Paul Fleischman Biography

Paul Fleischman loves researching "out-of-the-way corners of American history", and he incorporates many interesting and little-known historical facts into his fiction. He says that he reads randomly and voraciously in hopes of uncovering ideas for his stories, but that he often discovers them accidentally while poking around in libraries and used book stores.

Fleischman also loves music. He says, "If only I could write music I'd give up writing books in an instant." He combines his passion for music with his literary talentsthrough the sound of words. He reports that he spends more time tinkering with the harmony of the sounds involved in composing a story than with figuring out the sense of it. For his recognition of the importance of "a story's sound shape," he gives credit to the many pleasurable hours spent during his childhood listening to his father, author Sid Fleischman, read drafts of his writings.

Fleischman was born on September 5, 1952, in Monterey, California, was brought up in Santa Monica, and lives in Pacific Grove. He attended the University of California at Berkeley and graduated from the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. He has worked in libraries and bookstores, as well as a bagel baker, and an editorial proofreader. Fleischman's father characterizes his middle child as witty and intelligent, and reports that Paul's fascination with music began early and that he was able to excel in school with very little effort....

Paul Fleischman was born on September 5, 1952 in Monterey, California. His parents were Sid Fleischman, himself a notable author of books for young people, and Beth (nee Taylor). Fleischman excelled in school, eventually attending the University of California, Berkeley from 1970 to 1972, and the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque from 1975 to 1977, where he received his bachelor's degree. He married Becky Mojica, a registered nurse, on December 15,1978; they have had two children.

Fleischman's The Half-a-Moon Inn received the Commonwealth Club of California Award in 1980 and was named a Golden Kite Award Honor Book for 1981. Path of the Pale Horse was named a Golden Kite Award Honor Book for 1983. Graven Images: Three Stories was a 1983 Newbery Honor Book. Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices received the Newbery Medal in 1989; the Newbery medal is given annually by the American Library Association to what it deems to be the best book for children or young adults published in the previous year. Book reviewers have generally praised Fleischman's work, but in recent years some have complained that his writings for young adults are too brief, leaving little room for characterization.

Paul Fleischman was born in 1952 in Monterey on the California coast, and grew up in another coast-side city, Santa Monica. He attended college at the University of California, Berkeley, and then later at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, where he lived for a time. He has since returned to his roots, Pacific Grove, near Monterey, where he lives with his wife, Becky Mojica, and their two children, Dana and Seth.

His father is the well-known writer of books for children, Sid Fleischman. As a result, Paul was exposed to books early, but he did not find the profession of writing to be extraordinary, and his father's success did not seem to ignite his interest in reading. Fleischman says that if he had his choice, he would rather write music than stories. However, believing that he has limited talent for music, he has contented himself by incorporating musical concepts into his writing—as shown by his book Rondo in C (1988), and Joyful Noise (1988).

Fleischman has won many awards for his books. The Half-a-Moon Inn (1980) received the Commonwealth Club of California Award. It was also honored by the Society of Children's Book Writers. Graven Images: Three Stories was selected as a Newbery Honor Book in 1983. Path of the Pale Horse received the Golden Kite Honor Book Award (1983), and Joyful Noise won the 1989 Newbery Medal.

Paul Fleischman's career as a writer was his second choice. In an autobiographical sketch, he wrote, "If only I could write music I'd give up writing books in an instant." Through writing, however, this author has found that he can combine his literary talents with his love of music—he is challenged by the sound of words. Fleischman reports that he spends more time tinkering with the harmony of the sounds involved in composing a story than with figuring out the sense of it. For his recognition of the importance of a story's sound "shape," he gives credit to the many pleasurable hours spent during his childhood listening to his father, author Sid Fleischman, read drafts of his writings.

Paul Fleischman's works include...

Because his father is a noted author of children's books, one might assume that Paul Fleischman grew up wanting to follow in his footsteps, but he did not seriously entertain the thought of a writing career until he was in college. Nevertheless, it is clear that he had a creative spirit from the time he was a child. Paul Fleischman was born September 5, 1952 in Monterey, California. His mother, Beth Taylor Fleischman, was a homemaker. His father, Albert Sidney Fleischman—known professionally as Sid Fleischman—was the highly esteemed author of many classic children's books, including The Ghost in the Noonday Sun, Chancey and the Grand Rascal, and the "McBroom" series of tall tales. Although Paul was not a reader, he...