Gary Paulsen was an American writer known for his coming-of-age stories. He had an interesting childhood and an eventful career in writing. Let us take a look at the top facts about the prolific writer, starting with a few quick facts.
Gary Paulsen was born on May 17, 1939
Gary Paulsen was born on May 17, 1939, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States to Eunice H. Paulsen and Oscar Paulsen. They got married in November 1937. His father was a military man who served in the Philipines.
He had an eventful childhood and moved around a lot
At the age of seven, he went with his mother to the Philippines to stay with his father. After the war, his mother sent him to live with some relatives on a farm for one year. He had a turbulent childhood and was aware of his mother’s affair with a corpsman she met aboard a plane.
He didn’t speak fondly of his parents
Gary described his parents as mostly absent, referring to his mother as an alcoholic. He wasn’t really an excellent student. However, writing was one thing he was very good at. He developed an interest in reading after a librarian gave him a book to read. The book had him hooked. From then on, he began to spend hours in his basement, building, and reading. Also, he ran away from home at the age of fourteen. He began to have a keen interest in adventure after that.
He dropped out of the university but went back eventually
Gary Paulson graduated from Lincoln High School in 1957 with a D- average. After that, he attended Bemidji State University, where he dropped out. He then went ahead to join the U.S. Army. There, he served from 1959 to 1962. Eventually, he went back to school and graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder in 1976.
He had a career in writing spanning fifty-five years
Gary Paulsen wrote over 200 books, 200 magazine articles; short stories, and several plays. He had a career in writing spanning 55 years. Some of his most popular books are: ‘Hatchet’ (1986), ‘Brian’s Winter’ (1996) ‘The River’ (1991), ‘Lawn Boy’ (2007), and ‘Woods Runner’ (2010). He also won so many awards for his prowess in writing. Notable amongst them are: John Newberry Medal 1990, 1988, and 1986 for ‘The Winter Room,’ ‘Hatchet’ and ‘Dogsong’; Anne V. Narrow Award for Young Reader’s Literature (1997); Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children’s Award (1989) for ‘Hatchet’; Regina Medal (1995); Spur Award for Best Juvenile Fiction (1992); Margaret Edwards Award (1989) for ‘Haymeadow’ and Spur Award for Best Juvenile Nonfiction (1990) for ‘Woodsong’. His first published book is ‘The Special War’ (1996) and his last book is ‘Northwind’, published on November 1, 2022, a little over one year after he passed. In all, Gary Paulsen had a successful career in writing.
Gary Paulsen got married three times
Gary Paulsen married thrice. His first two marriages ended in divorce. He got married to his third wife, Ruth Wright in 1971. He had two children from his first marriage and one from his third marriage. Ruth Wright illustrated some of Gary Paulsen’s books.
His Legacy
Gary Paulsen passed on October 13, 2021, in Tularosa, New Mexico, United States. He was 82. His book ‘Northwind’ was published a little over a year after he passed. He has over 200 books, 200 magazine articles; short stories, and several plays to his name. He lives through his books.
FAQs
What is one quick fact about Gary Paulsen?
Gary Paulsen ran away from home at the age of 14. He didn’t particularly have it smooth growing up. His was a turbulent childhood. In his autobiography, he revealed a lot about his childhood, including his mother’s affair with a certain corpsman and her alcoholism.
Was Gary Paulsen ever married?
Yes, Gary Paulsen got married thrice. His first two marriages ended in divorce. He got married to his third wife, Ruth Wright in 1971. Ruth Wright is a children’s book illustrator. She also illustrated some of his books.
How many children did Gary Paulsen have?
Gary Paulsen had three children—two from his first marriage and one from his third marriage to Ruth Wright. Apart from their names—Lance Paulsen, Lynn Paulsen, and James Wright, not much is known about his children.
What was Gary Paulsen’s childhood like?
Gary Paulsen didn’t particularly have a smooth childhood. In fact, things were turbulent for him growing up, so much so that he ran away from home at the age of fourteen. In his autobiography, he recalls his mother having an affair and battling alcoholism. He had to wing it on his own and was between jobs sometimes.
