1. Gary Paulsen

2. Facts Born May 17, 1939 Minneapolis, Minnesota
His parents passed away and he had to stay with his grandmother and aunts
He ran away from home at 14 years old and ran with a carnival

3. Facts Worked odd jobs until he realized that he was not happy
Worked as a magazine proofreader to learn the craft of writing
Once he was comfortable, left Hollywood and rented a cabin in Minnesota by a lake and wrote his first novel ……………
The Special War ….(1966)

4. Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race
two-time competitor in the 1,150-mile
Paulsen competed in the 1983 and 1985 Iditarods
Stopped due to angina (severe chest pain)
Scheduled in the 2005 race but did not compete
Competed in the 2006 race but stopped after 2 days

6. Inspiration Gary Paulsen is a hunter, trapper, and competitor
He uses his life experiences to write for young adults

7. Examples
Hatchet
Dogsong
The Winter Room
Dirk the Protector***

8. His Family
Paulsen and his wife, Ruth Wright Paulsen, an artist who has illustrated several of his books, divide their time between a home in New Mexico and a boat in the Pacific.