Gary Paulsen

About the author

Gary Paulsen was born on May 17, 1939, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Paulsen was born into a dysfunctional family, both parents were alcoholics. According to Paulsen, he was antisocial and not interested in school until he became a teenager. A librarian introduced Paulsen to reading. Paulsen used reading to cope with his difficult home life. At the tender age of fourteen, Paulsen decide to leave his parents home (run-away) because of the living conditions due to his parent's alcoholism. Paulsen ran to his extended family for refuge including his grandmother, aunts and uncles. However, Paulsen helped to support himself by working various jobs such as, migrant worker, soldier, field engineer, truck driver, and magazine editor. The experience working as a magazine editor helped Paulsen learn and sharpen his writing skills. In 1958 to 1962, he was in the army. In 1966, Paulsen first book was published “The Special War.”In addition, at that time Paulsen traveled with a carnival the dates are unknown. To date Paulsen has written more than forty books, 2oo magazine articles, short stories, and several plays primarily for young adults. (Ramsey, 2001 )

During my research I was unable to confirm if Paulsen graduated from college, he attended Bemidji State University, in Minnesota and University of Colorado in 1972. (Drew, Unknown ). “In 1979 Paulsen was sued for libel by a man who thought he recognized himself as one of the characters in Winterkill. The lawsuit was eventually dismissed, but the experience left Paulsen so bitter and angry that he almost gave up writing entirely.”(Thomson, 2003) The lawsuit put Paulsen and family in a financial bind. Pauslen and his family were very poor and went without necessary amenities. During this difficult financial ordeal Paulsen developed a love of dog sledding. In 1983 Paulsen entered the Iditarod (dog racing). In 1985, after running the Iditarod for the second time, he suffered an attack of angina and was forced to give up his dogs. (House, 2002) Before Paulsen developed the love of dog sleding he enjoyed hunting animals this changed after developing a relationship with his dogs. Paulsen realized that animals have a reason for being and killing them would be futile.

Paulsen and his wife, Ruth Wright Paulsen, an artist who has illustrated several of his books, divide their time between a home