Paul Zindel

Introduction

Paul Zindel

Pardon Me, You’re Stepping on My Eyeball is just one of Paul Zindel’s wackily titled works. Though trained at Wagner College as a chemist, Zindel is famous for his plays and young adult novels, many of which are still taught in schools. Zindel’s books tend to focus on abused and neglected children dealing with loneliness and isolation. They are often dark and tragic works, yet many of them have a humorous tone and deal with issues universal to teenagers. Zindel’s own early experiences shaped his writing. His father left the family when he was young, and his mother—a professional nurse—often got caught up in cons and other shady activities. Zindel’s first novel, The Pigman, has been widely banned because of its language and subject matter, but it remains one of his most popular.

Essential Facts

1. Zindel taught science for a number of years but eventually gave it up. He said, “I felt I could do more for teenagers by writing for them.” He wanted to show teenagers they had a voice through his fiction.
2. Zindel was greatly influenced by playwright Edward Albee, who wrote Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Zindel once took a ten-day seminar with Albee and tried to model his career after him.
3. Zindel wrote the screenplay for the flop film version of Mame, which starred Lucille Ball.
4. Zindel’s children followed in his footsteps. His daughter Lizabeth is a playwright and actress, and his son David is a filmmaker.
5. The characters of John and Lorraine in The Pigman were inspired by real-life teenagers whom Zindel knew.