 P.J. Petersen
P.J. Petersen's Web site
P. J. Petersen grew up on a farm six miles from Geyserville, California. He says, "I was sure that I lived in the most boring place in the world -- a prune farm in the middle of nowhere. Since my family didn't have the time or money to travel, I did my traveling through books. I read everything I could get my hands on. Most of my books came from the Geyserville Public Library, which was one tiny room served by the county Bookmobile. I loved the place, especially on the day after the Bookmobile came."
Petersen wanted to be a writer from the beginning. He had other ambitions, like being an airline pilot and a baseball player, but he always intended to write books.
He was not an immediate success. He wrote seriously for over twenty years without selling a single word. Then he had his best idea -- to write a book for his daughter Karen, a seventh grader at the time. He had never written for young people, but he knew the kind of books his daughter liked. That book, Would You Settle For Improbable?,was his first published novel. He has been writing books for young people ever since.
Despite his numerous books, Petersen said the act of writing does not come naturally to him. "For every hour I spend writing, I probably spend ten hours rewriting. Before beginning a novel, I usually have a story in my head, complete with characters and scenes. It takes me many, many drafts to transfer the vision from my mind onto paper. I find descriptions especially difficult. It is far easier to imagine a face or a tree than it is to conjure up the words that will allow a reader to share those pictures. And regardless of how many revisions I make, the story in my head is always more powerful than what I manage to get on paper."
On good days, he feels like a play is going on his head, and he takes all the roles. "I usually talk out loud as I type, my voice changing with each character. Because I play all the parts, experiencing each emotion, I suppose there are aspects of me in all the characters."
Dramatizing stories has drawbacks, however. "When I have a character sprawled on the ground, I often get out of my chair and assume the position to see where the arms and legs would be. If people happen by and see me lying on the floor with my legs in the air, mumbling to myself, they are convinced that I've finally gone over the edge."
Petersen lives with his wife, Marian, in Redding, California. He has two grown daughters, Karen and Carla, and two grandchildren, Ryan and Emma. A graduate of Stanford University with a Ph.D. in American literature from the University of New Mexico, he taught at Shasta College from 1964 to December 2000. Now that he has retired from teaching, he is available for school visits, workshops, or conferences.
Petersen's most recent publication is ROB&SARA.com, co-authored with Ivy Ruckman.
Books:
The Sub
ages 7-10. James and Ray switch seats to fool the substitute teacher. "Readers will find enough action here to keep them turning the pages." School Library Journal(starred review) An IRA-CBC Children's Choice Book An American Bookseller "Pick of the Lists"
White Water
ages 8-12. An accident on a white-water rafting trip forces Greg to take action to save his father's life. Winner of the William Allen White Award and the Children's Crown Award.
I Hate Weddings
ages 7-10. Dan hates weddings -- dressing up and sitting still and all that kissing. And now he has to be in a wedding: His father is getting married. What could be worse?
My Worst Friend
ages 7-11. "I like everybody in the world," Sara tells Jennifer. "I just like you less than anybody else." Sara and Jennifer have been rivals and enemies since pre-school. When Sara becomes seriously ill, Jennifer can't decide how to respond.
Can You Keep A Secret?
ages 7-10. Nobody will tell Mike anything. He can't keep a secret, no matter how hard he tries. But suddenly he knows more than he wants to. And he's determined not to tell this time.
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