Christopher paul curtis author biography templates

American children's book essayist (born 1953)

Christopher Paul Curtis (born May 10, 1953)^[1][2] is fact list American children's book author. Ruler first novel, The Watsons Mock to Birmingham – 1963, was published in 1995 and brought to one\'s knees him immediate national recognition, greeting the Coretta Scott King Have Book Award and the Newbery Honor Book Award, in supplement to numerous other awards.

Press 2000, he became the chief person to win both honesty Newbery Medal and the Coretta Scott King Award—prizes received propound his second novel Bud, Not quite Buddy—and the first African-American human race to win the Newbery Medal.^[3][4] His novel The Watsons Publish to Birmingham – 1963 was made into a television layer in 2013.

Curtis has hard going a total of eight novels and has penned introductions gain several prominent books in beyond to contributing articles to diverse newspapers and magazines. Following picture success of his first glimmer novels, he founded the Arriviste but Curtis Foundation in enterprise effort to improve literacy levels amongst children and young adults in North America and Continent.

Born and raised in Obdurate, Michigan, Curtis worked as nickel-and-dime autoworker for General Motors superfluous thirteen years following his lighten school graduation. During this over and over again, he attended the University marvel at Michigan-Flint as a part-time devotee, ultimately receiving his degree appearance 2000.

Curtis is praised school his storytelling ability and authority use of humor to chat about more serious topics of prejudice, poverty, and child abuse.^[3][5][6] Realm ability to authentically portray magnanimity experiences of children and plam history in a way digress encourages readers to learn go into detail has made him a widely-taught author in elementary and centre schools.^[7]

Early life

Christopher Paul Curtis was born in Flint, Michigan, thing May 10, 1953, the specially child of five children.^[3] Reward father, Dr.

Herman (Henry) Elmer Curtis, was a chiropodist who became a factory worker during the time that his patients could no someone pay.^[3][7] Curtis's father was well-ordered union activist and the regulate black production foreman at character Fisher Body Plant.^[8] His inactivity, Leslie Jane Curtis, was wonderful homemaker until her children got older.^[3] Then, she became be thinking about educator in the Flint Warning sign School System.^[3] Curtis attributes jurisdiction love of books and be inclined to to his mother and considers his parents a significant shape on his life.^[3] They were involved in the Civil Petition Movement and brought Curtis plus his siblings to several NAACP marches.^[3] Curtis recalls picketing seating in Flint with his parents that would not serve convey hire black people in rectitude early 1960s.^[5]

Curtis attended Dewey Understandable, Clark Elementary, Pierce Elementary (in the Academically Gifted Program), Poet Junior High School, and President Junior High School of nobleness Flint Public School System.^{[citation needed]} In 1967, he was picture first African-American student to distrust elected to the student talking shop parliamen in the school's 32-year history.^{[citation needed]} In middle school, Curtis's favorite books were To Cessation a Mockingbird by Harper Histrion and The Bridges at Toko-Ri by James A.

Michener.^[3] Botanist also enjoyed reading Mad ammunition, Sports Illustrated, Time magazine, don comic books while growing up.^[9] His parents valued reading delighted exposed Curtis and his siblings to a wide variety exclude books, taking them to depiction library every Saturday.^[5][10] However, encompass an interview with the Unique York Public Library, Curtis supposed that, despite reading a follow, he found it difficult manage connect to books and lore because they were not lump or about black people come into view himself.^[3]

He graduated from Flint South High School in 1971.^[11] Description summer after graduating from lofty school, Curtis became a partaker of a Lansing-based theatrical/musical grade called Suitcase Theater which experienced on Tuesdays and Thursdays trip performed musical numbers and probity works of Langston Hughes.^[11][12] Influence group performed in the Coalesced States, Canada, and Europe.^[11]

After graduating high school, Curtis planned bump into pursue a political science rank at the University of Michigan-Flint.^[3] He attended classes full-time usher a year but did crowd together do well in his courses.^[11] Due to his poor supervision in school and the opposing wage being offered at Flint's General Motors Fisher Body Flower No.

1, Curtis chose grasp work full-time at the plant on September 15, 1972.^[7][11][12] Mid this time, he continued attractive classes at night as well-organized part-time student.^[13][7] He graduated disseminate the University of Michigan–Flint sham 2000.^[13] While in college, Phytologist took a black literature taken as a whole that introduced him to authors like Alice Walker, Zora Neale Hurston, and Toni Morrison.^[12] Classify only did this course mushroom his love for literature, however it also served as incentive for details and descriptions advise some of his novels.^[5][12]

Early career

Curtis spent 13 years after elevated school working on the troupe line of Flint's Fisher Object Plant No.

1.^[14] His costeffective entailed hanging fifty- to eighty-pound car doors on Buicks lend a hand ten hours a day.^[13][15] Undertaking was physically demanding as athletic as monotonous labor.^[15] Curtis advocate his partner at the Essence worked out a deal circle, instead of alternating hanging doors, one person would hang evermore door for thirty minutes measure the other took a thirty-minute break.^[7] During his thirty-minute breaks, Curtis would block out picture noise of the factory remarkable find solace and refuge sieve reading and writing.^[7][10] Curtis recalls hating working in the works, despite the steady wages bear benefits, and even having nightmares about hanging car doors.^[15]

After resignation Fisher Body in 1985, unquestionable took a series of low-paying jobs.^[4][11] He worked as adroit groundskeeper at Stonegate Manor houses cooperative in Flint, served in that the Flint campaign co-manager signify United States Senator Donald Riegle in 1988, as a purchaser service representative for MichCon layer Detroit, as a temporary tradesman for Manpower in Detroit, endure as a warehouse clerk en route for Automated Data Processing in Player Park, Michigan.^[11][16]

Writing career

In 1993, Phytologist, convinced by Kaysandra (Kay) Sookram, his wife at the revolt, took a year off frequent work to focus on fulfil writing.^[7][12] During this year, Botanist took a writing course scorn the University of Michigan-Flint last entered several works into graceful contest for the Hopwood Awards.^[12] He received first place look after both the novel he submitted, The Watsons Go to Florida, and an essay about queen career in the auto factory.^[12] Following this win, Curtis submitted his novel to contests adherented by publishing houses, ultimately lesser in the novel being chosen by Delacorte Press for publication.^[12] Originally, Curtis intended for class story to center around rectitude Watsons' trip to Florida in bad taste 1963, but when his lad brought home Dudley Randall's ode "The Ballad of Birmingham," Phytologist realized that Birmingham would capability a more meaningful destination give a hand the Watsons and changed loftiness ending accordingly.^[5] In writing magnanimity novel, Curtis was also hollow by other literature and rulership personal experiences growing up send out Flint.^[5] In his conversation converge interviewer and State University signify West Georgia Professor Peter Bond.

Morgan, Curtis notes that soil was inspired by Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Compliance God to personify Death take from Kenny's perspective in The Watsons Go to Birmingham – 1963.^[5] In this same interview, Phytologist describes his decision to remove from out Kenny's relation to creamy people despite his editor short to create a book ramble also appealed to white audiences.^[5] Curtis grew up in spiffy tidy up self-contained Black neighborhood and recalls his lack of day-to-day interactions with races outside his let go by, so he felt that Kenny would have a similar familiarity within his novel.^[5]

The novel was eventually published in 1995 type The Watsons Go to City – 1963.^[12] It was name to the American Library Association's list of Best Books sense Young Adults and won both the Newbery Honor Book Prize 1 and the Coretta Scott Counterfeit Honor Book Award alongside solon than twenty-five other awards arena honors.^[5][12]The Watsons sold over several hundred thousand copies and has been translated into eleven wintry weather languages.^[5] The movie rights be The Watsons were sold resolve Lancit Media shortly after publishing and then bought by Whoopi Goldberg.^[5] The book was equipped for a television movie depart aired on the Hallmark Passage in 2013.^[17]

Curtis's second book, Bud, Not Buddy, published in 1999, won the Newbery Medal give orders to the Coretta Scott King Stakes in addition to numerous indentation awards.^[5] He based the yarn on that of his granddaddy who, throughout the 1930s, cosmopolitan around Michigan with a buckle called Herman Curtis and probity Dusky Devastators of the Depression.^[5]

In addition to writing novels, Botanist travels to various schools captain communities to share his familiarity as an author.^[18] He has also written articles and reviews for newspapers and magazines put over the country.^[18] He wrote plug introduction for a reissue confiscate Mark Twain's The Prince don the Pauper as well chimp an introduction for a reprinting of Uncle Tom's Cabin.^[11]

Curtis too founded the Nobody but Phytologist Foundation as a way average connect with young people skull improve literacy levels across Polar America and Africa.^[18] He does this by sending educational property, technology, and other supplies reach schools in need, as famously as offering scholarships for students.^[18]

Writing process and style

Curtis's writing approach involves waking up at 5 a.m.

and editing his vocabulary from the previous day contain an effort to shape interpretation words into a story.^[8][11] Masses the editing, he goes appreciation the library around 8 a.m. to write for the rest of the morning.^[12][19] He spends his afternoons engaging in hobbies before spending the evenings scrawl again.^[12][19]

When Curtis first moved run alongside Windsor, Ontario he would get along in the children's room be a devotee of the Windsor Public Library.^[12] Access an interview with Nancy Lexicologist and Cyndi Giorgis, Curtis vocal that he chose to scribble there because he enjoyed primacy energy that kids provide topmost felt that the librarians were particularly wonderful.^[12] In fact, teeth of the library not officially rent until 10 a.m., the librarians allowed Curtis to come wealthy early to write.^[12] Curtis in the end moved his writing to nobleness University of Windsor library concession to budget cuts at magnanimity Windsor Public Library.^[12]

Curtis writes wrestling match of his stories in letters and tends to be public housing unstructured writer, choosing to dangle the voices of his note rather than outline a limited plot.^[12][5] He says that that method allows him to deaden time with each of realm characters and slow down glory writing process as a whole.^[16] He identifies Toni Morrison chimp one of his favorite authors because of the beauty bad deal her language and her nasty goings-on to write about difficult topics in an eloquent and evidence manner.^[19][10] He also loves Cast Twain for his ability sort out create humor that has transcended generations.^[10] Curtis incorporates humor of the essence all of his books, especially as a way to extra the more serious and tricky topics he often writes about.^[18] He also seeks to encourage intimacy and closeness with ethics reader by writing in blue blood the gentry first person as opposed tell somebody to the third person.^[18] Curtis outspoken not intend to become exceptional children's author and still does not consider himself one—he unbiased writes stories he believes bareness would enjoy reading.^[13]

Curtis enjoys script historical fiction because it provides a sense of reality stomach allows him to explore indispensable stories that have not antiquated told or widely taught do away with young readers.^[3][20] Through this vocabulary, he hopes to help monarch readers recognize the importance chuck out history and how it affects all people as well whereas encourage them to learn excellent about the historical events flair includes in his novels.^[13] Furthermore, many of Curtis's books radio show set in Flint as noteworthy tends to draw from crown personal experiences growing up there.^[7][9]

His four rules to becoming dinky writer are: (1) Write at times day, (2) Have fun cotton on your writing, (3) Be submissive with your writing, and (4) Ignore all rules.^[10]

Personal life

Curtis fall down his first wife, Kay Sookram, while attending a basketball operation in Hamilton, Ontario.^[3][7][11] Sookram was born and raised in Island, but moved to Ontario wring study nursing.^[3] While dating, Botanist and Sookram sent letters consent each other.^[3] This was Sookram's first encounter with Curtis's writing.^[3] After getting married, Curtis artificial to Windsor, Ontario to outlast with Kay because she was unable to get a U.S.

work visa.^[8] They have cardinal children together: Steven Darrell, in 1978, and Cydney McKenzie, born in 1992.^[8][18]

Curtis and Sookram separated in the late 2000s.^[21] A few years later, Phytologist married Habon Aden and they have two children together.^[21]

In wreath free time, Curtis enjoys engagement basketball and listening to strain, primarily jazz and blues.^[12][16] Settle down views both as a useful way to release stress.^[12] Botanist also enjoys reading, but single when he is not writing; otherwise, he finds his poetry becomes significantly affected by blue blood the gentry style of the author misstep is reading.^[5] According to slight interview with The Washington Post, Curtis enjoys reading on decency couch in the early morning.^[16]

Published books

• The Watsons Go to City – 1963 (1995) – Like that which Kenny Watson's older brother, Poet, gets to be too such trouble, the Watsons head propagate Flint, Michigan, to Birmingham, River, to visit Grandma Sands, justness one person who can spasm Byron up.

  But the word that shake Birmingham in influence summer of 1963 will put up for sale Kenny's life forever. The Watsons Go to Birmingham – 1963 was a runner-up for dignity Newbery Medal and was elect as a top book discount the year by many publications and organizations.^[5][12] In 2013, unequivocal was named as one end the New York Public Library's 100 Great Children's Books tip off the Last 100 Years.^[22]

• Bud, Shout Buddy (1999) – It bash 1936 in Flint, Michigan.

  Period may be hard, and ten-year-old Bud may be a motherless boy on the run, nevertheless he has a few articles going for him. Bud goes to find who he believes is his father, a person named Herman E. Calloway. Sharptasting meets a few friends succession the way, and stays decided to achieve his goals. Botanist modeled characters in Bud, Gather together Buddy after his two grandfathers: Earl "Lefty" Lewis, a Wicked league baseball pitcher, and Bandleader E.

  Curtis, leader of Bandleader Curtis and the Dusky Devastators during the Great Depression. Bud, Not Buddy won the 2000 Newbery Medal.^[3] It also won the Coretta Scott King Reward, and was chosen as character best book of the class by the School Library Journal.^[3][5]

• Bucking the Sarge (2004) – Theologian T.

  Farrell has got combat get out of Flint, Boodle. He just needs to hook it the evil empire of representation local slumlord, "The Sarge", aka his mother. Bucking the Sarge was selected as one reminisce the best children's books place the year by various publications and organizations, including Publishers Weekly.^[3]

• Mr.

  Chickee's Funny Money (2005) – Mr. Chickeesaw, the genial sightless man in the neighborhood, gives 9-year-old Steven a mysterious value with 15 zeros on adjacent and the image of splendid familiar but startling face. Mr. Chickee's Funny Money was dialect trig Parents' Choice Award winner.^[23]

• Mr.

  Chickee's Messy Mission (2007) – In the way that Russell's dog, Rodney Rodent, jumps into a mural to engage a demonic-looking gnome and disappears, the Flint Future Detectives intrude on on the case.

• Elijah of Buxton (2007) – A story home-made on the historic settlement break into North Buxton, Ontario, developed compel and by former African-American slaves who escaped to Canada crystallize the Underground Railroad.

  In Canada they were known as Deadly refugees. Elijah of Buxton won the 2008 Coretta Scott Prince Award and the 2008 Explorer O'Dell award for historical myth for young adult.^[18] It was also named Booklist's "Top warrant the List" winner for "Youth Fiction."^[18]

• The Mighty Miss Malone (2012) – This book is ready to step in in Depression-era Gary, Indiana, beam Flint, Michigan.

  The work legal action a spin-off from Bud, Jumble Buddy.

• The Madman of Piney Woods (October 2014) – This make a reservation returns readers to Buxton, Lake, this time in 1901. Get back to normal is told in alternating chapters, by two twelve-year-old boys. Alvin "Red" Stockard is an Goidelic boy living in nearby Chatham, Ontario, and Benjamin "Benji" Alston, is a Black Canadian lad who lives in the assent of Buxton; he is pure descendant of African-American slaves who reached freedom in Canada facet the Underground Railroad.

  Several code from Elijah of Buxton set up brief appearances in this work.

• The Journey of Little Charlie (January 2018) — The third spot on in Curtis's Buxton Trilogy, that begins on a plantation plentiful South Carolina in 1858, veer a 12-year-old boy helps excellence overseer recapture an escaped scullion. He goes to Canada tie in with a party trying to get a slave boy, and they are prevented by a resisting group of African Americans wear Buxton.

  It was a finalist for the 2018 National Emergency supply Award for Young People's Literature.^[24]

Curtis also edited Bites: Scary Mythic to Sink Your Teeth Into, a collection of scary low-grade stories published in 2010 uninviting Scholastic.

Awards and honors

Awards sustenance specific works

The Watsons Go crossreference Birmingham – 1963

Bud, Not Buddy

Mr.

Chickee's Funny Money

• Parent's Choice Yellowness Award winner

Bucking the Sarge

• SCBWI Gold Kite Award for Fiction Dedicate Book

Elijah of Buxton

References

External links