PAUL ZINDEL BIO & NOVEL THEMES

PAUL ZINDEL – Early Life  Paul Zindel was born on May 15, 1936, in Staten Island, New York. His father left Paul, his older sister Betty, and his mother for another woman when Paul was only two years old. This event began Paul’s early adventures.  After his father left, Paul’s mother started moving from town to town and from job to job. From shipyard worker to dog breeder, Betty Zindel seemed unable to keep any job. Yet Paul offered a sort of compliment to his mother: "what mother lacked in money, she made up for being able to talk a mile a minute."  His mother, however, also constantly threatened suicide. Paul described his home as a "house of fear." He coped not only by creating a fantasy life, but also by wishing he would be abducted by aliens.

PAUL ZINDEL – Later Life  In 1951, when Paul was fifteen, his wish to escape from his home was granted— although not by aliens, but by doctors. He was diagnosed with tuberculosis.  Since tuberculosis is a highly contagious disease of the lungs, he was confined to the hospital for eighteen months—it was here that Paul wrote his first play.  After recovering, Paul graduated from high school and left home once again, this time to attend Wagner College in Staten Island. He earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry and education. In 1959 he also completed a masters of science degree in chemistry.  He became a chemistry teacher at Tottenville High School in Staten Island. Besides giving him a steady income, his ten years of teaching experience also provided him with a “million stories” about young people.

PAUL ZINDEL – Writing Career  While he was teaching, Paul continued to write. His persistence eventually won him a grant from the Ford Foundation and a position as writer-in-residence at the Alley Theater in Houston, Texas.  His first major writing success was The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigold. This play won the 1971 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the New York Drama Critics Circle Award.  This critical acclaim for Paul’s play in turn led to his success in writing young adult novels. Charlotte Zolotow, an editor at Harper & Row, realized that Paul possessed a unique understanding of teenage problems, language, joys, and sorrows. She asked him to write a novel about teenagers. The Pigman was the result of her request.

PAUL ZINDEL – More Successes  The popularity of The Pigman convinced Paul to continue writing young adult novels. Three of his novels have received recognition. The Pigman (1968), My Darling, My Hamburger (1969), and I Never Loved Your Mind (1970) have all been selected as “Outstanding Books of the Year” by The New York Times Book Review.  Over the next thirty years, Paul continued to write more young adult novels such as, The Pigman’s Legacy, Fright Night, Attack of the Killer, Loch, and The Doom Stone.  Throughout his writing career, Paul has followed his Pigman's advice. From stage and screen plays to young adult fiction books, he has used his imagination and shared his real-life adventures. In 2002 he was awarded the Margaret A. Edwards Award for his lifetime contribution in writing for young adults.

PAUL ZINDEL – Novel Themes  Paul’s novels usually have common themes. Using teenagers as his protagonists, his goal is to get his young readers to stop feeling inferior. He wants his books to offer hope and to teach young people self-respect – qualities that were foreign to him as a teenager.  Other themes are equally important in his novels. Romance, mischief, and suspense are frequently found in his works. Paul uses these elements to enhance action and establish realism.  Another frequent feature of his work is a school setting. Paul believes that such an environment helps to create a realistic atmosphere. In turn, this realism helps readers identify with the story.

PAUL ZINDEL – Novel Themes  Honesty and realism are also virtues of Paul’s novel characters. He has been able to create realistic characters again and again by turning to newspapers, television, parents, and fellow teachers.  But his most important resources are the very people he writes about: teenagers. Paul says that he has “talked to lots and lots of kids,” taking notes for future reference.  Because he has had so many conversations with kids, Paul has been able to create realistic dialogue in his novels. He admits that he has “tried to use the language of kids” which is probably what makes his writing so appealing and successful!