Gary Paulson Information

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

Biography

Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Oscar and Eunice H. (née Moen),^[1] Paulsen has two siblings: a full sister, Paulette, and a half brother Bill who was born to his father from a previous marriage before Paulsen was born. Paulsen was raised by his parents and later lived with his grandmother and aunts. At the age of 14, he ran away from home to join a carnival.^{[citation needed]}Paulsen joined the Armed Forces at the age of 17, and later married and had two children, a boy named Lance and a girl named Lynn. Paulsen also has one son from his third marriage, a son named James. Paulsen used his work as a magazine proofreader to learn the craft of writing.^{[citation needed]} One of his earliest published books was titled "Some Birds Don't Fly", a comic rendition of his time working at the government missile range, White Sands, New Mexico. In 1966, a book was published under the title The Special War. Paulsen worked at construction while writing to support himself. He is an outdoorsman (a hunter, trapper, and three-time competitor in the 1,150-mile (1,850 km) Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race).

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

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

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

Paulsen lives in La Luz, New Mexico, with his wife, Ruth Wright Paulsen, an artist who has illustrated several of his books. He also maintains a 40-acre (160,000 m²) spread north of Willow, Alaska, where he breeds and trains sled dogs for the Iditarod. His son James is forty, married and has children, is an artist and teacher.

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

Published works

The Tucket Adventures

• Mr. Tucket (1968) (also known as Chance for Escape)
• Call Me Francis Tucket (1995)
• Tucket's Ride (1997)
• Tucket's Gold (1999)
• Tucket's Home (2000)
• Tucket's Travels(2001)

Brian's Saga

• Hatchet (1987) (Has an alternate ending which makes a continuity with Brian's Winter)
• The River (Hatchet: The Return) (1991)
• Brian's Winter (Hatchet: Winter) (1996)
• Brian's Return (Hatchet: The Call) (1999)
• Brian's Hunt (2003)

Murphy series

• Murphy (1987)
• Murphy's Gold (1988)
• Murphy's Herd (1989)
• Murphy's War (1990)

Co-authored by Brian Burks

• Murphy's Stand (1993)
• Murphy's Ambush (1995)
• Murphy's Trail (1996)

Alida's series

• The Cookcamp (1991)
• Alida's Song (1999)
• The Quilt (2004)

World of Adventure

• The Legend of Red Horse Cavern (1994)
• Rodomonte's Revenge (Video Trap) (1994)
• Escape from Fire Mountain (1995)
• The Rock Jockeys (Devil's Wall) (1995)
• Hook 'Em Snotty! (1995)
• Danger on Midnight River (1995)
• The Gorgon Slayer (1995)
• Captive! (1995)
• Project - A Perfect World (Perfect Danger) (1996)
• The Treasure of El Patron (Treasure Ship) (1996)
• Skydive! (1996)
• The Seventh Crystal (1996)
• The Creature of Black Water Lake (1997)
• Time Benders (1997)
• Grizzly (1997)
• Thunder Valley (1998)
• Curse of the Ruins (1998)
• Flight of the Hawk (1998)

Tales to Tickle the Funnybone

• The Boy Who Owned the School (1990)
• Harris and Me (1993)
• The Schernoff Discoveries (1997)
• The Glass Cafe (2003)
• Molly McGinty Has a Really Good Day (2004)
• The Amazing Life of Birds: The Twenty-Day Puberty Journal of Duane Homer Leech (2006)
• Lawn Boy (2007)

Culpepper Adventures

• The Case of the Dirty Bird (1992)
• Dunc's Doll (1992)
• Culpepper's Cannon (1992)
• Dunc Gets Tweaked (1992)
• Dunc's Halloween (1992)
• Dunc Breaks the Record (1992)
• Dunc and the Flaming Ghost (1992)
• Amos Gets Famous (1993)
• Dunc and Amos Hit the Big Top (1993)
• Dunc's Dump (1993)
• Dunc and the Scam Artists (1993)
• Dunc and Amos and the Red Tattoos (1993)
• Dunc's Undercover Christmas (1993)
• Wild Culpepper Cruise (1993)
• Dunc and the Haunted Castle (1993)
• Cowpokes and Desperadoes (1994)
• Prince Amos (1994)
• Coach Amos (1994)
• Amos and the Alien (1994)
• Dunc and Amos Meet the Slasher (1994)
• Dunc and the Greased Sticks of Doom (1994)
• Amos's Killer Concert Caper (1994)
• Amos Gets Married (1995)
• Amos Goes Bananas (1995)
• Dunc and Amos Go to the Dogs (1996)
• Amos and the Vampire (1996)
• Amos and the Chameleon Caper (1996)
• Amos Binder, Secret Agent (1997)
• Dunc and Amos on Thin Ice (1997)
• Super Amos (1997)

Other novels

• The Special War (1966)
• Some Birds Don't Fly (1968)
• The Death Specialists (1976)
• The Implosion Effect (1976)
• C. B. Jockey (1977) (alternate title of The C.B. Radio Caper?)
• The Golden Stick (1977)
• Tiltawhirl John (1977) (also known as Tasting the Thunder in the UK)
• The C. B. Radio Caper (1977)
• Foxman (1977)
• Winterkill (1977)
• The Curse of the Cobra (1977)
• The Green Recruit (1978)
• The Spitball Gang (1980)
• Compkill (1981)
• The Sweeper (1981)
• Clutterkill (1982)
• Dancing Carl (1983)
• Popcorn Days and Buttermilk Nights (1983)
• Tracker (1984)
• Dogsong (1985)
• Sentries (1986)
• The Crossing (1987)
• The Island (1988)
• Night Rituals (1989)
• The Voyage of the Frog (1989)
• The Winter Room (1989)
• Canyons (1990)
• Kill Fee (1990)
• The Night the White Deer Died (1990)
• The Monument (1991)
• Clabbered Dirt, Sweet Grass (1992)
• The Haymeadow (1992) (known as The Fourteenth Summer in the UK)
• A Christmas Sonata (1992)
• Dogteam (1993)
• Sisters / Hermanas (1993) (includes Spanish translation by Gloria de Aragon Andujar)
• The Car (1994)
• The Tent (1995)
• The Tortilla Factory (1995)
• The Rifle (1995)
• Worksong (1997)
• Ice Race (1997) (alternate title of Woodsong or Winterdance?)
• The Transall Saga (1998) (known as Blue Light in the UK)
• Soldier's Heart (1998)
• Canoe Days (1999)
• The Beet Fields (2000)
• The White Fox Chronicles (2000)
• The Time Hackers (2005)
• The Legend of Bass Reeves (2006)
• Mudshark (2009)
• Notes from the Dog (2009)
• Woods Runner (2010)
• Lawn Boy
• Lawn Boy Returns (2010)
• Masters of Disaster (2010)
• Liar, Liar (March 8, 2011)

Non-Fiction

• The Grass-Eaters: Real Animals (1976)
• The Small Ones (1976)
• Hitting, Pitching, and Running (1976)
• Martin Luther King: The Man Who Climbed the Mountain (1976)
• Dribbling, Shooting, and Scoring (1976)
• Careers in an Airport (1977)
• Tackling, Running, and Kicking (1977)
• Riding, Roping, and Bulldogging (1977)
• Farm: A History And Celebration of the American Farmer (1977)
• Running, Jumping, and Throwing (1978)
• Successful Home Repair: When Not to Call the Contractor (1978)
• Forehanding and Backhanding (1978)
• Hiking and Backpacking (1978)
• Downhill, Hotdogging and Cross-Country (1979)
• Facing Off, Checking and Goaltending (1979)
• Launching, Floating High and Landing (1979)
• Pummeling, Falling and Getting Up-Sometimes (1979)
• Track, Enduro and Motocross (1979)
• Canoeing, Kayacking, and Rafting (1979)
• Going Very Fast in a Circle (1979)
• Athletics: Focus On Sport (1980)
• Ice Hockey: Focus On Sport (1980)
• Motor Cycling: Focus On Sport (1980)
• Motor Racing: Focus On Sport (1980)
• Skiing: Focus On Sport (1980)
• Tennis: Focus On Sport (1980)
• T.V. and Movie Animals (1980) (with Art Browne, Jr)
• Money Saving Home Repair Guide: Successful Home Improvement Series (1981)
• Sailing: From Jibs to Jibing (1981)
• Beat the System: A Survival Guide (1982)
• The Madonna Stories (1988)
• Woodsong (1990)
• Eastern Sun, Winter Moon (1993)
• Full of Hot Air: Launching, Floating High, And Landing (1993)
• A Guide for Using Hatchet in the Classroom (1994)
• Winterdance: The Fine Madness of Running the Iditarod (1994)
• Father Water, Mother Woods (1994)
• Puppies, Dogs, and Blue Northers (1996)
• My Life in Dog Years (1998)
• Pilgrimage on a Steel Ride: A Memoir of Men and Motorcycles (1997)
• All Aboard: Stories from Big Books (1998) (various authors, including Paulsen excerpt?)
• Zero to Sixty: A Motorcycle Journey Through Midlife (1999) (reprint title of Pilgrimage on a Steel Ride)
• Guts: The True Stories Behind Hatchet and the Brian Books (2001)
• Caught by the Sea - My Life on Boats (2001)
• How Angel Peterson Got His Name (2003)

Awards and recognition

• Newbery Honor Book 1986 - Dogsong^[3]
• Newbery Honor Book 1988 - Hatchet^[3]
• Northeastern Minnesota Book Awards 1989 - The Winter Room^[4]
• Newbery Honor Book 1990 - The Winter Room^[3]
• Sequoyah Book Award 1990 Young Adult - Hatchet^[5]
• Western Writers of America Golden Spurs Award - The Haymeadow
• Margaret Edwards Award 1997 Winner^[6]
• Sequoyah Book Award 2010 Children's - Lawn Boy^[5]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "Gary James Paulsen". Minnesota Department of Health. Minnesota Birth Index, 1935-2002. http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?ti=0&indiv=try&db=mnbirth&h=9355618. Retrieved 25 April 2011. "Name: Gary James Paulsen Birth Date: 17 May 1939 Birth County: Hennepin Father: Oscar Paulsen Mother: Eunice H Moen File Number: 1939-MN-038786" (subscription required)
2. ^ Anne Goodwin Sides (August 26, 2010). "On the Road and Between the Pages, an Author Is Restless for Adventure". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/26/books/26paul.html?ex=1173157200&en=2f33b070f21704d7&ei=5070.
3. ^ ^{a b c} Newbery Medal and Honor Books, 1922-Present
4. ^ Previous Winners and Honorable Mentions. Northeastern Minnesota Book Awards (NEMBA).
5. ^ ^{a b} Sequoyah Young Adult Award Winners
6. ^ "1997 Award Winner Gary Paulsen". Margaret Edwards Award. American Library Association (ALA).

External links

• Official site
• Works by or about Gary Paulsen in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
• Gary Paulsen at the Internet Movie Database

Categories: 1939 births | American dog mushers | American novelists | Living people | Newbery Honor winners | People from Minneapolis, Minnesota | People from Otero County, New Mexico

Related 'Gary Paulson' Searches:

See Also:

• Garra
• Society: Organizations: Student: Aiesec: Bulgaria
• Society: Organizations: Student: Aiesec: Hungary