught by the Sea: My Life on Boats, and Guts: The True Stories behind Hatchet and the Brian Books Paulsen recounts stories from his own life, many of which he has fictionalized in his young-adult novels. While most of the remembrances are intended for an adult audience, one of his most powerful memoirs for young readers is Woodsong, an autobiographical account of Paulsen's life in Minnesota and Alaska while preparing his sled dogs to run the Iditarod. A reviewer noted in Horn Book that the "lure of the wilderness is always a potent draw, and Paulsen evokes its mysteries as well as anyone since Jack London." In another memoir intended for a teen readership, How Angel Peterson Got His Name, and Other Outrageous Tales about Extreme Sports, Paulsen recalls a number of daredevil stunts he and his friends performed during their early teen years. "Paulsen laces his tales with appealing '50s details and broad asides about the boys' personalities, ingenuity, and idiocy," noted a reviewer in Publishers Weekly.
Paulsen describes a different kind of growing up in Harris and Me: A Summer Remembered and The Amazing Life of Birds: The Twenty-Day Puberty Journal of Duane Homer Leech, which are set in rural American homes. Raised by abusive and alcoholic parents, the preteen narrator in Harris and Me is sent to live with his uncle's family. In this new environment, the boy finds a degree of normalcy, although his new friend Harris leads him in escapades involving playing Tarzan in the barn's hayloft and using pig pens as the stage for G.I. Joe games. "Through it all," explained a reviewer for the Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, "the lonely hero imperceptibly learns about belonging." In Voice of Youth Advocates, Penny Blubaugh pointed out that "for the first time in his life [the narrator] finds himself surrounded by love."
A twelve year old is the narrator of The Amazing Life of Birds, and Paulsen's young progagonist shares his uncomfortable experience of adolescence in a humorous journal that "manages to both entertain and reassure" according to Kliatt contributor Paula Rohrlick. Contemplative by nature, Duane finds that his ongoing observations of a bird preparing to leave the nest outside his bedroom window parallel his own growing need for independence. Describing The Amazing Life of Birds as "a quick and enjoyable take on school and family," Booklist contributor Todd Morning maintained that Paulsen captures the interest of reluctant readers by sustaining a "tone [that is] light and amusing."
The narrator of Paulsen's award-winning middle-grade novel Lawn Boy is the same age as Duane, although he has a very different set of problems. In fact, the twelve-year-old narrator of Lawn Boy is overwhelmed by success. When he receives an old riding lawn mower as a birthday gift from his grandmother, the Paulsen's preteen protagonist decides to capitalize on the fact that he lives in a large suburban neighborhood. He begins a lawn-mowing service and quickly finds that his service is in great demand. When a cash-strapped client barters his services as an investment consultant for a regularly maintained lawn, the narrator gets a crash course in capitalism but finds that a growing portfolio can quickly translate into a growing headache. "With all the energy of a bull market and a farce that grows as steadily as crabgrass," Lawn Boy "has summer escapism written all over it," concluded Horn Book contributor Betty Carter.
In books like Nightjohn, Mr. Tucket, and The Legend of Bass Reeves: Being the True and Fictional Account of the Most Valiant Marshal in the West Paulsen draws on history for literary inspiration. Nightjohn is set in the nineteenth-century American South and revolves around Sarny, a young slave girl who risks severe punishment when she is persuaded to learn to read by Nightjohn, a runaway slave who has just been recaptured. A commentator for Kirkus Reviews called Nightjohn "a searing picture of slavery" and an "unbearably vivid book."
Sarny is reprised as a character in Sarny: A Life Remembered, in which the former slave narrates her life in 1930, at the ripe old age of ninety-four. A focal point of the woman's story is the fact that she learned to read: this saves her on more than one occasion. Sarny's "story makes absorbing reading," concluded Bruce Anne Shook in a School Library Journal review.
In Mr. Tucket fourteen-year-old Francis Tucket has a number of hair-raising adventures when he is captured by the Pawnee after wandering away from his family's Oregon-bound wagon train. After Francis escapes from the tribe, a one-armed fur trader named Jason Grimes continues the young teen's frontier education. Tucket's adventures are continued in several more works, including Call Me Francis Tucket, Tucket's Ride, and Tucket's Home.
In a mix of fact and fiction, Paulsen brings to life a fascinating character from America's mythic Wild West in The Legend of Bass Reeves. Born a slave, Reeves learned cowboy skills such as riding and shooting while helping to defend the property of his master, a Texas rancher, from Indian attacks. Although much of Reeves' childhood remains unknown, Paulsen creates an entertaining backstory in his novel, showing Reeves escaping from his unjust master, fleeing to the Oklahoma Territory in the 1840s, and becoming an officer of the law. In fact, Reeve became a legendary Federal Marshal, and was known for never drawing his gun first. The Legend of Bass Reeves was praised by Kliatt critic Janice Flint-Ferguson as "a fascinating story of what it took to survive in the American West," enriched by Paulsen's introductory comments regarding the crafting of the novel from original newspaper accounts. Reeves becomes "a fully fleshed-out character whose story is made all the more satisfying by the truth behind it," concluded Laurie Slagenwhite in her School Library Journal review.
The White Fox Chronicles is a departure for Paulsen in its futuristic setting and a plot that a Publishers Weekly
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reviewer likened to that of a "shoot-'em-up computer game." The novel's hero is fourteen-year-old Cody, who has been captured by the nefarious Confederation of Consolidated Republics. This group has overrun the United States and is hatching Nazi-like purges of its enemies. A Publishers Weekly reviewer noted that the work will cause readers to "cheer on the good guys without ever fearing that they might not triumph in the end." Paulsen's The Time Hackers also employs elements of science fiction, as a seventh-grader discovers that he is able to travel through time using his laptop computer. "Paulsen writes with his usual skill, creating believable characters and moving the action along at a fairly fast pace," noted Booklist contributor Cindy Welch.
A prolific author whose career has spanned over five decades, Paulsen follows a rigorous writing schedule. As he related to Sharon Miller Cindrich in Writer, he has worked "eighteen hours a day, seven days a week for about ten years. Writers like me are extinct. People don't do that anymore. They don't study. The dedication, obsession, the compulsion-driven need to be like me is just not done anymore. I just work." Asked to describe his motivation, Paulsen replied in typically blunt fashion, "There is no motivation; it's just what I do. It's my nature. The stories are like a river that's going by all the time, and I just ‘bucket in’ and up comes a story. It's a cliché, but it's like that."
Paulsen's concern with literacy is personal: he still believes, as he told David Gale in a School Library Journal interview celebrating his Margaret A. Edwards Award, that "there's nothing that has happened to me that would have happened if a librarian hadn't got me to read…. All of our knowledge, everything we are—is locked up in books, and if you can't read, it's lost." Waging a one-writer campaign against illiteracy, Paulsen consciously crafts his books with clean, spare language in order to attract reluctant readers. It is exactly this empathic power that has made him such a popular and respected author. As Gary M. Salvner commented in Writers for Young Adults: "Whether angry or happy, whether writing about survival or growing up, Gary Paulsen is always a hopeful writer, for he believes that young people must be respected as they are guided into adulthood. And he continues to write enthusiastically, commenting that he has ‘fallen in love with writing, with the dance of it.’ Taken together, Gary Paulsen's sense of purpose and love of writing ensure that he will continue to write enjoyable and effective books for young adults for years to come."
Biographical and Critical Sources
BOOKS
Beacham's Guide to Literature for Young Adults, Beacham (Osprey, FL), Volume 6, 1994, Volume 7, 1994, Volume 8, 1994, Volume 10, Gale (Detroit, MI), 2000, Volume 11, 2001.
Children's Books and Their Creators, edited by Anita Silvey, Houghton Mifflin (Boston, MA), 1995.
Children's Literature Review, Gale (Detroit, MI), Volume 19, 1990, Volume 54, 1999.
Drew, Bernard A., The 100 Most Popular Young Adult Authors: Biographical Sketches and Bibliographies, Libraries Unlimited, Inc., 1996.
Peters, Stephanie True, Gary Paulsen, Learning Works, 1999.
St. James Guide to Young-Adult Writers, St. James Press (Detroit, MI), 1999.
Salvner, Gary M., Presenting Gary Paulsen, Twayne (New York, NY), 1996.
Twentieth-Century Children's Writers, 4th edition, St. James Press (Detroit, MI), 1995.
Writers for Young Adults, Scribner (New York, NY), 1997.
PERIODICALS
Booklist, December 15, 1992, Hazel Rochman, review of Nightjohn, pp. 727-728; January 15, 1993, Ilene Coo- per, review of Eastern Sun, Winter Moon: An Autobiographical Odyssey, p. 850; February 15, 1994, Hazel Rochman, review of Winterdance: The Fine Madness of Running the Iditarod, p. 1051; March 15, 1995, review of Harris and Me: A Summer Remembered, p. 1323; December 15, 1995, Hazel Rochman, review of Brian's Winter, p. 700; January 1, 1998, Stephanie Zvirin, review of My Life in Dog Years, p. 799; May 15, 1998, Roger Leslie, review of The Transall Saga, p. 1623; June 1, 1998, Carolyn Phelan, review of Soldier's Heart: A Novel of the Civil War, p. 1750; January 1, 1999, reviews of My Life in Dog Years and Soldier's Heart, p. 782, and Stephanie Zvirin, interview with Paulsen, p. 864; February 1, 1999, review of Brian's Return, p. 975, and Kay Weisman, review of Canoe Days, p. 982; February 15, 1999, Karen Harris, review of Sarny: A Life Remembered, p. 1084; June 1, 1999, Roger Leslie, review of Alida's Song, p. 1816; December 1, 1999, Kay Weisman, review of Tucket's Gold, p. 707; July, 2000, review of The Beet Fields: Memories of a Sixteenth Summer, p. 2033; August, 2000, Gillian Engberg, review of The White Fox Chronicles, p. 2131; September 1, 2000, Kay Weisman, review of Tucket's Home, p. 119; December 1, 2000, Stephanie Zvirin, review of The Beet Fields, p. 693; February 15, 2001, Kelly Milner Halls, review of Guts: The True Story behind Hatchet and the Brian Books, p. 1128; August, 2001, Elaine Hanson, review of Tucket's Home, p. 2142; September 15, 2001, review of Caught by the Sea: My Life on Boats, p. 222; December 15, 2002, GraceAnne A. DeCandido, review of How Angel Peterson Got His Name: And Other Outrageous Tales about Extreme Sports, p. 754; August, 2003, Kathleen Odean, review of Shelf Life: Stories by the Book, p. 1983; September 1, 2003, Ilene Cooper, review of The Glass Café; or, The Stripper and the State: How My Mother Started a War with the System That Made Us Kind of Rich and a Little Bit Famous, p. 115; January 1, 2004, Michael Cart, review of Brian's Hunt, p. 848; May 15, 2004, Hazel Rochman, review of The Quilt, p. 1632; January 1, 2005, Cindy Welch, review of The Time Hackers, p. 860; July 1, 2006, Todd Morning, review of The Amazing Life of Birds: The Twenty-Day Puberty Journal of Duane Homer Leech, p. 52.
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, February, 1993, review of Nightjohn, pp. 187-188; January, 1994, review of Harris and Me, pp. 164-165; June, 1995, review of The Tent: A Parable in One Sitting, pp. 356-357; October, 1995, review of The Rifle, pp. 64-65; March, 1998, review of My Life in Dog Years, pp. 254-255; September, 1998, review of Soldier's Heart, p. 26; September, 1999, review of Alida's Song, pp. 26-27; October, 2000, review of The Beet Fields, p. 79; February, 2003, review of How Angel Peterson Got His Name and Other Outrageous Tales about Extreme Sports, p. 247.
Horn Book, July-August, 1983, Dorcas Hand, review of Dancing Carl, pp. 446-447; November-December, 1990, review of Woodsong, p. 762; November, 1998, Nancy Vasilakis, review of Soldier's Heart, p. 737, and Kristi Beavin, review of Sarny, p. 768; January, 1999, review of Brian's Return, p. 69; September, 2001, review of Three Days, p. 590; July-August, 2007, y Carter, review of Lawn Boy, p. 402.
Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, October, 2004, Jo Ann Yazzie, review of The Glass Café, p. 175.
Kirkus Reviews, July 15, 1987, review of The Crossing, p. 1074; June 15, 1991, review of The River, p. 792; January 1, 1993, review of Eastern Sun, Winter Moon, p. 48; January 1, 1993, review of Nightjohn, p. 67; June 1, 2003, review of The Glass Café, p. 809; November 15, 2003, review of Brian's Hunt, p. 1362; April 1, 2004, review of The Quilt, p. 335; September 1, 2004, review of Molly McGinty Has a Really Good Day, p. 872.
Kliatt, March, 2003, Jennifer Banas, review of Guts, p. 44; July, 2003, Paula Rohrlick, review of The Glass Café, p. 16; January, 2004, Paula Rohrlick, review of Brian's Hunt, pp. 10-11; May, 2004, Tom Adamich, review of Caught by the Sea, p. 34; May, 2006, Paula Rohrlick, review of The Amazing Life of Birds, p. 13; July, 2006, Janis Flint-Ferguson, review of The Legend of Bass Reeves: Being the True and Fictional Account of the Most Valiant Marshal in the West, p. 12.
Language Arts, September, 1984, Ronald A. Jobe, review of Tracker, p. 527.
Los Angeles Times Book Review, March 21, 1993, Tim Winton, "His Own World War," pp. 1, 11.
New York Times Book Review, August 26, 2006, Anne Goodwin Sides, "On the Road and between the Pages, an Author Is Restless for Adventure"
Publishers Weekly, September 29, 1989, review of The Winter Room, p. 69; December 14, 1992, review of Nightjohn, p. 58; July 3, 1995, review of Call Me Francis Tucket, p. 62; August 11, 1997, review of Sarny, p. 403; May 25, 1998, review of The Transall Saga, p. 91; July 20, 1998, review of Soldier's Heart, p. 221; January 11, 1999, review of Brian's Return, p. 26; May 31, 1999, review of Alida's Song, pp. 94-95; September 6, 1999, review of Sarny, p. 106; February 14, 2000, Leonard S. Marcus, interview with Paulsen, p. 98; June 26, 2000, review of The White Fox Chronicles, p. 75; September 4, 2000, review of The Beet Fields, p. 109; June 25, 2001, review of Canoe Days, p. 75; November 18, 2002, review of Guts, p. 63; January 20, 2003, review of How Angel Peterson Got His Name, p. 83; June 30, 2003, reviews of Shelf Life, p. 79, and The Glass Café, p. 81; August 30, 2004, review of Molly McGinty Has a Really Good Day, p. 56; January 24, 2005, review of The Time Hackers, p. 245.
Riverbank Review, spring, 1999, Gary Paulsen, "The True Face of War," pp. 25-26.
School Library Journal, August, 1993, Carol Clark, review of Eastern Sun, Winter Moon, pp. 208-209; January, 1994, Lee Bock, review of Harris and Me, p. 132; May, 1995, Tom S. Hurlburt, review of The Tent, p. 122; August, 1995, review of Winterdance, p. 38; November, 1996, Mollie Bynum, review of Puppies, Dogs, and Blue Northers: Reflections on Being Raised by a Pack of Sled Dogs, p. 130; June, 1997, David Gale, "The Maximum Expression of Being Human," pp. 24-29; September, 1997, Bruce Anne Shook, review of Sarny, p. 224; March, 1998, review of Wood-song, p. 238; May, 1998, John Peters, review of The Transall Saga, p. 147; September, 1998, Steve Engelfried, review of Soldier's Heart, p. 206; August, 1999, Suzette Kragenbrink, review of The Transall Saga, p. 70; October, 1999, Coop Renner, review of Tucket's Gold, p. 156; January, 2000, Barbara S. Wysocki, review of Soldier's Heart, p. 74; August, 2000, Trish Anderson, review of The White Fox Chronicles, p. 188; September, 2000, Vicki Reutter, review of The Beet Fields, and Victoria Kidd, review of Tucket's Home, p. 235; October, 2001, Vicki Reutter, review of Caught by the Sea, p. 190; February, 2003, Vicki Reutter, review of How Angel Peterson Got His Name, p. 168; August, 2003, Edward Sullivan, review of Shelf Life, p. 164; November, 2003, Carol Fazioli, review of The Beet Fields, p. 84; December, 2003, Sean George, review of Brian's Hunt, p. 158; May, 2004, Vicki Reutter, review of Guts, p. 65, and review of Winterdance, p. 66, and Edith Ching, review of The Quilt, p. 156; September, 2004, Jean Gaffney, review of Molly McGinty Has a Really Good Day, p. 215; January, 2005, Diana Pierce, review of The Time Hackers, pp. 134-135; August, 2006, Laurie Slagenwhite, review of The Legend of Bass Reeves, p. 128.
Voice of Youth Advocates, December, 1985, Nel Ward, review of Dogsong, pp. 321-322; June, 1988, Evie Wilson, review of The Island, pp. 89-90; February, 1994, Penny Blubaugh, review of Harris and Me, p. 371; April, 1994, review of Mr. Tucket, p. 29; October, 1994, review of Winterdance, p. 234; February, 1996, review of The Rifle, p. 375; February, 1997, Helen Turner, review of Brian's Winter, p. 332, and review of Puppies, Dogs, and Blue Northers, p. 352; April, 1998, review of My Life in Dog Years, p. 71; April, 1998, review of Hatchet, p. 42.
Wilson Library Bulletin, January, 1993, Frances Bradburn, "Middle Books," pp. 87-88.
Writer, June, 2004, Sharon Miller Cindrich, "Gary Paulsen's Love Affair with Writing," p. 22.
Writer's Digest, January, 1980, F. Serdahely, "Prolific Paulsen," July, 1994, pp. 42-44, 65.
ONLINE
Random House Web site,http://www.randomhouse.com/ (June 9, 2008), "Gary Paulsen."
Paulsen, Gary 1939-
Paulsen, Gary 1939-
PERSONAL:
May 17, 1939, in Minneapolis, MN; son of Oscar (an army officer) and Eunice Paulsen; married third wife, Ruth Ellen Wright (an artist), May 5, 1971; children: (first marriage) two children; (third marriage) James Wright. Education: Attended Bemidji College, 1957-58, and University of Colorado, 1976. Politics: "As Russian author Alexander Solzhenitsyn has said, ‘If we limit ourselves to political structures we are not artists.’" Religion: "I believe in spiritual progress."
ADDRESSES:
Home—La Luz, NM; Willow, AK. Agent—Jennifer Flannery, 34-36 28th St., Ste. 5, Long Island City, NY 11106.
CAREER:
Writer, beginning 1960s. Has also worked as a teacher, field engineer, editor, soldier, actor, director, farmer, rancher, truck driver, trapper, professional archer, migrant farm worker, singer, and sailor. Participant in Iditarods, 1983, 1985. Military service: U.S. Army, 1959-62; attained rank of sergeant.
AWARDS, HONORS:
Society of Midland Authors Book Award, 1985, for Tracker; Parents' Choice Award, Parents' Choice Foundation, 1985, Newbery Honor Book citation, 1986, and Children's Book of the Year Award, Child Study Association of America, 1986, all for Dogsong; Newbery Honor Book citation, 1988, and Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award, 1989, both for Hatchet; Parenting magazine Reading-Magic Award, Teachers' Choice Award, International Reading Association (IRA), and Best Books of the Year citation, Learning magazine, all 1990, all for The Voyage of the Frog; Newbery Honor Book citation, Judy Lopez Memorial Award, and Parenting Best Book of the Year citation, all 1990, all for The Winter Room; Parents' Choice Award, 1991, for The Boy Who Owned the School; ALAN Award, 1991; Society of Midland Authors Book Award, and Spur Award from Western Writers of America, both 1991, both for Woodsong; Spur Award, 1993, for The Haymeadow; Booklist Books for Youth Top of the List citation, 1993, for Harris and Me; Children's Choice citations, IRA/Children's Book Council, 1994, for Nightjohn and Dogteam; Children's Literature Award finalist, PEN Center USA West, 1994, for Sisters/Hermanas; Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in writing for young adults, 1997; Parents' Choice Award, 2007, and National Council for Social Studies/Children's Book Council Notable Children's Trade Books in the Field of Social Studies designation, New Mexico Land of Enchantment Book Award, Texas Bluebonnet Award nomination, and ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers designation, all 2008, all for Lawn Boy; Chicago Tribune Young-Adult Book Prize, 2007. Many of Paulsen's books have been selected as American Library Association (ALA) best books for young adults, ALA notable children's books, National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) notable books in the language arts, School Library Journal best books of the year, Notable Children's Books in the Social Studies, and New York Library Books for the Teen Age. In addition, several of his books have won or been nominated for state awards, including the Wisconsin Golden Archer Award, North Dakota Flicker Tale Children's Book Award, Colorado Blue Spruce Young Adult Award, Maryland Black-eyed Susan Book Award, and Illinois Rebecca Caudill Young Readers Book Award.
WRITINGS:
JUVENILE FICTION
Mr. Tucket, illustrated by Noel Sickles, Funk & Wagnalls (New York, NY), 1968.
The C.B. Radio Caper, illustrated by John Asquith, Raintree Press (Milwaukee, WI), 1977.
The Curse of the Cobra, illustrated by John Asquith, Raintree Press (Milwaukee, WI), 1977.
Winterkill, Thomas Nelson (Nashville, TN), 1977.
The Foxman, Thomas Nelson (Nashville, TN), 1977.
Tiltawhirl John, Thomas Nelson (Nashville, TN), 1977.
The Golden Stick, illustrated by Jerry Scott, Raintree Press (Milwaukee, WI), 1977.
The Night the White Deer Died, Thomas Nelson (Nashville, TN), 1978.
(With Ray Peekner) The Green Recruit, Independence Press (Independence, MO), 1978.
The Spitball Gang, Elsevier (New York, NY), 1980.
Popcorn Days and Buttermilk Nights, Lodestar Books (New York, NY), 1983.
Dancing Carl, Bradbury (Scarsdale, NY), 1983, reprinted, Aladdin (New York, NY), 2007.
Tracker, Bradbury (Scarsdale, NY), 1984, reprinted, Aladdin (New York, NY), 2007.
Dogsong, Bradbury (Scarsdale, NY), 1985, reprinted, Simon Pulse (New York, NY), 2007.
Sentries, Bradbury (Scarsdale, NY), 1986.
The Crossing, Orchard Books (New York, NY), 1987.
Hatchet, Bradbury (Scarsdale, NY), 1987.
The Island, Orchard Books (New York, NY), 1988.
The Voyage of the Frog, Orchard Books (New York, NY), 1989.
The Winter Room, Orchard Books (New York, NY), 1989.
The Boy Who Owned the School, Orchard Books (New York, NY), 1990.
Canyons, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1990.
Woodsong, illustrated by wife, R.W. Paulsen, Bradbury (Scarsdale, NY), 1990.
The Cookcamp, Orchard Books (New York, NY), 1991.
The River, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1991.
The Monument, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1991.
The Haymeadow, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1992.
Christmas Sonata, illustrated by Leslie Bowman, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1992.
Nightjohn, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1993.
Sisters/Hermanas, Harcourt (New York, NY), 1993.
Dogteam, illustrated by R.W. Paulsen, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1993.
Harris and Me: A Summer Remembered, Harcourt (New York, NY), 1993, reprinted, Harcourt (Orlando, FL), 2007.
The Car, Harcourt (New York, NY), 1994.
The Tortilla Factory, paintings by R.W. Paulsen, Harcourt (New York, NY), 1995.
Call Me Francis Tucket, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1995.
The Tent: A Parable in One Sitting, Harcourt (New York, NY), 1995.
The Rifle, Harcourt (New York, NY), 1995.
Brian's Winter, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1996.
Worksong, illustrated by R.W. Paulsen, Harcourt (New York, NY), 1997.
Tucket's Ride, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1997.
The Schernoff Discoveries, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1997.
Sarny: A Life Remembered, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1997.
The Transall Saga, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1998.
Soldier's Heart: A Novel of the Civil War, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1998.
Canoe Days, illustrated by R.W. Paulsen, Doubleday (New York, NY), 1999.
The White Fox Chronicles, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1999.
Brian's Return, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1999.
Alida's Song, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1999.
Tucket's Gold, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1999.
Escape, Delacorte (New York, NY), 2000.
Tucket's Home, Delacorte (New York, NY), 2000.
Brian's Hunt, Wendy Lamb Books (New York, NY), 2003.
Shelf Life: Stories by the Book, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 2003.
The Glass Café; or, The Stripper and the State: How My Mother Started a War with the System That Made Us Kind of Rich and a Little Bit Famous, Wendy Lamb Books (New York, NY), 2003.
The Quilt, Wendy Lamb Books (New York, NY), 2004.
Molly McGinty Has a Really Good Day, Wendy Lamb Books (New York, NY), 2004.
The Time Hackers, Wendy Lamb Books (New York, NY), 2005.
The Legend of Bass Reeves: Being the True and Fictional Account of the Most Valiant Marshal in the West, Wendy Lamb Books (New York, NY), 2006.
The Amazing Life of Birds: The Twenty-day Puberty Journal of Duane Homer Leech, Wendy Lamb Books (New York, NY), 2006.
Lawn Boy, Wendy Lamb Books (New York, NY), 2007.
"CULPEPPER ADVENTURES" SERIES
The Case of the Dirty Bird, Dell (New York, NY), 1992.
Dunc's Doll, Dell (New York, NY), 1992.
Culpepper's Cannon, Dell (New York, NY), 1992.
Dunc Gets Tweaked, Dell (New York, NY), 1992.
Dunc's Halloween, Dell (New York, NY), 1992.
Dunc Breaks the Record, Dell (New York, NY), 1992.
Dunc and the Flaming Ghost, Dell (New York, NY), 1992.
Amos Gets Famous, Dell (New York, NY), 1993.
Dunc and Amos Hit the Big Top, Dell (New York, NY), 1993.
Dunc's Dump, Dell (New York, NY), 1993.
Dunc and the Scam Artist, Dell (New York, NY), 1993.
Dunc and Amos and the Red Tattoos, Dell (New York, NY), 1993.
The Wild Culpepper Cruise, Dell (New York, NY), 1993.
Dunc's Undercover Christmas, Dell (New York, NY), 1993.
Dunc and the Haunted House, Dell (New York, NY), 1993.
Cowpokes and Desperadoes, Dell (New York, NY), 1994.
Dunc and the Greased Sticks of Doom, Dell (New York, NY), 1994.
Amos's Killer Concert Caper, Dell (New York, NY), 1994.
Amos Gets Married, Dell (New York, NY), 1995.
Amos Goes Bananas, Dell (New York, NY), 1995.
Dunc and Amos Go to the Dogs, Dell (New York, NY), 1996.
Amos and the Vampire, Dell (New York, NY), 1996.
Amos and the Chameleon Caper, Dell (New York, NY), 1996.
Super Amos, Dell (New York, NY), 1997.
Dunc and Amos on Thin Ice, Dell (New York, NY), 1997.
Amos Binder, Secret Agent, Dell (New York, NY), 1997.
"GARY PAULSEN WORLD OF ADVENTURE" SERIES
The Legend of Red Horse Cavern, Dell (New York, NY), 1994.
Escape from Fire Mountain (also see below), Dell (New York, NY), 1995.
The Rock Jockeys, Dell (New York, NY), 1995.
The Gorgon Slayer, Dell (New York, NY), 1995.
Danger on Midnight River (also see below), Dell (New York, NY), 1995.
Hook 'Em Snotty! (also see below), Dell (New York, NY), 1995.
Rodomonte's Revenge, Dell (New York, NY), 1995.
Captive!, Dell (New York, NY), 1996.
Project: A Perfect New World, Dell (New York, NY), 1996.
Skydive!, Dell (New York, NY), 1996.
The Treasure of El Patron, Dell (New York, NY), 1996.
The Seventh Crystal, Dell (New York, NY), 1996.
The Creature of Black Water Lake, Dell (New York, NY), 1997.
The Grizzly, Dell (New York, NY), 1997.
Thunder Valley, Dell (New York, NY), 1998.
Curse of the Ruins, Dell (New York, NY), 1998.
Time Benders, Dell (New York, NY), 1998.
Flight of the Hawk, Dell (New York, NY), 1998.
World of Adventure Trio (includes Escape from Fire Mountain, Hook 'Em, Snotty!, and Danger on Midnight River), Yearling (New York, NY), 2006.
JUVENILE NONFICTION
(With Dan Theis) Martin Luther King: The Man Who Climbed the Mountain, Raintree Press (Milwaukee, WI), 1976.
The Small Ones, illustrated by K. Goff, photographs by Wilford Miller, Raintree Press (Milwaukee, WI), 1976.
The Grass-Eaters: Real Animals, illustrated by K. Goff, photographs by Wilford Miller, Raintree Press (Milwaukee, WI), 1976.
Dribbling, Shooting, and Scoring Sometimes, photographs by Heinz Kluetmeier, Raintree Press (Milwaukee, WI), 1976.
Hitting, Pitching, and Running Maybe, photographs by Heinz Kluetmeier, Raintree Press (Milwaukee, WI), 1976.
Tackling, Running, and Kicking—Now and Again, photographs by Heinz Kluetmeier, Raintree Press (Milwaukee, WI), 1977.
Riding, Roping, and Bulldogging—Almost, photographs by Heinz Kluetmeier, Raintree Press (Milwaukee, WI), 1977.
Careers in an Airport, photographs by R. Nye, Raintree Press (Milwaukee, WI), 1977.
Running, Jumping, and Throwing—If You Can, photographs by Heinz Kluetmeier, Raintree Press (Milwaukee, WI), 1978, revised with Roger Barrett as Athletics, Macdonald (Milwaukee, WI), 1980.
Forehanding and Backhanding—If You're Lucky, photographs by Heinz Kluetmeier, Raintree Press (Milwaukee, WI), 1978, revised with Roger Barrett as Tennis, Macdonald (Milwaukee, WI), 1980.
(With John Morris) Hiking and Backpacking, illustrated by R.W. Paulsen, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1978.
(With John Morris) Canoeing, Kayaking, and Rafting, illustrated by John Peterson and Jack Storholm, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1979.
Downhill, Hotdogging, and Cross-Country—If the Snow Isn't Sticky, photographs by Heinz Kluetmeier and Willis Wood, Raintree Press (Milwaukee, WI), 1979, revised with Roger Barrett as Skiing, Macdonald (Milwaukee, WI), 1980.
Facing off, Checking, and Goaltending—Perhaps, photographs by Heinz Kluetmeier and Melchior Di-Giacomo, Raintree Press (Milwaukee, WI), 1979, revised with Roger Barrett as Ice Hockey, Macdonald (Milwaukee, WI), 1980.
Going Very Fast in a Circle—If You Don't Run out of Gas, photographs by Heinz Kluetmeier and Bob D'Olivo, Raintree Press (Milwaukee, WI), 1979, revised with Roger Barrett as Motor Racing, Macdonald (Milwaukee, WI), 1980.
Pummeling, Falling, and Getting Up—Sometimes, photographs by Heinz Kluetmeier and Joe DiMaggio, Raintree Press (Milwaukee, WI), 1979.
Track, Enduro, and Motocross—Unless You Fall Over, photographs by Heinz Kluetmeier, Raintree Press (Milwaukee, WI), 1979, revised with Roger Barrett as Motor-cycling, Macdonald (Milwaukee, WI), 1980.
Launching, Floating High, and Landing—If Your Pilot Light Doesn't Go Out, photographs by Heinz Kluetmeier, Raintree Press (Milwaukee, WI), 1979,published as Full of Hot Air: Launching, Floating High, and Landing, photographs by Mary A. Heltshe, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1993.
(With Art Browne, Jr.) TV and Movie Animals, Messner (Englewood Cliffs, NJ), 1980.
Sailing: From Jibs to Jibing, illustrated by R.W. Paulsen, Messner (Englewood Cliffs, NJ), 1981.
Father Water, Mother Woods: Essays on Fishing and Hunting in the North Woods, illustrated by R.W. Paulsen, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1994.
My Life in Dog Years, drawings by R.W. Paulsen, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1998.
The Beet Fields: Memories of a Sixteenth Summer, Delacorte (New York, NY), 2000.
Guts: The True Story behind Hatchet and the Brian Books, Delacorte (New York, NY), 2001.
Caught by the Sea: My Life in Boats, Delacorte (New York, NY), 2001.
How Angel Peterson Got His Name, and Other Outrageous Tales about Extreme Sports, Wendy Lamb Books (New York, NY), 2003.
FICTION; FOR ADULTS
The Implosion Effect, Major Books (Canoga Park, CA), 1976.
The Death Specialists, Major Books (Canoga Park, CA), 1976.
C.B. Jockey, Major Books (Canoga Park, CA), 1977.
The Sweeper, Harlequin (Tarrytown, NY), 1981.
Campkill, Pinnacle Books (New York, NY), 1981.
Clutterkill, Harlequin (Tarrytown, NY), 1982.
Murphy, Walker & Co. (New York, NY), 1987.
Murphy's Gold, Walker & Co. (New York, NY), 1988.
The Madonna Stories, Van Vliet (Minneapolis, MN, 1988.
Murphy's Herd, Walker & Co. (New York, NY), 1989.
(With Brian Burks) Murphy's Stand, Walker & Co. (New York, NY), 1993.
(With Brian Burks) Murphy's Ambush, Walker & Co. (New York, NY), 1995.
(With Brian Burks) Murphy's Trail, Walker & Co. (New York, NY), 1996.
PLAYS
Communications (one-act), produced in New Mexico, 1974.
Together-Apart (one-act), produced in Denver, CO, 1976.
OTHER
(With Raymond Friday Locke) The Special War, Sirkay (Los Angeles, CA), 1966.
Some Birds Don't Fly, Rand McNally (Chicago, IL), 1969.
The Building a New, Buying an Old, Remodeling a Used, Comprehensive Home and Shelter Book, Prentice-Hall (New York, NY), 1976.
Farm: A History and Celebration of the American Farmer, Prentice-Hall (New York, NY), 1977.
Successful Home Repair, Structures (Farmington, MI), 1978.
Money-saving Home Repair Guide, Ideals (State College, PA), 1981.
Beat the System: A Survival Guide, Pinnacle Books (New York, NY), 1983.
Kill Fee, Donald I. Fine (New York, NY), 1990.
Night Rituals, Bantam (New York, NY), 1991.
Clabbered Dirt, Sweet Grass (adult nonfiction), illustrated by R.W. Paulsen, Harcourt (New York, NY), 1992.
Eastern Sun, Winter Moon (adult nonfiction), Harcourt (New York, NY), 1993.
Winterdance: The Fine Madness of Running the Iditarod (adult nonfiction), Harcourt (New York, NY), 1994.
(Author of introduction) Jack London, The Call of the Wild, illustrated by Barry Moser, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1994.
Puppies, Dogs, and Blue Northers: Reflections on Being Raised by a Pack of Sled Dogs (adult nonfiction), Harcourt (New York, NY), 1996.
Pilgrimage on a Steel Ride: A Memoir about Men and Motorcycles (adult nonfiction), Harcourt (New York, NY), 1997.
Author of numerous short stories and articles. Paulsen's works have been published in German, Japanese, Danish, Dutch, Russian, Norwegian, Italian, Spanish, French, Swedish, and Chinese.
ADAPTATIONS:
Dogsong was released as a filmstrip with cassette, Random House/Miller-Brody, 1986; Hatchet was released as a filmstrip with cassette, Random House, 1988; Woodsong was released as an audiocassette, Bantam Audio, 1991; Canyons, Hatchet, and The River were released as audiocassettes, all read by Peter Coyote, Bantam Audio, 1992; The Haymeadow and The Monument were released as audiocassettes, both Bantam Audio, 1992.
SIDELIGHTS:
A writer of popular and finely wrought young-adult novels and nonfiction, Gary Paulsen joined a select group of YA writers when he received the 1997 Margaret A. Edwards Award honoring an author's lifetime achievement in writing books for teens. His work is widely praised by critics, and he has been awarded Newbery Medal Honor Book citations for three of his books: Dogsong, Hatchet, and The Winter Room. Although Paulsen also wrote for adult readers for much of his career, since the mid-1990s his focus has been on teens. "Adults are locked into car payments and divorces and work," he told New York Times Book Review interviewer Anne Goodwin Sides. "They haven't got time to think fresh. Name the book that made the biggest impression on you. I bet you read it before you hit puberty. In the time I've got left, I intend to write artistic books—for kids—because they're still open to new ideas."
In lean prose that critics have cited for containing echoes of novelist Ernest Hemingway, Paulsen creates powerful young-adult fiction, often setting his stories in wilderness or rural areas and featuring teenagers who arrive at self-awareness by way of experiences in nature, through challenging tests of their own survival instincts, or through the ministrations of understanding adults. He displays an "extraordinary ability to picture for the reader how man's comprehension of life can be transformed with the lessons of nature," wrote Evie Wilson in Voice of Youth Advocates. "With humor and psychological genius, Paulsen develops strong adolescent characters who lend new power to youth's plea to be allowed to apply individual skills in their risk-taking." In addition to writing young adult fiction, Paulsen has also authored numerous picture books with his illustrator wife R.W. Paulsen, penned children's nonfiction, and authored two plays and many works of adult fiction and nonfiction.
Paulsen was born in Minnesota in 1939, the son of first-generation Danish and Swedish parents. During his childhood, he saw little of his father, who served in the military in Europe during World War II, and little of his mother, who worked in a Chicago ammunitions factory. "I was reared by my grandmother and several aunts," he once commented. "I first saw my father when I was seven in the Philippines where my parents and I lived from 1946 to 1949." Writing of that experience a half century later in Riverbank Review, Paulsen noted that he "lived essentially as a street child in Manila, because my parents were alcoholics and I was not supervised. The effect was profound and lasting."
When the family returned to the United States, Paulsen suffered from being continually uprooted. "We moved around constantly…. The longest time I spent in one school was for about five months," Paulsen once commented. "I was an ‘Army brat,’ and it was a miserable life. School was a nightmare because I was unbelievably shy, and terrible at sports…. I wound up skipping most of the ninth grade." In addition to problems at school, he faced many ordeals at home. "My father drank a lot, and there would be terrible arguments," he noted. Eventually Paulsen was sent again to live with relatives and worked to support himself with jobs as a newspaper boy and as a pin-setter in a bowling alley.
Things began to change for the better during his teen years. He found security and support with his grandmother and aunts—"safety nets" as he described them in his interview. A turning point in his life came one sub-zero winter day when, as he was walking past the public library, he decided to stop in to warm up. "To my absolute astonishment the librarian walked up to me and asked if I wanted a library card," he related. "When she handed me the card, she handed me the world. I can't even describe how liberating it was. She recommended westerns and science fiction but every now and then would slip in a classic. I roared through everything she gave me and in the summer read a book a day. It was as though I had been dying of thirst and the librarian had handed me a five-gallon bucket of water. I drank and drank."
After just barely graduating from high school in Thief River Falls, Minnesota, in 1959, Paulsen attended Bemidji College in Minnesota, for two years, paying for his tuition with money he'd earned as a trapper for the state of Minnesota. When he flunked out of college, he joined the U.S. Army, serving from 1959 to 1962 and working with missiles. After his tour of duty was completed, he took extension courses to become a certified field engineer, finding work in the aerospace departments of the Bendix and Lockheed corporations. There it occurred to him that he might try to become a writer. "I'd finished reading a magazine article on flight-testing … and thought, gad, what a way to make a living—writing about something you like and getting paid for it!" he told F. Serdahely in Writer's Digest. "I remembered writing some of my past reports, some fictionalized versions I'd included. And I thought: ‘What the hell, I am an engineering writer.’ But, conversely, I also realized I didn't know a thing about writing professionally. After several hours of hard thinking, a way to learn came to me. All I had to do was go to work editing a magazine."
Creating a fictitious resume, Paulsen was able to obtain an associate editor position on a men's magazine in Hollywood, California. Although it soon became apparent to his employers that he had no editorial experience, he once told CA that "they could see I was serious about wanting to learn, and they were willing to teach me." He spent nearly a year with the magazine, finding it "the best of all possible ways to learn about writing. It probably did more to improve my craft and ability than any other single event in my life." Still living in California, Paulsen also found work as a film extra (he once played a drunken Indian in a movie called Flap), and took up sculpting as a hobby, even winning first prize in a local exhibition.
Paulsen's first book, The Special War, was published in 1966, and he soon proved himself to be one of the most prolific authors in the United States. In little over a decade, working mainly out of northern Minnesota—where he returned after becoming disillusioned with Hollywood—he published nearly forty books and close to two hundred articles and stories for magazines. Among Paulsen's diverse titles were a number of children's nonfiction books about animals, a biography of Martin Luther King, Jr., several humorous titles under the "Sports on the Light Side" series published by Raintree Press, two plays, adult fiction and nonfiction, and some initial ventures into juvenile fiction. On a bet with a friend, he once wrote eleven articles and short stories inside four days and sold all of them.
His prolific output was interrupted by a libel lawsuit brought against his 1977 young adult novel Winterkill, the powerful story of a semi-delinquent boy befriended by a hard-bitten cop named Duda in a small Minnesota town. Paulsen eventually won the case, but, as he noted, "the whole situation was so nasty and ugly that I stopped writing. I wanted nothing more to do with publishing and burned my bridges, so to speak." Unable to earn any other type of living, he went back to trapping for the state of Minnesota, working his sixty-mile trap line on foot or skis.
To help Paulsen in his hunting job, a friend gave him a team of sled dogs, a gift that ultimately had a profound influence on Paulsen. "One day, about midnight, we were crossing Clear Water Lake, which is about three miles long," Paulsen recounted. "There was a full moon shining so brightly on the snow you could read by it. There was no one around, and all I could hear was the rhythm of the dogs' breathing as they pulled the sled." The intensity of the moment prompted an impulsive seven-day trip by Paulsen through northern Minnesota. "I didn't go home—my wife was frantic—I didn't check lines, I just ran the dogs…. For food, we had a few beaver carcasses…. I was initiated into this incredibly ancient and very beautiful bond, and it was as if everything that had happened to me before ceased to exist." Paulsen afterwards made a resolution to permanently give up hunting and trapping, and proceeded to pursue dogsled racing as a hobby. He entered the grueling twelve-hundred-mile Iditarod race in Alaska in both 1983 and 1985, and this experience provided the basis for his award-winning novel Dogsong.
Paulsen's acclaimed young adult fiction—all written since the 1980s—often centers around teenage characters who arrive at an understanding of themselves and their world through pivotal experiences with nature. His writing has been praised for its almost poetic effect, and he is also credited with creating vivid descriptions of his characters' emotional states. Tracker tells about a thirteen-year-old boy who faces his first season of deer hunting alone while his grandfather is bedridden, dying of cancer. Ronald A. Jobe praised the novel in Language Arts as "powerfully written," adding that Paulsen "explores with the reader the innermost frustrations, hurts, and fears of the young boy." Tracker was the first book by Paulsen to receive wide critical and popular recognition.
Dogsong, a Newbery Medal honor book, is a rite-of-passage novel about a young Inuit boy named Russel who wishes to abandon the increasingly modern ways of his people. Through the guidance of a tribal elder, Russel learns to bow-hunt and dogsled, and eventually leads his own pack of dogs on a trip across Alaska and back. "While the language of … [Dogsong] is lyrical, Paulsen recognizes the reality of Russel's world—the dirty smoke and the stinking yellow fur of the bear," wrote Nel Ward in the Voice of Youth Advocates. "He also recognizes the reality of killing to save lives, and of dreaming to save sanity, in the communion between present and past, life and death, reality and imagination, in this majestic exploration into the Alaskan wilderness by a master author who knows his subject well."
Paulsen's novel Hatchet, also a Newbery honor book, tells the story of Brian, a thirteen-year-old thoroughly modern boy who is forced to survive alone in the Canadian woods after a plane crash. Like Russel in Dogsong, Hatchet's hero is also transformed by the wilderness. "By the time he is rescued, Brian is permanently changed," noted Suzanne Rahn in Twentieth-Century Children's Writers; "he is far more observant and thoughtful, and knows what is really important in his life." As noted in Children's Books and Their Creators, Hatchet became "one of the most popular adventure stories of all time," combining "elementary language with a riveting plot to produce a book both comprehensible and enjoyable for those children who frequently equate reading with frustration."
Hatchet proved so popular with readers that they demanded, and won, a number of sequels: The River, Brian's Winter, Brian's Return, and Brian's Hunt. In Brian's Hunt, Paulsen "delivers a gripping, gory tale about survival in the north woods, based on a real bear attack," noted Paula Rohrlick in Kliatt.
In My Life in Dog's Years, The Beet Fields: Memories of a Sixteenth Summer, Eastern Sun, Winter Moon, Caught by the Sea: My Life in Boats, and Guts: The True Stories behind Hatchet and the Brian Books Paulsen recounts stories from his own life, many of which he has fictionalized in his young-adult novels. While most of the remembrances are intended for an adult audience, one of his most powerful memoirs for young readers is Woodsong, an autobiographical account of Paulsen's life in Minnesota and Alaska while preparing his sled dogs to run the Iditarod. A reviewer noted in Horn Book that the "lure of the wilderness is always a potent draw, and Paulsen evokes its mysteries as well as anyone since Jack London." In another memoir intended for a teen readership, How Angel Peterson Got His Name, and Other Outrageous Tales about Extreme Sports, Paulsen recalls a number of daredevil stunts he and his friends performed during their early teen years. "Paulsen laces his tales with appealing '50s details and broad asides about the boys' personalities, ingenuity, and idiocy," noted a reviewer in Publishers Weekly.
Paulsen describes a different kind of growing up in Harris and Me: A Summer Remembered and The Amazing Life of Birds: The Twenty-day Puberty Journal of Duane Homer Leech, which are set in rural American homes. Raised by abusive and alcoholic parents, the preteen narrator in Harris and Me is sent to live with his uncle's family. In this new environment, the boy finds a degree of normalcy, although his new friend Harris leads him in escapades involving playing Tarzan in the barn's hayloft and using pig pens as the stage for G.I. Joe games. "Through it all," explained a reviewer for Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, "the lonely hero imperceptibly learns about belonging." In Voice of Youth Advocates, Penny Blubaugh pointed out that "for the first time in his life [the narrator] finds himself surrounded by love."
A twelve-year-old is the narrator of The Amazing Life of Birds, and he shares his uncomfortable experience of adolescence in a humorous journal that "manages to both entertain and reassure" according to Kliatt contributor Paula Rohrlick. Contemplative by nature, Duane finds that his ongoing observations of a bird preparing to leave the nest outside his bedroom window parallel his own growing need for independence. Describing The Amazing Life of Birds as "a quick and enjoyable take on school and family," Booklist contributor Todd Morning maintained that Paulson retains the interest of reluctant readers by sustain a "tone [that is] light and amusing."
The narrator of Paulsen's award-winning middle-grade novel Lawn Boy is the same age as Duane, although he has a very different set of problems. In fact, the twelve-year-old narrator of Lawn Boy is overwhelmed by success. When he receives an old riding lawn mower as a birthday gift from his grandmother, Paulsen's preteen protagonist decides to capitalize on the fact that he lives in a large suburban neighborhood. He begins a lawn-mowing service and quickly finds that his service is in great demand. When a cash-strapped client barters his services as an investment consultant for a regularly maintained lawn, the narrator gets a crash course in capitalism but finds that a growing portfolio can quickly translate into a growing headache. "With all the energy of a bull market and a farce that grows as steadily as crabgrass," Lawn Boy "has summer escapism written all over it," concluded Horn Book contributor Betty Carter.
In books like Nightjohn, Mr. Tucket, and The Legend of Bass Reeves: Being the True and Fictional Account of the Most Valiant Marshal in the West, Paulsen draws on history for literary inspiration. Nightjohn is set in the nineteenth-century South and revolves around Sarny, a young slave girl who risks severe punishment when she is persuaded to learn to read by Nightjohn, a runaway slave who has just been recaptured. A commentator for Kirkus Reviews called Nightjohn "a searing picture of slavery" and an "unbearably vivid book."
Sarny is reprised as a character in Sarny: A Life Remembered, in which the former slave narrates her life in 1930, at the ripe old age of ninety-four. A focal point of the woman's story is the fact that she learned to read: this saves her on more than one occasion. Sarny's "story makes absorbing reading," concluded Bruce Anne Shook in a School Library Journal review.
In Mr. Tucket fourteen-year-old Francis Tucket has a number of hair-raising adventures when he is captured by the Pawnee after wandering away from his family's Oregon-bound wagon train. After Francis escapes from the tribe, a one-armed fur trader named Jason Grimes continues the young teen's frontier education. Tucket's adventures are continued in several more works, including Call Me Francis Tucket, Tucket's Ride, and Tucket's Home.
In a mix of fact and fiction, Paulsen brings to life a fascinating character from America's mythic Wild West in The Legend of Bass Reeves. Born a slave, Reeves learned cowboy skills such as riding and shooting while helping to defend the property of his master, a Texas rancher, from Indian attacks. Although much of Reeves's childhood remains unknown, Paulsen creates an entertaining backstory in his novel, showing Reeves escaping from his unjust master, fleeing to the Oklahoma Territory in the 1840s, and becoming an officer of the law. In fact, Reeves became a legendary federal marshal and was known for never drawing his gun first. The Legend of Bass Reeves was praised by Kliatt critic Janice Flint-Ferguson as "a fascinating story of what it took to survive in the American West," enriched by Paulsen's introductory comments regarding the crafting of the novel from original newspaper accounts. Reeves becomes "a fully fleshed-out character whose story is made all the more satisfying by the truth behind it," concluded Laurie Slagenwhite in her School Library Journal review.
The White Fox Chronicles is a departure for Paulsen in its futuristic setting and a plot that a Publishers Weekly reviewer likened to that of a "shoot-'em-up computer game." The novel's hero is fourteen-year-old Cody, who has been captured by the nefarious Confederation of Consolidated Republics, a group that has overrun the United States and is hatching Nazi-like purges of its enemies. A Publishers Weekly reviewer noted that the work will cause readers to "cheer on the good guys without ever fearing that they might not triumph in the end." Paulsen's The Time Hackers also employs elements of science fiction, as a seventh-grader discovers that he is able to travel through time using his laptop computer. "Paulsen writes with his usual skill, creating believable characters and moving the action along at a fairly fast pace," noted Booklist contributor Cindy Welch.
A prolific author whose career has spanned over five decades, Paulsen follows a rigorous writing schedule. As he related to Sharon Miller Cindrich in the Writer, he has worked "eighteen hours a day, seven days a week for about ten years. Writers like me are extinct. People don't do that anymore. They don't study. The dedication, obsession, the compulsion-driven need to be like me is just not done anymore. I just work." Asked to describe his motivation, Paulsen replied in typically blunt fashion, "There is no motivation; it's just what I do. It's my nature. The stories are like a river that's going by all the time, and I just ‘bucket in’ and up comes a story. It's a cliché, but it's like that."
Paulsen's concern with literacy is personal: he still believes, as he told David Gale in a School Library Journal interview celebrating his Margaret A. Edwards Award, that "there's nothing that has happened to me that would have happened if a librarian hadn't got me to read…. All of our knowledge, everything we are—is locked up in books, and if you can't read, it's lost." Waging a one-writer campaign against illiteracy, Paulsen has consciously crafted his books with clean, spare language in order to attract reluctant readers. It is exactly this empathic power that has made him such a popular and respected author. As Gary M. Salvner commented in Writers for Young Adults: "Whether angry or happy, whether writing about survival or growing up, Gary Paulsen is always a hopeful writer, for he believes that young people must be respected as they are guided into adulthood. And he continues to write enthusiastically, commenting that he has ‘fallen in love with writing, with the dance of it.’ Taken together, Gary Paulsen's sense of purpose and love of writing ensure that he will continue to write enjoyable and effective books for young adults for years to come."
BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:
BOOKS
Beacham's Guide to Literature for Young Adults, Beacham (Osprey, FL), Volume 6, 1994, Volume 7, 1994, Volume 8, 1994, Gale (Detroit, MI), Volume 10, 2000, Volume 11, 2001.
Children's Books and Their Creators, edited by Anita Silvey, Houghton Mifflin (Boston, MA), 1995.
Children's Literature Review, Gale (Detroit, MI), Volume 19, 1990, Volume 54, 1999.
Drew, Bernard A., The 100 Most Popular Young Adult Authors: Biographical Sketches and Bibliographies, Libraries Unlimited, Inc., 1996.
Peters, Stephanie True, Gary Paulsen, Learning Works, 1999.
St. James Guide to Young-Adult Writers, St. James Press (Detroit, MI), 1999.
Salvner, Gary M., Presenting Gary Paulsen, Twayne (New York, NY), 1996.
Twentieth-Century Children's Writers, 4th edition, St. James Press (Detroit, MI), 1995.
Writers for Young Adults, Scribner (New York, NY), 1997.
PERIODICALS
Booklist, November 1, 1992, p. 514; December 15, 1992, Hazel Rochman, review of Nightjohn, pp. 727-728; January 15, 1993, Ilene Cooper, review of Eastern Sun, Winter Moon: An Autobiographical Odyssey, p. 850; February 15, 1994, Hazel Rochman, review of Winterdance: The Fine Madness of Running the Iditarod, p. 1051; March 15, 1995, review of Harris and Me: A Summer Remembered, p. 1323; December 15, 1995, Hazel Rochman, review of Brian's Winter, p. 700; January 1, 1998, Stephanie Zvirin, review of My Life in Dog Years, p. 799; May 15, 1998, Roger Leslie, review of The Transall Saga, p. 1623; June 1, 1998, Carolyn Phelan, review of Soldier's Heart: A Novel of the Civil War, p. 1750; January 1, 1999, reviews of My Life in Dog Years and Soldier's Heart, p. 782, and Stephanie Zvirin, interview with Paulsen, p. 864; February 1, 1999, review of Brian's Return, p. 975, and Kay Weisman, review of Canoe Days, p. 982; February 15, 1999, Karen Harris, review of Sarny: A Life Remembered, p. 1084; June 1, 1999, Roger Leslie, review of Alida's Song, p. 1816; December 1, 1999, Kay Weisman, review of Tucket's Gold, p. 707; July, 2000, review of The Beet Fields: Memories of a Sixteenth Summer, p. 2033; August, 2000, Gillian Engberg, review of The White Fox Chronicles, p. 2131; September 1, 2000, Kay Weisman, review of Tucket's Home, p. 119; December 1, 2000, Stephanie Zvirin, review of The Beet Fields, p. 693; February 15, 2001, Kelly Milner Halls, review of Guts: The True Story behind Hatchet and the Brian Books, p. 1128; August, 2001, Elaine Hanson, review of Tucket's Home, p. 2142; September 15, 2001, review of Caught by the Sea: My Life in Boats, p. 222; December 15, 2002, GraceAnne A. DeCandido, review of How Angel Peterson Got His Name: And Other Outrageous Tales about Extreme Sports, p. 754; August, 2003, Kathleen Odean, review of Shelf Life: Stories by the Book, p. 1983; September 1, 2003, Ilene Cooper, review of The Glass Café; or, The Stripperand the State: How My Mother Started a War with the System That Made Us Kind of Rich and a Little Bit Famous, p. 115; January 1, 2004, Michael Cart, review of Brian's Hunt, p. 848; May 15, 2004, Hazel Rochman, review of The Quilt, p. 1632; January 1, 2005, Cindy Welch, review of The Time Hackers, p. 860; July 1, 2006, Todd Morning, review of The Amazing Life of Birds: The Twenty-day Puberty Journal of Duane Homer Leech, p. 52.
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, February, 1993, review of Nightjohn, pp. 187-188; January, 1994, review of Harris and Me, pp. 164-165; June, 1995, review of The Tent: A Parable in One Sitting, pp. 356-357; October, 1995, review of The Rifle, pp. 64-65; March, 1998, review of My Life in Dog Years, pp. 254-255; September, 1998, review of Soldier's Heart, p. 26; September, 1999, review of Alida's Song, pp. 26-27; October, 2000, review of The Beet Fields, p. 79; February, 2003, review of How Angel Peterson Got His Name and Other Outrageous Tales about Extreme Sports, p. 247.
Horn Book, July-August, 1983, Dorcas Hand, review of Dancing Carl, pp. 446-447; November-December, 1990, review of Woodsong, p. 762; November, 1998, Nancy Vasilakis, review of Soldier's Heart, p. 737, and Kristi Beavin, review of Sarny, p. 768; January, 1999, review of Brian's Return, p. 69; September, 2001, review of Three Days, p. 590; July-August, 2007, Betty Carter, review of Lawn Boy, p. 402.
Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, October, 2004, Jo Ann Yazzie, review of The Glass Café, p. 175.
Kirkus Reviews, July 15, 1987, review of The Crossing, p. 1074; June 15, 1991, review of The River, p. 792; January 1, 1993, review of Eastern Sun, Winter Moon, p. 48; January 1, 1993, review of Nightjohn, p. 67; June 1, 2003, review of The Glass Café, p. 809; November 15, 2003, review of Brian's Hunt, p. 1362; April 1, 2004, review of The Quilt, p. 335; September 1, 2004, review of Molly McGinty Has a Really Good Day, p. 872.
Kliatt, March, 2003, Jennifer Banas, review of Guts, p. 44; July, 2003, Paula Rohrlick, review of The Glass Café, p. 16; January, 2004, Paula Rohrlick, review of Brian's Hunt, pp. 10-11; May, 2004, Tom Adamich, review of Caught by the Sea, p. 34; May, 2006, Paula Rohrlick, review of The Amazing Life of Birds, p. 13; July, 2006, Janis Flint-Ferguson, review of The Legend of Bass Reeves: Being the True and Fictional Account of the Most Valiant Marshal in the West, p. 12.
Language Arts, September, 1984, Ronald A. Jobe, review of Tracker, p. 527.
Los Angeles Times Book Review, March 21, 1993, Tim Winton, "His Own World War," pp. 1, 11.
New York Times Book Review, August 26, 2006, Anne Goodwin Sides, "On the Road and between the Pages, an Author Is Restless for Adventure."
Publishers Weekly, September 29, 1989, review of The Winter Room, p. 69; December 14, 1992, review of Nightjohn, p. 58; July 3, 1995, review of Call Me Francis Tucket, p. 62; August 11, 1997, review of Sarny, p. 403; May 25, 1998, review of The Transall Saga, p. 91; July 20, 1998, review of Soldier's Heart, p. 221; January 11, 1999, review of Brian's Return, p. 26; May 31, 1999, review of Alida's Song, pp. 94-95; September 6, 1999, review of Sarny, p. 106; February 14, 2000, Leonard S. Marcus, interview with Paulsen, p. 98; June 26, 2000, review of The White Fox Chronicles, p. 75; September 4, 2000, review of The Beet Fields, p. 109; June 25, 2001, review of Canoe Days, p. 75; November 18, 2002, review of Guts, p. 63; January 20, 2003, review of How Angel Peterson Got His Name, p. 83; June 30, 2003, reviews of Shelf Life, p. 79, and The Glass Café, p. 81; August 30, 2004, review of Molly McGinty Has a Really Good Day, p. 56; January 24, 2005, review of The Time Hackers, p. 245.
Riverbank Review, spring, 1999, Gary Paulsen, "The True Face of War," pp. 25-26.
School Library Journal, August, 1993, Carol Clark, review of Eastern Sun, Winter Moon, pp. 208-209; January, 1994, Lee Bock, review of Harris and Me, p. 132; May, 1995, Tom S. Hurlburt, review of The Tent, p. 122; August, 1995, review of Winterdance, p. 38; November, 1996, Mollie Bynum, review of Puppies, Dogs, and Blue Northers: Reflections on Being Raised by a Pack of Sled Dogs, p. 130; June, 1997, David Gale, "The Maximum Expression of Being Human," pp. 24-29; September, 1997, Bruce Anne Shook, review of Sarny, p. 224; March, 1998, review of Woodsong, p. 238; May, 1998, John Peters, review of The Transall Saga, p. 147; September, 1998, Steve Engelfried, review of Soldier's Heart, p. 206; August, 1999, Suzette Kragenbrink, review of The Transall Saga, p. 70; October, 1999, Coop Renner, review of Tucket's Gold, p. 156; January, 2000, Barbara S. Wysocki, review of Soldier's Heart, p. 74; August, 2000, Trish Anderson, review of The White Fox Chronicles, p. 188; September, 2000, Vicki Reutter, review of The Beet Fields, and Victoria Kidd, review of Tucket's Home, p. 235; October, 2001, Vicki Reutter, review of Caught by the Sea, p. 190; February, 2003, Vicki Reutter, review of HowAngel Peterson Got His Name, p. 168; August, 2003, Edward Sullivan, review of Shelf Life, p. 164; November, 2003, Carol Fazioli, review of The Beet Fields, p. 84; December, 2003, Sean George, review of Brian's Hunt, p. 158; May, 2004, Vicki Reutter, review of Guts, p. 65, and review of Winterdance, p. 66, and Edith Ching, review of The Quilt, p. 156; September, 2004, Jean Gaffney, review of Molly McGinty Has a Really Good Day, p. 215; January, 2005, Diana Pierce, review of The Time Hackers, pp. 134-135; August, 2006, Laurie Slagenwhite, review of The Legend of Bass Reeves, p. 128.
Voice of Youth Advocates, December, 1985, Nel Ward, review of Dogsong, pp. 321-322; June, 1988, Evie Wilson, review of The Island, pp. 89-90; February, 1994, Penny Blubaugh, review of Harris and Me, p. 371; April, 1994, review of Mr. Tucket, p. 29; October, 1994, review of Winterdance, p. 234; February, 1996, review of The Rifle, p. 375; February, 1997, Helen Turner, review of Brian's Winter, p. 332, and review of Puppies, Dogs, and Blue Northers, p. 352; April, 1998, review of My Life in Dog Years, p. 71; April, 1998, review of Hatchet, p. 42.
Wilson Library Bulletin, January, 1993, Frances Bradburn, "Middle Books," pp. 87-88.
Writer, June, 2004, Sharon Miller Cindrich, "Gary Paulsen's Love Affair with Writing," p. 22.
Writer's Digest, January, 1980, F. Serdahely, "Prolific Paulsen," July, 1994, pp. 42-44, 65.
ONLINE
Random House Web site,http://www.randomhouse.com/ (June 9, 2008), "Gary Paulsen."
Paulsen, Gary 1939-
PAULSEN, Gary 1939-
PERSONAL: Born May 17, 1939, in Minneapolis, MN; son of Oscar (an Army officer) and Eunice Paulsen; married third wife, Ruth Ellen Wright (an artist), May 5, 1971; children: (first marriage) two; (third marriage) James Wright. Education: Attended Bemidji College, 1957-58; and University of Colorado, 1976. Religion: "Spiritual progress."
ADDRESSES: Home—New Mexico and on a boat in the Pacific. Office—c/o Children's Publicity, Bantam Dell Publishing Group, 1540 Broadway, New York, NY 10036. Agent—Flannery Literary, 1140 Wickfield Ct., Naperville, IL 60563-3300.
CAREER: Writer. Worked variously as a teacher, electronics field engineer, soldier, actor, director, farmer, rancher, truck driver, trapper, professional archer, migrant farm worker, singer, and sailor. Military service: U.S. Army, 1959-62; became sergeant.
AWARDS, HONORS: Central Missouri Award for Children's Literature, 1976; New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age selection, 1980, 1981, and 1982, for The Green Recruit, and 1982, for Sailing: From Jibs to Jibing; American Library Association Best Young-Adult Book designation, 1983, for Dancing Carl, and 1984, for Tracker; Society of Midland Authors Award, 1985, for Tracker; Parents' Choice Award, Parents' Choice Foundation, 1985; Child Study Association of America Children's Books of the Year designation, and Newbery Honor Book, both 1986, both for Dogsong; Newbery Honor Book, 1988, and Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award, 1989, both for Hatchet; Parenting Reading-Magic Award, International Reading Association (IRA) Teachers' Choice Award, and Learning Best Book of the Year citation, all 1990, all for The Voyage of the Frog; Newbery Honor Book, Judy Lopez Memorial Award, and Parenting Best Book of the Year citation, all 1990, all for The Winter Room; Parents' Choice award, 1991, for The Boy Who Owned the School; ALAN Award, 1991; Western Writers of America Spur award, Booklist Editor's Choice citation, and Society of Midland Authors Book Award, all 1991, all for Woodson; Spur Award, 1993, for The Haymeadow; Children's Choice citation, IRA/Children's Book Council, 1994, for Nightjohn and Dogteam; PEN Center USA West Children's Literature Award finalist, 1994, for Sisters/Hermanas; Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement, 1997; Young Adult Library Services Association Best Books for Young Adults designation, 1998, for The Schernoff Discoveries.
WRITINGS:
NOVELS
The Implosion Effect, Major Books (Canoga Park, CA), 1976.
The Death Specialists, Major Books (Canoga Park, CA), 1976.
The Foxman, Thomas Nelson (Nashville, TN), 1977.
Winterkill, Thomas Nelson (Nashville, TN), 1977.
Tiltawhirl John, Thomas Nelson (Nashville, TN), 1977.
C. B. Jockey, Major Books (Canoga Park, CA), 1977.
The Night the White Deer Died, Thomas Nelson (Nashville, TN), 1978.
Hope and a Hatchet, Thomas Nelson (Nashville, TN), 1978.
(With Ray Peekner) The Green Recruit, Independence Press (Independence, MO), 1978.
Meteorite-Track 291, Dell (New York, NY), 1979.
The Spitball Gang, Elsevier/Nelson (New York, NY), 1980.
The Sweeper, Harlequin (Tarrytown, NY), 1981.
Compkill, Pinnacle Books (New York, NY), 1981.
Clutterkill, Harlequin (Tarrytown, NY), 1982.
Popcorn Days and Buttermilk Nights, Lodestar (New York, NY), 1983.
Dancing Carl, Bradbury (Scarsdale, NY), 1983.
Tracker, Bradbury (Scarsdale, NY), 1984.
Dogsong, Bradbury (Scarsdale, NY), 1985.
The Crossing, Paperback Library (New York, NY), 1987.
Hatchet, Orchard Books (New York, NY), 1987, revised edition, Aladdin (New York, NY), 1999.
Murphy (western), Walker & Co. (New York, NY), 1987.
The Island, Orchard Books (New York, NY), 1988.
Murphy's Gold (western), Walker & Co. (New York, NY), 1988.
Murphy's Herd (western), Walker & Co. (New York, NY), 1989.
Night Rituals, Donald I. Fine (New York, NY), 1989.
The Boy Who Owned the School: A Comedy of Love, Orchard Books (New York, NY), 1990.
Canyons, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1990.
Kill Fee, Donald I. Fine (New York, NY), 1990.
Woodsong, illustrated by wife, Ruth Paulsen, Bradbury (Scarsdale, NY), 1990.
Murphy's War (western), Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1990.
The Cookcamp, Orchard Books (New York, NY), 1991.
Monument, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1991.
The River, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1991.
The Winter Room, Dell (New York, NY), 1991.
A Christmas Sonata, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1992.
Clabbered Dirt, Sweet Grass, paintings by Ruth Paulsen, Harcourt (New York, NY), 1992.
The Haymeadow, Doubleday (New York, NY), 1992.
Dogteam, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1993.
Murphy's Stand (western), Walker & Co. (New York, NY), 1993.
Nightjohn, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1993.
Sisters/Hermanas, Harcourt (New York, NY), 1993.
The Car, Harcourt (New York, NY), 1994.
Legend of Red Horse Cavern, Dell (New York, NY), 1994.
Rodomonte's Revenge, Dell (New York, NY), 1994.
Winterdance: The Fine Madness of Running the Iditarod, Harcourt (New York, NY), 1994.
Call Me Francis Tucket, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1995.
Danger on Midnight River, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1995.
Hook 'Em, Snotty!, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1995.
The Tent: A Tale in One Sitting, Harcourt (New York, NY), 1995.
The Rifle, Harcourt (New York, NY), 1995.
Murphy's Ambush (western), Walker & Co. (New York, NY), 1995.
The Tortilla Factory, Harcourt (New York, NY), 1995.
Murphy's Trail, Walker (New York, NY), 1996.
Brian's Winter, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1996.
Worksong, Harcourt (New York, NY), 1997.
Sarny: A Life Remembered, Bantam (New York, NY), 1997.
Tucket's Ride, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1997.
The Schernoff Discoveries, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1997.
Soldier's Heart: A Novel of the Civil War, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1998.
The Transall Saga, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1998.
Alida's Song, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1999.
Brian's Return, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1999.
Canoe Days, Doubleday (New York, NY), 1999.
Escape, Return, Breakout, Delacorte (New York, NY), 2000.
Tucket's Home, Delacorte (New York, NY), 2000.
The White Fox Chronicles, Delacorte (New York, NY), 2000.
The Glass Café; or, The Stripper and the State: How My Mother Started a War with the System That Made Us Kind of Rich and a Little Bit Famous, Wendy Lamb Books (New York, NY), 2003.
Brian's Hunt, Wendy Lamb Books (New York, NY), 2004.
Molly McGinty Has a Really Good Day, Wendy Lamb Books (New York, NY), 2004.
The Quilt, Wendy Lamb Books (New York, NY), 2004.
SHORT STORIES
Sentries, Bradbury (Scarsdale, NY), 1986.
The Madonna Stories, Van Vliet (Minneapolis, MN), 1989.
(Editor) Shelf Life: Stories by the Book, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 2003.
NONFICTION
(With Raymond Friday Locke) The Special War, Sirkay (Los Angeles, CA), 1966.
Some Birds Don't Fly, Rand McNally (Chicago, IL), 1969.
The Building a New, Buying an Old, Remodeling a Used, Comprehensive Home and Shelter Book, Prentice-Hall (New York, NY), 1976.
Puppies, Dogs, and Blue Northers: Reflections on Being Raised by a Pack of Sled Dogs, Harcourt (New York, NY), 1976.
Farm: A History and Celebration of the American Farmer, Prentice-Hall (Englewood Cliffs, NJ), 1977.
(With John Morris) Hiking and Backpacking, illustrated by Ruth Paulsen, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1978.
Successful Home Repair: When Not to Call the Contractor, Structures (Farmington, MI), 1978.
(With John Morris) Canoeing, Kayaking, and Rafting, illustrated by John Peterson and Jack Storholm, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1979.
Money-Saving Home Repair Guide, Ideals (State College, PA), 1981.
Beat the System: A Survival Guide, Pinnacle Books (New York, NY), 1983.
Eastern Sun, Winter Moon: An Autobiographical Odyssey, Harcourt (New York, NY), 1993.
Harris and Me: A Summer Remembered, Harcourt (New York, NY), 1993.
Father Water, Mother Woods: Essays on Fishing and Hunting in the North Woods, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1994.
Pilgrimage on a Steelride: A Memoir about Men and Motorcycles, Harcourt (New York, NY), 1997.
My Life in Dog Years, Bantam (New York, NY), 1998.
The Beet Fields: Memories of a Sixteenth Summer, Delacorte (New York, NY), 2000.
Caught by the Sea: My Life on Boats, Delacorte (New York, NY), 2001.
Guts: The True Stories behind "Hatchet" and the "Brian" Books, Delacorte (New York, NY), 2001.
How Angel Peterson Got His Name: And Other Outrageous Tales about Extreme Sports, Wendy Lamb Books (New York, NY), 2003.
FOR CHILDREN
Mr. Tucket, Funk & Wagnall (New York, NY), 1968.
(With Dan Theis) Martin Luther King: The Man Who Climbed the Mountain, Raintree (Milwaukee, WI), 1976.
The Small Ones, illustrated by K. Goff, photographs by W. Miller, Raintree (Milwaukee, WI), 1976.
The Grass Eaters: Real Animals, illustrated by K. Goff, photographs by W. Miller, Raintree (Milwaukee, WI), 1976.
Dribbling, Shooting, and Scoring Sometimes, Raintree (Milwaukee, WI), 1976.
Hitting, Pitching, and Running Maybe, Raintree (Milwaukee, WI), 1976.
Tackling, Running, and Kicking—Now and Again, Raintree (Milwaukee, WI), 1977.
Riding, Roping, and Bulldogging—Almost, Raintree (Milwaukee, WI), 1977.
The Golden Stick, Raintree (Milwaukee, WI), 1977.
Careers in an Airport, photographs by Roger Nye, Raintree (Milwaukee, WI), 1977.
The CB Radio Caper, illustrated by John Asquith, Raintree (Milwaukee, WI), 1977.
The Curse of the Cobra, illustrated by Asquith, Rain-tree (Milwaukee, WI), 1977.
Running, Jumping, and Throwing—If You Can, photographs by Heinz Kluetmeier, Raintree (Milwaukee, WI), 1978, revised with Roger Barrett as Athletics, Macdonald (Milwaukee, WI), 1980.
Forehanding and Backhanding—If You're Lucky, photographs by Heinz Kluetmeier, Raintree (Milwaukee, WI), 1978, revised with Roger Barrett as Tennis, Macdonald (Milwaukee, WI), 1980.
Downhill, Hotdogging, and Cross-Country—If the Snow Isn't Sticky, photographs by Willis Wood and Heinz Kluetmeier, Raintree (Milwaukee, WI), 1979, revised with Roger Barrett as Skiing, Macdonald (Milwaukee, WI), 1980.
Facing off, Checking, and Goaltending—Perhaps, photographs by Melchior DeGiacomo and Heinz Kluetmeier, Raintree (Milwaukee, WI), 1979, revised with Roger Barrett as Ice Hockey, Raintree (Milwaukee, WI), 1980.
Going Very Fast in a Circle—If You Don't Run Out of Gas, photographs by Heinz Kluetmeier and Bob D'Olivo, Raintree (Milwaukee, WI), 1979, revised with Roger Barrett as Motor Racing, Macdonald (Milwaukee, WI), 1980.
Launching, Floating High, and Landing—If Your Pilot Light Doesn't Go Out, photographs by Heinz Kluetmeier, Raintree (Milwaukee, WI), 1979, revised as Full of Hot Air: Launching, Floating High, and Landing, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1993.
Pummeling, Falling, and Getting Up—Sometimes, photographs by Heinz Kluetmeier and Joe DiMaggio, Raintree (Milwaukee, WI), 1979.
Track, Enduro, and Motocross—Unless You Fall Over, photographs by Heinz Kluetmeier and others, Raintree (Milwaukee, WI), 1979, revised with Roger Barrett as Motor-cycling, Macdonald (Milwaukee, WI), 1980.
(With Art Browne, Jr.) TV and Movie Animals, Messner (New York, NY), 1980.
Sailing: From Jibs to Jibing, illustrated by Ruth Paulsen, Messner (New York, NY), 1981.
Voyage of the Frog, Orchard Books (New York, NY), 1989.
"CULPEPPER ADVENTURES" SERIES; FOR CHILDREN
The Case of the Dirty Bird, Dell (New York, NY), 1992.
Dunc's Doll, Dell (New York, NY), 1992.
Culpepper's Cannon, Dell (New York, NY), 1992.
Dunc Gets Tweaked, Dell (New York, NY), 1992.
Dunc's Halloween, Dell (New York, NY), 1992.
Dunc Breaks the Record, Dell (New York, NY), 1992.
Dunc and the Flaming Ghost, Dell (New York, NY), 1992.
Amos Gets Famous, Dell (New York, NY), 1993.
Dunc and Amos Hit the Big Top, Dell (New York, NY), 1993.
Dunc's Dump, Dell (New York, NY), 1993.
Amos's Last Stand, Dell (New York, NY), 1993.
The Wild Culpepper Cruise, Dell (New York, NY), 1993.
Dunc's Undercover, Dell (New York, NY), 1993.
Dunc and Amos and the Red Tattoos, Dell (New York, NY), 1993.
Dunc and the Haunted House, Dell (New York, NY), 1993.
Cowpokes and Desperadoes, Dell (New York, NY), 1994.
Prince Amos, Dell (New York, NY), 1994.
Coach Amos, Dell (New York, NY), 1994.
Amos and the Alien, Dell (New York, NY), 1994.
Dunc and Amos Meet the Slasher, Dell (New York, NY), 1994.
Dunc and the Greased Sticks of Doom, Dell (New York, NY), 1994.
Amos's Killer Concert Caper, Dell (New York, NY), 1995.
Amos Gets Married, Dell (New York, NY), 1995.
Amos Goes Bananas, Dell (New York, NY), 1995.
Dunc and Amos Go to the Dogs, Dell (New York, NY), 1995.
Amos Binder, Secret Agent, Yearling Books (New York, NY), 1997.
"WORLD OF ADVENTURE" SERIES; FOR CHILDREN
Escape from Fire Mountain, Dell (New York, NY), 1995.
Rock Jockeys, Dell (New York, NY), 1995.
Captive!, Dell (New York, NY), 1996.
Skydive!, Yearling Books (New York, NY), 1996.
The Treasure of El Patron, Dell (New York, NY), 1996.
OTHER
Communications (one-act play), produced in New Mexico, 1974.
Together-Apart (one-act play), produced at Changing Scene Theater, 1976.
Also author of The Winter Stories and The Meat-grinder and of the screenplay A Cry in the Wind. Contributor of short stories and articles to periodicals.
ADAPTATIONS: Dogsong was adapted as a filmstrip with cassette, Random House/Miller-Brody, 1986. Dancing Carl was adapted as a narrative ballet for two dancers, original music by John Collins and choreography by Nancy Keller, and aired on Minnesota Public Television. Numerous books by Paulsen have been adapted as audiobooks.
SIDELIGHTS: Gary Paulsen has written prolifically in several genres, and is acclaimed as an author of powerful fiction for young-adult readers. Paulsen's books are frequently set in wilderness areas, where his protagonists deepen their self-awareness through their experiences in nature and often undergo challenging tests of their survival skills. Paulsen's expertise in this area is real: his life experiences include working as a government trapper in Minnesota and competing twice in the Alaskan Iditarod, a grueling dogsled race. His respect for and understanding of nature is evident in works such as Tracker, in which he tells the tale of a teen whose grandfather becomes ill, leaving the boy to hunt alone in order to supply meat for the family. In the novel, Paulsen evokes the mystical relationship between hunter and prey, and shows how the deer's death helps the boy come to grips with his grandfather's terminal illness. Writing in Best Sellers, Eugene J. Lineham praised the author's style, commenting, "There is poetic majesty in the descriptions without a touch of condescension to the young."
Paulsen's own childhood was riddled with many difficulties. His father was in the U.S. Army and the family moved often; both his parents were alcoholics, and his mother was also a drug addict who suffered from mental illness. Often left alone or in the care of relatives, Paulsen disliked school and was a poor student, more concerned with after-school jobs such as selling newspapers. Recalling that period in an interview with Leonard S. Marcus for Publishers Weekly, the author recalled: "I sold newspapers at night in bars, and I found that if I let the drunks get a little drunker, I could get a little more money for my papers. Instead of a dime, I could get a quarter." While waiting to make some sales one winter night, he entered the local library to warm up. "The librarian asked me if I would like a library card. I was a real cocky kid, and I said, 'Sure, why not.' So she gave me a card, and the most astonishing thing happened. This silly little card with my name on it gave me an identity I had not had. I felt I had become somebody." With the encouragement of the librarian, Paulsen became an avid reader.
At the age of fourteen, Paulsen ran away from home and began traveling with a carnival. Eventually his wandering led him to work as a migrant farm hand, a construction worker, a truck driver, a sailor, and an engineer. The picaresque adventures he had at this time have formed the basis of several autobiographical volumes, as well as providing material for fiction. His writing career was begun impulsively, and he worked at it steadily for some years, moving from California to Minnesota to New Mexico and Colorado. He sold a few adult novels and some how-to books, and had a respectable success with his young-adult book Winterkill. That book, however, was such a personal reminiscence that it sparked a libel suit. The ensuing legal battle, combined with mounting problems related to alcohol, caused Paulsen to give up writing altogether for about two years. He threw himself into the life of a dogsled racer, which consumed most of his waking life. When a medical condition forced him to sell his dog teams, he returned to writing with the same intensity he had applied to his canine endeavors. Dogs and sled-dog racing have figured prominently in many of his books.
Although Paulsen has written adult fiction, memoirs, and various types of nonfiction, it is his young-adult fiction for which he is best known. In his first success, Winterkill, the narrator looks back at his turbulent teen years, focusing on a policeman named Duda, who gave the youth some much-needed guidance and protection. Duda dies tragically, killed in the line of duty. In Paulsen's novel Hatchet, the pilot of a single-engine plane has a heart attack and dies, crashing his plane in the Canadian wilderness. Brian Robeson, the sole passenger, must put aside his troubled thoughts about his parents' divorce and try to survive, armed only with a hatchet his mother gave him as a parting gift. The tension surrounding Brian's struggle to survive is enhanced by Paulsen's "staccato, repetitive style," according to a Kirkus Reviews contributor, who called Hatchet a "plausible, taut, . . . [and] spellbinding account." Comparing Paulsen to best-selling authors Robert Cormier and Paula Fox, Christian Science Monitor contributor Stephen Fraser claimed that Hatchet "deserves special attention. Written in terse, poetic prose, it is an adventure story in the best tradition." Brian's story is continued in Brian's Return and Brian's Winter, which relate his difficulties in returning to everyday life following his wilderness experiences.
Dancing Carl deviates from Paulsen's adventure stories and focuses on interpersonal relationships. When two twelve-year-old boys first meet Carl, an enigmatic man in the flight jacket, they think he is an alcoholic and a bum. They quickly learn that Carl is much more than that; he takes over the skating rink with the power of his presence, and over the course of the winter becomes the topic of the whole town's conversations. With his dance-like movements he expresses his emotions, and the people who watch are made to feel things too, such as repentance for a violent act, happy memories of someone who just died, Carl's pain and terror of his war experience, and Carl's love for a woman. "Readers will come away with a sense of having met an intriguing person," wrote Jane E. Gardner in School Library Journal. "Filled with poetry and with life," Dancing Carl "is . . . an insightful, beautifully written story," declared Dorcas Hand in Horn Book.
Another book that touches on the subject of war and its effect on lives is Sentries, a collection of stories about four young people who are given the opportunity to make their lives a success during peacetime and three young men whose lives are destroyed by choices made during war. The peacetime tales relate the stories of a girl who chooses between her Native American heritage and the white world, a migrant worker who commits to working with beet harvesters, a daughter who proves herself as capable as any son, and a gifted rock musician who creates a new music. These stories are juxtaposed with tales expressed through four battle hymns set during World War II and the Vietnam War. The purpose of these veterans' tales of mental and physical suffering and the looming threat of nuclear war is to ensure that readers do not take their choices and opportunities for granted and to encourage them to be sentries to protect their rights and freedoms. The juxtaposition of the war and peacetime chapters "conveys, better than philosophizing, the interconnections of life," according to New York Times Book Review contributor Doris Orgel. Noting that Sentries "is strange [and] hard to pigeonhole," Orgel found that although the protaganists do not interact and the combined tales do not create a novel, the "stories produce a unified effect." Voice of Youth Advocates reviewer Evie Wilson hailed Paulsen for assembling a collection of stories that remind readers of the deadly potential of "the formidable human waste nuclear war promises."
In books like Nightjohn and Mr. Tucket Paulsen draws on history for literary inspiration. The twelve-year-old heroine of Nightjohn is a slave who awaits the day when she will be designated a "breeder" by her master. As Sarny tries to deal with this repugnant eventuality, she surreptitiously takes reading lessons from an older slave named John. John pays a high price for being Sarny's teacher—two of his toes are cut off—but he is eventually able to escape and establish an underground school. In Mr. Tucket fourteen-year-old Francis Tucket has a number of hair-raising adventures when he is captured by the Pawnee after wandering away from his family's Oregon-bound wagon train. After Francis escapes from the tribe, a one-armed fur trader named Jason Grimes continues the young teen's frontier education. Tucket's adventures are continued in several more books, including Call Me Francis Tucket, Tucket's Ride, and Tucket's Home.
Another of Paulsen's historical novels to win widespread acclaim is Soldier's Heart, which tells the story of a young boy named Charley Goddard who enlists in the Union army at the age of fifteen. Charley's term of service takes him through some of the most horrifying carnage of the U.S. Civil War, and when he returns to civilian life he is burdened by a condition known as "soldier's heart"—what is now known as post-traumatic stress syndrome. The book's gory details and the horror of seeing young Charley transformed into a battle-crazed killer make for some "fascinating and horrific" passages, stated Nancy Vasilakis in Horn Book. She added: "The level of realism conveyed in this brief but powerful novel is rarely seen in children's books about the Civil War." A Publishers Weekly reviewer commented, "Charley comes across fully human, both his vulnerabilities and strengths becoming more pronounced as the novel progresses. Warfare, too, emerges complexly—while a lesser writer might attempt to teach readers to shun war by dint of the protagonist's profound disgust, Paulsen compounds the horrors of the battlefield by demonstrating how they trigger Charley's own bloodlust."
The traumas that go hand-in-hand with coming of age are also present in The Car, Paulsen's 1994 novel about a teen who deals with emotional upheaval by working on a car kit. Terry pours the frustration and anger he feels about his parents' separation into long hours with his tools, building the convertible his father never finished. In his review of The Car for School Library Journal, Tim Rausch called the author's characters "interesting" and added that "the action is brisk."
Rosa and Traci of Sisters/Hermanas have little in common—at least on the surface. Rosa is an illegal immigrant who turns to prostitution in order to survive; Traci is a well-liked junior high schooler whose biggest concerns revolve around cheerleading tryouts and new clothes. Both teens, however, are deeply obsessed with beauty and its impact on their future happiness. The two young women's lives ultimately intersect at a mall, where both girls are forced to face some unpleasant realities. This tale of culture clash and youthful dreams is especially unique in that the entire text appears in both English and Spanish. Summing up the novel in the Los Angeles Times Book Review, Yvonne Sapia termed the work "brief, ambitious, and told quite poetically."
Paulsen's series of novels about the American West features Al Murphy, a New Yorker in his early thirties who heads west with the army following the U.S. Civil War and becomes a lawman. David Whitehead of Twentieth-Century Western Writers described Murphy: "Although he is a lawman's lawman, whose actions are dictated more by instinct than conscious thought, Murphy soon proves to be more than just another gun-fast hero. In Paulsen's hands, he is as close to human—with all the foibles and contradictions that this entails—as any fictional character is likely to get." Murphy introduces the character as Paulsen's protagonist enforces the law in a Colorado town. When a girl is raped and murdered, Murphy's efforts to identify and capture the killer force him to consider his position in the community, which views him as a necessary evil. Murphy's hunches often amount to nothing, which, according to Whitehead, "serves only to make his dogged attempts at solving the crime all the more credible." Whitehead further praised the final resolution and the well-drawn cast of minor characters. The identity of the killer is revealed in Murphy's Gold, in which Murphy is still haunted by memories of the victim. The plot centers on the romantic possibilities between Murphy and Midge, a café owner, and Murphy's attempts to locate a Chinese woman's missing husband. In Murphy's War, Murphy has left the Colorado town and is keeping the peace in Fletcher, Wyoming. Tensions mount as he comes into conflict with a power-hungry storekeeper and a wealthy rancher intent on avenging the lynching death of his son.
Paulsen's own colorful life is the basis for his 1993 book Eastern Sun, Winter Moon: An Autobiographical Odyssey. Among the events chronicled are Paulsen's journey by car across the country to meet his long-absent father, his family's unsettling life in the Philippines, and the dissolution of his parents' marriage. While noting that the memoir lacks introspective depth, Tim Winton in the Los Angeles Times Book Review nevertheless found the book to be "no less powerful and dignified for its painful silences." Paulsen recounts more colorful episodes from his own life in How Angel Peterson Got His Name: And Other Outrageous Tales about Extreme Sports, Caught by the Sea: My Life on Boats, and The Beet Fields: Memories of a Sixteenth Summer. Many of the events described in The Beet Fields, while fictionalized in Paulsen's novels, in their original state are more "memorable and powerful," stated Vicki Reutter in a School Library Journal review of The Beet Fields. "Paulsen's simple but hard-edged prose strengthens this addition to his autobiographical odyssey."
Gary M. Salvner commented in Writers for Young Adults: "Whether angry or happy, whether writing about survival or growing up, Gary Paulsen is always a hopeful writer, for he believes that young people must be respected as they are guided into adulthood. And he continues to write enthusiastically, commenting that he has 'fallen in love with writing, with the dance of it.' Taken together, Gary Paulsen's sense of purpose and love of writing ensure that he will continue to write enjoyable and effective books for young adults for years to come."
BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:
BOOKS
Paulsen, Gary, The Beet Fields: Memories of a Sixteenth Summer, Delacorte Press (New York, NY), 2000.
Paulsen, Gary, Caught by the Sea: My Life on Boats, Delacorte (New York, NY), 2001.
Paulsen, Gary, How Angel Peterson Got His Name: And Other Outrageous Tales about Extreme Sports, Wendy Lamb Books (New York, NY), 2003.
Paulsen, Gary, Pilgrimage on a Steelride: A Memoir about Men and Motorcycles, Harcourt (New York, NY), 1997.
Paulsen Gary, Puppies, Dogs, and Blue Northers: Reflections on Being Raised by a Pack of Sled Dogs, Harcourt (New York, NY), 1996.
St. James Guide to Young Adult Readers, 2nd edition, St. James Press (Detroit, MI), 1999.
Salvner, Gary, M., Presenting Gary Paulsen, Twayne (New York, NY), 1996.
Twentieth-Century Children's Writers, 4th edition, St. James Press (Detroit, MI), 1995.
Twentieth-Century Western Writers, 2nd edition, St. James Press (Detroit, MI), 1991.
Writers for Young Adults, Scribner (New York, NY), 1997.
PERIODICALS
ALAN Review, fall, 1994, James A. Schmitz, "Gary Paulsen: A Writer of His Time."
Best Sellers, July, 1985.
Book, May-June, 2002, review of Guts: The True Stories behind "Hatchet" and the "Brian" Books, p. 29.
Booklist, December 15, 1997, Jeanette Larson, review of Tucket's Ride (audio version), p. 711; January 1, 1998, Stephanie Zvirin, review of My Life in Dog Years, p. 799; May 15, 1998, Roger Leslie, review of The Transall Saga, p. 1623; June 1, 1998, Carolyn Phelan, review of Soldier's Heart: A Novel of the Civil War, p. 1750; January 1, 1999, review of My Life in Dog Years and Soldier's Heart, p. 782, and Stephanie Zvirin, interview with Paulsen, p. 864; February 1, 1999, review of Brian's Return, p. 975, and Kay Weisman, review of Canoe Days, p. 982; February 15, 1999, Karen Harris, review of Sarney: A Life Remembered, p. 1084; April 1, 1999, Stephanie Zvirin, review of My Life in Dog Years, p. 1382; June 1, 1999, Roger Leslie, review of Alida's Song, p. 1816; December 1, 1999, Kay Weisman, review of Tucket's Gold, p. 707; February 15, 2000, Pat Austin, review of Soldier's Heart, p. 1129; July, 2000, review of The Beet Fields: Memories of a Sixteenth Summer, p. 2033; August, 2000, Gillian Engberg, review of The White Fox Chronicles, p. 2131; September 1, 2000, Kay Weisman, review of Tucket's Home, p. 119; December 1, 2000, Stephanie Zvirin, review of The Beet Fields, p. 693; February 15, 2001, Kelly Milner Halls, review of Guts, p. 1128; August, 2001, Elaine Hanson, review of Tucket's Home, p. 2142; September 15, 2001, review of Caught by the Sea, p. 222; December 15, 2002, GraceAnne A. DeCandido, review of How Angel Patterson Got His Name: And Other Outrageous Tales about Extreme Sports, p. 754; August, 2003, Kathleen Odean, review of Shelf Life: Stories by the Book, p. 1983.
Book Report, September-October, 1999, Deb Den Herder, review of Alida's Song, and Susie Nightingale, review of Brian's Return, p. 61.
Buffalo News, April 7, 1998, review of My Life in Dog Years, p. N7.
Christian Science Monitor, November 6, 1987, p. B5.
Denver Post, November 15, 1998, Claire Martin, review of Soldier's Heart, p. H2.
English Journal, November, 1999, Chris Crowe, review of Soldier's Heart, p. 147; January, 2001, Susan Nelson Wood, "Bringing Us the Way to Know: The Novels of Gary Paulsen," p. 67; November, 2001, review of The Beet Fields p. 122.
Horn Book, August, 1983, pp. 446-447; review of Guts, p. 233; November, 1998, Nancy Vasilakis, review of Soldier's Heart, p. 737, and Kristi Beavin, review of Sarny, p. 768; January, 1999, review of Brian's Return, p. 69.
Houston Chronicle, June 14, 1998, Marvin Hoffman, reviews of Puppies, Dogs, and Blue Northers and My Life in Dog Years, p. 19.
Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, October, 1999, review of Soldier's Heart, p. 204.
Kirkus Reviews, August 1, 1987, pp. 1161-1162; September 15, 1997, p. 1443.
Library Journal, February 15, 1993.
London Review of Books, May 23, 1996, p. 28.
Los Angeles Times, December 12, 1987.
Los Angeles Times Book Review, March 21, 1993, pp. 1, 11; February 27, 1994, pp. 2, 13.
New York Times Book Review, June 29, 1986, p. 30; May 22, 1988; May 5, 1991, pp. 22-23; November 10, 1996, p. 46; November 15, 1998, Henry Mayer, review of Soldier's Heart, p. 40; June 17, 2001, review of Guts, p. 24.
Publishers Weekly, December 1, 1997, review of My Life in Dog Years, p. 55; May 25, 1998, review of The Transall Saga, p. 91; July 20, 1998, review of Soldier's Heart, p. 221; December 21, 1998, review of Brian's Return, p. 69; January 11, 1999, review of Brian's Return, p. 26; March 1, 1999, review of Canoe Days, p. 68; May 31, 1999, review of Alida's Song, p. 94; September 6, 1999, review of Sarny, p. 106; February 14, 2000, Leonard S. Marcus, interview with Paulsen, p. 98; June 26, 2000, review of The White Fox Chronicles, p. 75; September 4, 2000, review of The Beet Fields, p. 109; June 25, 2001, review of Canoe Days, p. 75; November 18, 2002, review of Guts, p. 63; January 20, 2003, review of How Angel Peterson Got His Name, p. 83; March 17, 2003, "The Perfect Book Tour," p. 34; June 30, 2003, reviews of Shelf Life: Stories by the Book, p. 79, and The Glass Café; or, The Stripper and the State: How My Mother Started a War with the System That Made Us Kind of Rich and a Little Bit Famous, p. 81.
Reading Teacher, September, 1998, Patricia L. Scharer, review of Worksong, p. 58.
San Francisco, October 25, 1998, Susan Faust, review of Soldier's Heart, p. 8.
School Library Journal, May, 1983, p. 84; May, 1994, pp. 131-32; July, 1995, p. 50; June, 1997, p. 24; March, 1998, Carol Kolb Phillips, review of My Life in Dog Years, p. 238; May, 1998, John Peters, review of The Transall Saga, p. 147; September, 1998, Steven Engelfried, review of Soldier's Heart, p. 206; February, 1999, Miriam Lang Budin, review of Brian's Return, p. 111; March, 1999, review of Canoe Days, p. 183; July, 1999, Barbara Auerbach, review of Alida's Song, p. 99; August, 1999, Suzette Kragenbrink, review of The Transall Saga, p. 70; October, 1999, Coop Renner, review of Tucket's Gold, p. 156; January, 2000, Barbara S. Wysocki, review of Soldier's Heart, p. 74; August, 2000, Trish Anderson, review of The White Fox Chronicles, p. 188; September, 2000, Vicki Reutter, review of The Beet Fields, and Victoria Kidd, review of Tucket's Home, p. 235; October, 2001, Vicki Reutter, review of Caught by the Sea, p. 190; February, 2003, Vicki Reutter, review of How Angel Peterson Got His Name, p. 168; August, 2003, Edward Sullivan, review of Shelf Life, p. 164.
Seattle Times, February 28, 1999, Kari Wergeland, "Award-winning Stories of Hope, Survival," p. M9.
Voice of Youth Advocates, October, 1986, p. 148; June, 1994; February, 1996, p. 375; February, 1997, p. 332.
Writer's Digest, January, 1980.
ONLINE
Gary Paulsen Web site,http://www.randomhouse.com/features/garypaulsen/ (January 23, 2004).*