Biography
Early Life and Influences
Joan Bauer entered the world on July 12, 1951. Her formative years unfolded in the quaint embrace of River Forest, Illinois, during the lively era of the 1950s. She recalls, with a twinkle in her eye, the early enchantment she felt toward all things humorous. Reflecting in a note to the author, Bauer confessed, "I thought that people who could make other people laugh were terribly fortunate. While my friends made their career plans, declaring they would become doctors, nurses, and lawyers, inwardly, I knew that I wanted to be involved somehow in comedy. This, however, was a difficult concept to get across in first grade. But I had a mother with a great comic sense (she was a high school English teacher) and a grandmother who was a funny professional storyteller— so I figured the right genes were in there somewhere, although I didn't always laugh at what my friends laughed at and they rarely giggled at my jokes. That, and the fact that I was overweight and very tall, all made me feel quite different when I was growing up—a bit like a water buffalo at a tea party."
Joan's creativity was profoundly molded by her grandmother, affectionately known as Nana, who taught her the invaluable lessons woven into stories and laughter. Nana imparted the wisdom of distinguishing between laughter that wounds and laughter that uplifts. Through her, Joan discovered that stories have the power to unveil the depths of one's soul.
Creative Aspirations and Personal Struggles
Reflecting on her childhood, Bauer muses, "I kept a diary as a child, was always penning stories and poems. I played the flute heartily, taught myself the guitar, and wrote folk songs. For years I wanted to be a comedian, then a comedy writer. I was a voracious reader, too, and can still remember the dark wood and the green leather chairs of the River Forest Public Library, can hear my shoes tapping on the stairs going down to the children's room, can feel my fingers sliding across rows and rows of books, looking through the card catalogues that seemed to house everything that anyone would ever need to know about in the entire world. My parents divorced when I was eight years old, and I was devastated at the loss of my father. I pull from that memory regularly as a writer. Every book I have written so far has dealt with complex father issues of one kind or another. My father was an alcoholic and the pain of that was a shadow that followed me for years. I attempted to address that pain in Rules of the Road. It was a very healing book for me. I didn't understand it at the time, but I was living out the theme that I try to carry into all of my writing: adversity, if we let it, will make us stronger."
Career Path and Family Life
In her twenties, Bauer navigated the bustling world of sales and advertising, lending her talents to prestigious names like the Chicago Tribune, McGraw-Hill, and Parade magazine. It was during a vacation that she met Evan, her future husband, and just five months later, in August 1981, they embarked on their journey together as a married couple. Unfulfilled by her role in sales and advertising, Bauer embraced the challenge of professional writing, a slow endeavor that came with modest financial reward.
In the summer of 1982, her daughter Jean made her debut into the world. Bauer, ever the multitasker, would type away with little Jean nestled on a blanket...
(This entire section contains 867 words.)
Unlock this Study Guide Now
Start your 48-hour free trial and get ahead in class. Boost your grades with access to expert answers and top-tier study guides. Thousands of students are already mastering their assignments—don't miss out. Cancel anytime.
Already a member? Log in here.
nearby. With discarded pages in hand, she would tell Jean, "'bad paper,'" and watch as her daughter gleefully shredded them.
Writing Through Adversity
Bauer recounts, "I had moved from journalism to screen writing when one of the biggest challenges of my life occurred. I was in a serious auto accident which injured my neck and back severely and required neurosurgery. It was a long road back to wholeness, but during that time I wrote Squashed, my first young adult novel. The humor in that story kept me going."
When she embarked on Rules of the Road, fear loomed large. The story was laced with the pain of an unrepentant alcoholic father and the sorrow of a grandmother afflicted with Alzheimer's Disease—a challenging mix for a humorist. Bauer sought to delve deeper into her comedic voice, unsure if she could succeed without trivializing serious themes. Her personal history added layers of emotional complexity: her father succumbed to alcoholism, and her grandmother to what was then termed "hardening of the arteries." Bauer's character Jenna, a young woman of "emotional nobility," was crafted to have already grappled with her father's alcoholism, granting her the strength to aid others as the narrative unfolded. Through Jenna's journey, Bauer aimed to illuminate the transformative power of enduring adversity, portraying how even the darkest moments can yield profound blessings.
The Power of Laughter
Through the years, Bauer has grasped the essential role of laughter in her life, likening it to a breath of fresh air. Her most cherished writing moments occur when she finds herself laughing along with her work, a sure sign that she's onto something special.