Schneider, Richard H. 1922–

(Dick Schneider, Richard Henry Schneider)

Personal

Born March 9, 1922, in Chicago, IL; son of Arthur E. (an electrical engineer) and Hattie (a homemaker; maiden name Stresinske) Schneider; married Betty Renfro (an office manager), December 30, 1945; children: Peter, Christopher. Ethnicity: "Caucasian." Education: Attended Northwestern University and Kansas State University. Politics: Democrat. Religion: United Methodist. Hobbies and other interests: Boating, sailing, reading, speaking.

Addresses

Home—18 Oakwood Ave., Rye, NY 10580. Office—Guideposts Magazine, 16 E. 34th St., New York, NY 10016. Agent—Etta Wilson, 1141 Oman Dr., Brent-wood, TN 37027. E-mail—dschneider@guideposts.org.

Career

Journalist and writer. Walgreen Drug Stores, Chicago, IL, publicity director and employee communications staffer, 1947–69; Guideposts magazine, New York, NY, senior staff editor, beginning 1969; writer. Walter Hoving Home, member of board, 1970–; trustee of Foundation of Evangelism, United Methodist Church, 1990–, and Rye American Legion Post, 1982–. Military service: U.S. Army, corporal, 1943–46; served in European theatre during World War II.

Member

Rye Historical Society, Coverleigh Club (Rye, NY).

Writings

(With Nick Savoca, under name Dick Schneider) Roadblock to Moscow, F.H. Revell Co. (Old Tappan, NJ), 1974.

(With Rita Warren, under name Dick Schneider) Mom, They Won't Let Us Pray …, Chosen Books (Chappaqua, NY), 1975.

(Under name Dick Schneider) The Harness Horse and Strategic Win Betting, Exposition Press (Hicksville, NY), 1977.

(With Bilquis Sheikh, under name Dick Schneider) I Dared to Call Him Father, Chosen Books (Lincoln, VA), 1978, published under name Richard H. Schneider as I Dared to Call Him Father: The Miraculous Story of a Muslim Woman's Encounter with God, 2003.

(With Harold E. Hughes, under name Dick Schneider) The Man from Ida Grove: A Senator's Personal Story, Chosen Books (Lincoln, VA), 1979, published as The Honorable Alcoholic: A Senator's Personal Story, Zondervan (Grand Rapids, MI), 1983.

(With Leon Jaworski, under name Dick Schneider) Crossroads, D.C. Cook Pub. (Elgin, IL), 1981.

(With Lee Buck, under name Dick Schneider) Tapping Your Secret Source of Power, F.H. Revell (Old Tap-pan, NJ), 1985.

Freedom's Holy Light, T. Nelson (Nashville, TN), 1985.

(With Nora Lam) China Cry: The Nora Lam Story, T. Nelson (Nashville, TN), 1991.

Taps: Notes from a Nation's Heart, Morrow (New York, NY), 2002.

Stars & Stripes Forever: The History, Stories, and Memories of Our American Flag, Morrow (New York, NY), 2003.

Author of several other books.

Author's work has been translated into numerous languages.

FOR CHILDREN

Why Christmas Trees Aren't Perfect, illustrated by Elizabeth J. Miles, Abingdon Press (Nashville, TN), 1988.

The Blue Angel Ornament, illustrated by Florence S. Davis, Abingdon Press (Nashville, TN), 2000.

Zeek, the Christmas Tree Mouse, illustrated by Florence S. Davis, Abingdon Press (Nashville, TN), 2002.

The Christmas Pea Coat, illustrated by Higgins Bond, Ideals Children's Books (Nashville, TN), 2004.

Work in Progress

Stardust, a novel about an old man following his dream.

Sidelights

Richard H. Schneider told SATA: "When I discovered that my grade-school themes entertained and amused people, I think my career line was set. I thank God for the talent and opportunities He has given me. At age eighty-three I'm still trying to measure up. In all that I write, I hope to entertain, edify, and inspire readers to help them live to the fullest.

"Since I work three days a week at Guideposts magazine, I'm unable to follow a set writing schedule at home. So I try to take advantage of every opportunity. (It's surprising how much you can produce while waiting for your wife to 'get ready' when we're going out).

"Each of my over thirty books have had a purpose. Why Christmas Trees Aren't Perfect, a perennial children's book, came about after I drove my family crazy going from tree lot to tree lot to find the 'perfect' tree. There would always be a hole or bare spot. When I began to think about what may have caused these imperfections—little animals seeking shelter, for example—the plot evolved. The worn spots in our lives come from what we do for others.

"Mark Twain was an early influence. Today I admire such great writers as David McCullough, Tom Wolfe, James Michener, John Grisham, and Chris Van Allsburg. I believe today's authors in any genre have shown us how far good writing has progressed.

"One of my books surprised me in being translated in over forty languages in as many countries: I Dared to Call Him Father by Bilquis Sheik, a Pakistani noblewoman who found God.

"My advice to young readers is to keep in mind no one really wants to read today; they'd rather watch TV. So you must write so well, so engagingly, so interestingly that the reader who picks it up doesn't want to put it down. This takes imagination, creativity, and a lot of work."

Biographical and Critical Sources

PERIODICALS

American Gardener, November-December, 2003, Rita Pelezar, review of Why Christmas Trees Aren't Perfect, p. 50.

Booklist, June 1, 2002, Margaret Flanagan, review of Taps: Notes from a Nation's Heart, p. 1664; June 1, 2003, Margaret Flanagan, review of Stars & Stripes Forever: The History, Stories, and Memories of Our American Flag, p. 1732.

Publishers Weekly, January 10, 1986, William Griffin, review of Freedom's Holy Light, p. 40; May 27, 2002, review of Taps, p. 49.

School Library Journal, October, 1988, Susan Hepler, review of Why Christmas Trees Aren't Perfect, p. 37.