THE BEGINNING
Paul Fleischman was supposed to be born in Paris. His parents had traveled to Europe in search of the perfect place for his birth and upbringing. But Mrs. Fleischman had a premonition about this pregnancy. She did not want to be in a foreign country when it came time to give birth. So, the family returned to the states and continued the search in this country. They hopped in a car, and drove and drove and drove, finally stopping when they reached the Pacific Ocean. Paul Taylor Fleischman was born in Monterey, California on September 5, 1952. (Fleischman, S. 1996) He was the second of three children and spent his youth in Santa Monica in a loving family with two sisters, a well-known father, and a mother who was involved in the community.As the Fleischman children grew, each learned to play an instrument. Paul chose the piano at age seven, the same instrument that his mother played. Young readers can be thankful that Paul Fleischman was not able to realize his musical ambitions, although he did develop a love for classical music that has taken a strong hold in his life. After much effort over many years he recognized that he was not destined to be the next Bach or Beethoven, and decided to show his father, Sid Fleischman (by that time an award-winning children's book writer), a story he had recently written. His father was truly amazed. After all, Paul was 27 years old and had never expressed an interest in writing. And this first story was almost flawless. Birthday Tree had come into the world full-grown (Fleischman, S. 1989). Somewhere along the way, Paul had absorbed the wisdom and book talk that took place in their home with each visit of an editor or author friend. He had been paying attention when his father read his books to the family, chapter by chapter, using his family as a sounding board. Paul understood from an early age that the sound of a sentence, the forming of a paragraph, the attention to detail, are all important parts of making an interesting story. "We grew up knowing that words felt good in the ears and on the tongue, that they were as much fun to play with as toys" (Fleischman, P. 1987, p. 430).
Because a writer puts himself into much of his work, a good many of Paul Fleischman's life experiences show up in his tales.Paul was a "shrimp" (his word), always the shortest kid in his class, a condition he has termed CSD (Chronic Stature Deficiency) (Ehrlich, 1999, p. 49). The effect this had on his life can be seen in the characters of The Half-a-Moon Inn, in which the main character is a small mute boy, or Weslandia where an "outsider" creates a world of his own in which creative intelligence reigns supreme. A Fate Totally Worse than Death is an effort at retaliation on the tall, rich girls of his youth (Ehrlich, 1999).
Paul was always a free spirit. While in college, he and some friends started out on a bike ride from northern California that was supposed to take them up to the border of Canada. Paul, for one reason and another, ended up taking this trip virtually on his own. His friends had all gone their own ways by the time they got to southern Oregon. "A bike rider is an independent, self-contained creature, picking his own pace and route. I was training for the life of a freelance writer" (Fleischman, P. 1999, p. 107). Paul reached the Canadian border and decided to continue into Canada and take the trans-Canada railroad to the east coast of Canada. He ended up in Maine and stayed for a few years, finding inspiration for several of his historical fiction novels. (Fleischman, P. 1999)
Paul was also a trash collector. He roamed the streets and alleys of his youth, picking up others' trash and creating freeform art pieces from the treasures he found. "More than anything else I did, making found sculptures taught me how to write" (Fleischman, P. 1999 p. 106). He likens writing to playing "in the vast sandbox of the English language" (Fleischman, P. 1989, p. 445). This found-objects sculpture is a hobby he still pursues.
So how does all of this life experience come out in Paul Fleischman's writing? The musical background he brings to his writing is most pervasive, evident in all of his writing. Whenever a Paul Fleischman story is read aloud, the reader and listener are affected by its lyrical quality, the way the words fit together, the way the phrases follow each other, sometimes weaving in and out. This is especially noticeable in his poetry books for more than one voice (I Am Phoenix, Joyful Noise), and his stories told from several viewpoints (Seedfolks, Rondo in C). Horning (1997) has described Bull Run as a "patchwork of history" (p. 166) in which sixteen voices are patched together seamlessly to give the reader a broader view of an historic event. The bicycle trek he took up the western coast was fodder for Olivia's bike challenge in Rear View Mirrors. His pastime of shopping through used bookstores planted several seeds of ideas that inspired Graven Images, Path of the Pale Horse, and others. His mother's love of gardening and community service made Seedfolks a natural progression from the planting of a seed to the creation of a community garden. His time living in the northeastern corner of the country helped in the creation of The Borning Room. He is a storer of ideas, of tidbits of information found in the odd book. He learned early on that writing what you know is what works best. The words flow easier and the scenes nearly write themselves.
Paul has since returned to the west coast, married and lives with his wife and two children in Pacific Grove where he has written the bulk of his 27 (soon to be 30) published books.This man is a very prolific and versatile writer. He has written for young readers as well as young adult readers. He has written fiction as well as non-fiction. His fiction spans a cross-section of genres, from historical fiction, to humorous fiction, to poetry, to just plain fiction. Whatever he writes, the musician is always working. His words flow. Characters enter and leave the scene and are replaced with new characters, a round in which different voices come in at specific times and others drop out of the chorus, waiting to rejoin the group on another page.
At Paul Fleischman's suggestion, anyone wanting to become a writer should "buy a notebook and save your ideas (Kovacs, p. 31)," and invest in a pencil. Paul writes his stories in pencil, erasing, rather than crossing out, thus eliminating any drafts and ending with the done deal (Fleischman, S. 1989). As he writes in Kovacs' (1995) collection, "I write slowly, carefully, once!" (p. 30). And yet, experimentation, improvisation, creation, construction, destruction, and an element of the unexpected are all evidenced in his writing (p. 29). He assures us that what we gather and record now will help later when we are looking for a story to write. He promises that he has lots of ideas he has not yet used, and bits and pieces of others waiting to take shape. There seems to always be a book lurking around his corners.
"An astute attention to the power of sound and the musicality of words permeates [Paul Fleischman's] work" (Silvey, 1995, p. 245). Kovacs (1995) agrees that sounds, rather than pictures, are what matter to Paul when he writes. Paul Fleischman's ear for rhythm and rhyme and the flow of sounds make his writing inviting. Combine that with his uniquely sensitive character development and the result is a story that is both delightful to read and to hear. The read-aloud storyteller is tickled by the flow of words. Fleischman winds several characters together and takes us inside their thoughts. When we travel back in time with him to fight a battle, or follow him to the four corners of the U.S. making whirligigs, we are learning something new, seeing things from a unique perspective. "I learned to seek a form with a pleasing shape, to build in both unity and contrast, to love both entrances and the cadence of closings. Every chapter, every paragraph, every sentence, I discovered, has an arc to it, like a musical phrase. Every word has both a meaning and a music" (Fleischman, P, 1989, p. 444). Paul Fleischman has become the Bach of the written word.
(Attached is a complete annotated bibliography, listed chronologically, of Paul Fleischman's works.)
Ehrlich, A. (Ed.) (1999). When I was your age: Original stories about growing up. Volume two. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press.
Fleischman, P. (1987). Sid Fleischman. Horn Book, 63. 429-432.
Fleischman, P. (1989). Newbery Medal acceptance. Horn Book,
65. 442-451.
Fleischman, P. (1999). The accidental artist. School Library Journal, 45 (3). 104-107.
Fleischman, S. (1989). Paul Fleischman. Horn Book, 65.
452-455.
Fleischman, S. (1996). The abracadabra kid: A writer's life. NY: Greenwillow Books.
Horning, K. T. (1997). From cover to cover: Evaluating and
reviewing children's books. NY: HarperCollins.
Kovacs, D. (1995). Meet the authors: 25 writers of upper elementary and middles school books talk about their work. NY: Scholastic.
Silvey, A. (Ed.) (1995). Children's books and their creators.
Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
Berger, L. S. (Ed.) (1994). Twentieth century young adult writers. Detroit: St. james Press.
Children's books: Awards & prizes. (1996). NY: The
Children's Book Council.
Clark, A. (1993). Books in the classroom. The Horn Book, 69
(2). 187-189.
Coming attractions: Several notable authors and artists discuss
their current projects. Publishers Weekly, 237 (8).
126-130.
Fleischman, P. (1983). Paul Fleischman, September 5, 1952, Author of:
Graven images, etc. In Holtz, S. H. (Ed.). (1983). Fifth book of
junior authors and illustrators. Retrieved on October 17, 1999
from
WilsonWeb online database (Wilson Biographies).
Fleischman, P. (1986). Sound and sense. Horn Book, 62.
551-555.
Harper Collins Publishers (1997). Paul Fleischman writes about how
he came to create Seedfoldks. HarperCollins Kids. Retrieved on
October 17, 1999 from the World Wide Web, http://www.harperchildrens.com/features/seedstate1.htm
Patrick, D. (1999). A living legacy: Children of authors and
illustrators of children's books. Publishers Weekly, 246 (6).
120-123. Retrieved October 20, 1999 from Dialog online database
(#0413826).
Paul Fleischman: 1952- (1999). Contemporary Authors Online, The Gale Group. Retrieved on October 14, 1999 from Gale Database online (Contemporary Authors).
Year
Publ
Title
Synopsis
The Birthday Tree.NY: Harper & Row. 32 p.;
illus. by Marcia Sewell
A picture book, to be read to a young reader (or listener), about the
relationship between a boy and the apple tree that was planted in
honor of his birth. As the boy grows, so does the tree; as the boy
feels, so does the tree. This is a family with much sadness at the
hand of the sea. They have lost four boys to the sea and have moved
far enough away so that they cannot see, hear or smell the ocean. But
as their new son grows up, he develops a wanderlust and heads out to
sea. As he does, the tree shows signs, either by the birds that land
in it or the condition of its branches and leaves, of what he is
going through. In the end, the son returns home to his own bed.
The Half-a-Moon Inn NY: Harper Trophy 88 p.; illus. by Kathy Jacobi Every child's nightmare - being separated from his mother and at the mercy of a grinch of a taskmaster. Aaron is left on his own when his mother goes off to do the shopping. The subsequent snow storm delays her return, and Aaron goes after her, ignoring her careful instructions that he not go beyond where he can see the house. He pays dearly for his disobedience, but, in the end, he escapes and is reunited with his mother - and the villains get their due.
Graven Images NY: Harper Trophy 85 p.; illus. by John Jude Palencar Each story centers around a "graven image." The first is a binnacle boy to whom the townspeople tell their secrets. In the second story St. Crispin sits on top of a weather vane and directs a young man in search of a young woman. The final in this trilogy a sculptor is commissioned by a ghost to make a likeness. It is the nature of people to put their faith and hopes in "graven images" that can never reveal what they hear.
Path of the Pale Horse NY: Harper & Row144 p. Lep has been the apprentice for Dr. Beale and is learning his trade well. They travel to Philadelphia in the middle of the yellow fever epidemic of 1793, and though they had not intended it, become involved in treating the sick. There is much apprehension and conjecture as to what is causing the illness, and it takes a strong faith in the power of medicine for Lep to continue his work.
The Animal Hedge NY: E. P. Dutton 32 p.; illus. by Lydia Dabcovich A draught has dried up the farm and forced father to take all of his dearly beloved animals to market so that he can feed his family. Saddened by a move from the farm to a small cottage, father begins to see animal shapes in the hedges. This brightens his outlook, and he begins cutting the hedges in the shapes of animals. As his sons grow and are ready to leave home, they each are encouraged to find their future in the shape of the hedge.
Finzel the Farsighted NY: E. P. Dutton 48 p. An
old-country tale about a man who can tell your future by looking at
your vegetables and fruits - but he is very disorganized and keeps
forgetting what's been brought for analysis and what's to be eaten.
And he's a glutton to boot! So occasionally he gives the wrong
fortune to the fruit-bearing customer. Two lessons are learned here:
don't believe what someone else says about you if you don't feel it's
so (question authority) and cheaters never prosper (as the thief
finds out in the end). 1983
Phoebe Danger, Detective, In the Case of the 2-Minute
Cough
Boston: Houghton Mifflin 58 p.; illus. by Margot Apple Where
has the very special collectors' bottle of cough medicine gone? Ten
year olds, Phoebe and Dash, to the rescue. By gathering information
and examining it for clues (and running all over town in the summer
heat) they solve the case. An intermediate easy reader in which the
main characters outwit a crafty deceiver to uncover the mystery of
the disappearing artifact.
Coming-and-Going Men: Four Tales
NY: Harper & Row 148 p.; illus. by Randy Gaul What do
four tales about different men who all live or pass through the town
of New Canaan have in common? It seems that these are all tales of
the power we can let others have over how we think. If something is
said with authority, it is believed many times without question.
There is Mr. Snype, the shade cutter, who Bethany is positive is
stealing souls. Crows are the culprits in the second story, at least
according to Mr. Cobb who convinces his apprentice that all crows
must be killed. The third story is filled with misunderstandings and
assumptions of guilt, while the fourth deals with the deceit involved
in trying to sell things.. In every tale future actions are based on
current misgivings and miscommunications, and become very tangled up
in themselves.
I Am Phoenix
NY: Harper Trophy 51 p.; illus. by Ken Nutt Poems written
about birds, both real and fanciful, to be read by two voices
simultaneously. Similar to a Greek chorus.
Rear View Mirrors
NY: Harper & Row 117 p. In a series of flashbacks we
discover Olivia's relationship with her father, a man she meets when
she turns 16. He has sent for her because he feels the end of his
life approaching and is looking for an heir. The summer following his
death Olivia duplicates her father's yearly bike challenge - a
78-mile trip from which she needs to return before sundown (the
challenge). Each step of the way she's reminded of something from
that summer with her father and we get a better view into their
personalities and their relationship. This is a coming of age story
in the sense that Olivia learns a great deal about herself from these
experiences.
Joyful Noise
NY: Harper Trophy 44 p.; illus. by Eric Beddows The 1989
Newbery Medal book of poems about insects. Like I Am
Phoenix, these poems are to be read by two voices
simultaneously.
Rondo in C
NY: Harper & Row 32 p.; illus. by Janet Wentworth A
picture book written in verse as a young piano player plays Beethoven
to a room full of family and friends. Each stanza is accompanied by a
drawing of one of the people in the room and the words relate what
the piece brings to mind for each listener, young and old.
Saturnalia
NY: Harper & Row 113 p. Saturnalia is a traditional
celebration taking place on the autumn equinox in which servant and
master, trade places for the day. It is a small part of this story
about life in the northeast after the King Philip's War. The English
are using Naragansett Indians as slaves, some being treated better
than others. Fleischman weaves characters in and out of his story,
like a well-choreographed dance. One has to be paying attention to
know which character has taken the scene off in his own
direction.
Shadow Play
NY: Harper & Row 34 p.; illus. by Eric Beddows Two
children spend their last 20 cents to see Shadow Play: Monseiur
Legrand and his Family of Shadow Puppeteers. They watch the story of
Beauty and the Beast played out in shadows. At the end of the
performance they are invited behind the scenes to see how the shadows
are made - all by one man! This is a close collaboration between
writer and illustrator, since there are not many words.
Time Train
NY: Harper Collins 32 p.; illus. by Claire Ewart A younger
reader's story about a train trip to Dinosaur National Park. But
something happens while they are on the train and the children find
real dinosaurs when they get off the train. They have so much fun
they do not notice the passage of time and are surprise at how soon
the return train comes for them.
The Borning Room
NY: Harper Trophy 101 p. This is the room in which one comes
into the world, and the room in which one leaves the world. This
story starts with the birth of our narrator and ends with her death.
In between is a full life growing up in Ohio in the second half of
the 19th century. The characters are full and the adventures
many.
Townsend's Warbler
NY: Harper Collins 52 p. Nutall and Townsend joined Wyeth's
group as they followed the Oregon Trail, blazed 30 years earlier by
Lewis & Clark. Along the way they encountered Indians, suffered
hunger and thirst, but managed to collect specimens of plant and
animal life. Fleischman's book is a sketchy biography of the two men,
intertwined with the migration and nesting patterns of the warbler
discovered by Townsend in the Rockies. It includes many painting,
drawings, and photographs and short excerpts throughout from both
men's journals. There is no index and no reference list.
Bull Run
NY: Harper Trophy 104 p. Sixteen viewpoints on the
activities preceding and including the Civil War battle at Bull Run.
Voices form both sides of the battle fill the pages, as well as the
onlookers and the girls at home sewing shirts for the soldiers. This
book has won numerous awards.
Copier Creations
NY: Harper Collins 122 p. Flesichman has written a how-to
book for kids who want to get crafty using a copy machine. He
presents instructions and caveats for projects from making decals to
"films" to stamps and stationery. He even suggests where to find clip
art and briefly discusses copyright issues. He suggests books for
further reading, but does not include an index.
A Fate Totally Worse than Death
Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press 124 p. Three best friends
from Cliffside High are growing old fast. They are sure it's because
the ghost of an outsider that they killed last year has come back to
put a curse on them. They decide that in order to remove the curse,
they must kill the boy that the ghost has come back to be with.
Surprise, surprise - it's the elderly lady that had been in the
occasional care of the girls who is getting revenge for the way she
was treated. A genre spoof.
Dateline:Troy
Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press 80 p.; collages by Gwen
Frankfeldt & Glenn Morrow Fleischman tells the story of the
battle of Troy, juxtaposed with headlines from the past 40-50 years.
Each page relates part of the story and on the opposite page is a
reproduction of a newspaper headline reflecting the same ideas. For
example, when ????is pregnant, she has a dream. She asks a seer to
interpret her dream. On the opposite page is the headline "Reagans
use astrology, aids confirm." when the giant wooden horse is built,
the headline opposite states "Decoys, the art of disguise" discussing
tricks used during the Gulf War to deceive the "enemy."
Ghost's Grace: A Poem for Four Voices unavailable; Amazon.com shows it's rerelease in April of 2000
Seedfolks
NY: Harper Trophy 69 p. Varying viewpoints on the
development of a neighborhood garden, from its inception at the hand
of a young girl who plants a seed and secretly tends it, to each of
thirteen different neighbors with stories of their won and their need
to make a connection. This book has won many awards, including
Newbery Honor.
Whirligig
NY: Henry Holt 133 p. Brent has been rejected in public and
in no uncertain terms. He's also been drinking. As he is driving
home, his despair takes over and he just lets go of his steering
wheel, hoping to die. Instead, he kills Lea, a young woman, not much
older than he. His restitution is to create and display four
whirligigs in the four corners of the United States. In this new life
he travels by bus, stays in hostels and campgrounds and explores his
talents. We also see how the whirligigs touch other lives after they
are displayed.
Weslandia
Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press 32 p.; illus. by Kevin
Hawkes The dream of every kid who doesn't feel he fits into the crowd
- create your own world, complete with a language, crops, clothing
and shelter. Wesley's "enemies" become curious about his activities
and begin joining him and learning his ways. When he returns to
school at summer's end, he has lots of friends - actually they are
more like followers.
Mind's Eye
NY: Henry Holt 108 p. The places we can go in our minds, if
only we try. Sixteen year old Courtney is a new resident in the
convalescent home. she has a broken spine and is paralyzed below the
waist. Her roommate, 88 year old Elva, convinces her to be the tour
guide and has her read the tour book on Italy. It doesn't take long
for Courtney to become involved, even taking off on side trips on her
own and creating her own world in her imagination. Written in play
format, this story illustrates the power of the mind and the
possibilities of using it to escape from a reality you don't
like.
Cannibal in the Mirror
Big Talk: Poems for Four Voices
Lost: A Story in String