Gary Paulsen
From Wiki 5A
Gary was born in Minnesota in May 17, 1939, he was raised by his grandmother and aunts. Gary used his work as a magazine proofreader to learn the craft of writing. In 1966, his first book was published under the title of The Special War. Using his varied life experiences, especially those of an outdoorsman and of a hunter, trapper, and a three-time competitor in the 1,150 mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, Gary writes about what he knows best. Much of Gary's work features the outdoors and highlights of the importance of nature. He often uses "coming of age" themes in many of his novels, where a character masters the art of survival in isolation as a passage to manhood and maturity. He is critical of technology and has been called a Luddite.
Some of Gary's most well-known books is the Hatchet series, although he has published many other popular novels which includ Dogsong, Harris and Me, and The Winter Room, which won the Newbery Honor. Winterdance and Woodsong are among the most popular books about the Iditarod.
Gary competed in the 1983 and 1985 Iditarods. In 1990, due to heart problems, he gave up dog sledding, which Gary has described as the most difficult decision he has ever made. After more than a decade spent sailing all over the Pacific Ocean, Gary got back into dog sledding in 2003. In 2005, Gary was scheduled to compete in the 2005 Iditarod after a 20-year absence, but withdrew shortly before the beggening of the race. Gary participated in the 2006 Iditarod, but scratched after about two days.
Gary lives in La Luz, New Mexico with his wife, Ruth Wright Paulsen, an artist who has illustrated several of his books. Gary also maintains a 40-acre spread north of Willow, [[Alaska] where he breeds and trains sled dogs for the Iditarod.
According to Gary's keynote speech on October 13 at the 2007 Sinclair Lewis writing conference in Sauk Centre, Minnesota, he will compete again in this year's Iditarod.
