Liar, Liar

Gary James Paulsen was an American author, acclaimed for his works of young adult and children’s literature. In a prolific writing career that spanned several decades, Paulsen authored over 200 books, as well as more than 200 magazine articles and short stories, and several plays. He received the American Library Association’s Margaret Edwards Award for a lifetime achievement in contributions to young adult literature in 1997. The association highlighted the theme of survival woven throughout many of his most influential books; especially Hatchet, which is often considered his best known and most enduring novel.

Paulsen was born in Minneapolis on May 17, 1939, to Oscar and Eunice Paulsen. His father, an officer in the army, left home to join General Patton’s staff soon after he was born. Paulsen didn’t see his father again until he was seven years old. Until then, Paulsen and his mother lived in Thief River Falls, Minnesota, and Chicago, Illinois. He also lived with relatives on a farm for a year before World War II ended. In 1946, Paulsen and his mother sailed to the Philippines, where they joined his father and lived on the army base. The book Eastern Sun, Winter Moon: An Autobiographical Odyssey chronicles some of the events in Paulsen’s life, beginning when he was seven and ending about three years later when he left the Philippines.

Another autobiographical book called Guts: The True Stories Behind Hatchet and the Brian Books, covers aspects of Paulsen’s life in Minnesota between the ages of 12 and 14. According to Paulsen, he had to fend for himself due to his parents’ problems with alcoholism. He took jobs—like delivering newspapers and working as a farmhand—to provide for himself. He also hunted for food; first with a rifle he purchased, and later with a bow and arrows he made himself. After graduating from Lincoln High School in Thief River Falls, Minnesota, Paulsen served in the US Army from 1959 to 1962. He worked with missiles and achieved the rank of sergeant.

Paulsen settled in New Mexico after meeting and marrying his third wife, Ruth Wright, in Taos. Afterward, he divided his time between his ranch in New Mexico, a sailboat on the Pacific Ocean, and Alaska, where he bred and trained sled dogs. In 1983, Paulsen finished 41st out of 54 racers in the 1,150-mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. His finishing time was 17 days, 12 hours, 38 minutes, and 38 seconds. Paulsen died at his home in New Mexico in 2021 at the age of 82.

Many of Paulsen’s books reflect his personal experiences, incorporating the outdoors and emphasizing an appreciation of nature. Self-reliance, isolation, and survival are frequent themes in his novels, many of which feature teenage protagonists learning to fend for themselves as they come of age. Three of Paulsen’s books were Newbery Honors books and runners-up for the Newbery Medal, one of the most coveted annual awards in children’s literature. They include Dogsong, Hatchet, and The Winter Room. At the time of Paulsen’s death in 2021, his publisher reported that 35 million copies of his books were in print. His final novel, Northwind, was published posthumously in 2022.