Highly esteemed Young-Adult American author Gary Paulsen was well known for his coming of age fictional tales about surviving in the wilderness.
An only child, Gary Paulsen did not have a sense of family during his pre-primary years. He drifted from one place to another without the comfort of his parents. Until the age of 5, Paulsen lived on and off with his grandmother.
When he was 5 years old, Paulsen’s mother put him on a train, with a $5 bill and a suitcase, and sent him to stay with his aunt and uncle on their ranch in Northern Minnesota. There he learned how to fish and cook over a campfire, and use the smoke to keep the mosquitoes at bay in the evening — techniques that characters in his novels would use to thrive.
Then two years later, Paulsen’s mother took her son to the Philippines where his father was already residing. Paulsen lived with his mother and father in Manilla for seven years. Unsettled by his parent’s constant bickering, Paulsen ran away from home at the age of fourteen. Initially, he sought refuge in the woods.
When he spoke of his parents, Paulsen relayed
They were drunks. They were just awful. They really were, he said. I ended up in the woods, all the time. The woods are a sanctuary to me.
To earn money, Paulsen, a runaway, labored on a sugar beet farm. Longing for fun, Paulsen left the farm, and took a job working as a “carnie” at a summer carnival.
He returned home and studied high school; graduating in 1957 with a D- grade point average. Although he was not a commendable student, Paulsen developed a love for reading at an early age. Seeking solace, he read library books in the basement of his house.
Paulsen penned most of his stories, based upon authentic personal life experiences. Following high school, he served in the army and was honorably discharged 3 years later. Before he became a writer, Paulsen struggled as a migrant worker. He also specialized in driving big rigs, field engineering, and editing.
Paulsen supported himself as a magazine editor so he could hone the art of writing. In 1968, his first book was published, entitled Some Birds don’t Fly.
Later in his life, Paulsen navigated the sea, sailing around the world, up to Alaska and back to the Sea of Cortez.
As a senior, he even competed in two separate 1,049-mile dog sled Iditarod races.
I owe everything I am and everything I will ever be to books.
Gary Paulsen has written over 200 books. During his writing career, he crafted more than 200 magazine articles and short stories, including several plays, all chiefly for young adults.
In 1997, Gary Paulsen received theALA Margaret Edwards Award for his contribution to young adult literature.
On October 14th, the prolific writer passed away at the age of 82. Today, Paulsen’s publisher conveys 35 million copies of his books are in print.
Paulsen’s novel Northwind, a historical expedition about a youthful person’s fight to stay alive against the odds, will be published posthumously in January 2022.
