29 Facts About Gary Paulsen

Gary James Paulsen was an American writer of children's and young adult fiction, best known for coming-of-age stories about the wilderness.

Gary Paulsen was the author of more than 200 books and wrote more than 200 magazine articles and short stories, and several plays, all primarily for teenagers.

Gary Paulsen won the Margaret Edwards Award from the American Library Association in 1997 for his lifetime contribution in writing for teens.

Gary Paulsen was born on May 17,1939, in Minneapolis to Oscar Paulsen and Eunice Paulsen, nee Moen.

Gary Paulsen's father was a career army officer who departed soon after Gary's birth to join General Patton's staff.

When Gary Paulsen was 4, his mother took him to live in Chicago.

Gary Paulsen wrote some fragmented autobiographical works describing his early life, such as Eastern Sun, Winter Moon: An Autobiographical Odyssey.

Gary Paulsen described several traumatic occurrences that transpired during the three years that are chronicled by the book.

For example, one day while his mother was napping, Gary Paulsen sneaked outside to play.

Gary Paulsen reported an affair his mother had in Eastern Sun.

When World War II ended, Gary Paulsen's father sent for him and his mother to come to join him in the Philippines, where he was stationed.

In that book, Gary Paulsen discusses how he survived between the ages of twelve and fourteen back in Minnesota.

Gary Paulsen worked several jobs during this time, including setting pins at a bowling alley, delivering newspapers, and working as a farmhand.

Gary Paulsen graduated from Lincoln High School in Thief River Falls, Minnesota.

Gary Paulsen served in the US Army between 1959 and 1962, attaining the rank of sergeant while working with missiles.

Much of what is known about Gary Paulsen's life was revealed in the prologues and epilogues of his own books.

Gary Paulsen refers to himself, in this book, in the third person and only as "the boy".

Gary Paulsen 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.

Gary Paulsen was critical of technology and has been called a Luddite.

Gary Paulsen won the annual award in 1997, when the panel cited six books published from 1983 to 1990: Dancing Carl, Hatchet, The Crossing, The Winter Room, Canyons, and Woodsong.

Three of Gary Paulsen's books were runners-up for the Newbery Medal, the premier ALA annual book award for children's literature: Dogsong, Hatchet, and The Winter Room.

Gary Paulsen had two children from his first marriage, Lynn and Lance, and a son Jim from his third marriage with Ruth Wright.

Gary Paulsen lived throughout New Mexico, including in Santa Fe, La Luz, White Oaks, and Tularosa.

Gary Paulsen spent time living on a houseboat on the Pacific Ocean.

In 1983, Gary Paulsen entered the 1,150-mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, and placed 41st out of 54 finishers, with an official time of 17 days, 12 hours, 38 minutes, and 38 seconds.

In 1990, suffering from heart disease, Gary Paulsen decided to give up dog sledding, which he described as the most difficult decision he had ever made.

Gary Paulsen spent more than a decade sailing the Pacific before getting back into dog sledding in 2003.

Gary Paulsen was an outdoorsman, who maintained a 40-acre parcel of land north of Willow, Alaska, where he bred and trained sled dogs for the Iditarod.

Gary Paulsen died from cardiac arrest at his home in Tularosa, New Mexico, on October 13,2021, aged 82.