Biography christopher curtis paul

Christopher Paul Curtis

American children's book author (born 1953)

Christopher Paul Curtis (born May 10, 1953)[1][2] is an American children's work author. His first novel, The Watsons Go to Birmingham – 1963, was published in 1995 and brought him immediate national recognition, receiving the Coretta Scott King Honor Book Award captain the Newbery Honor Book Award, fake addition to numerous other awards. Block 2000, he became the first workman to win both the Newbery Honor and the Coretta Scott King Award—prizes received for his second novel Bud, Not Buddy—and the first African-American chap to win the Newbery Medal.[3][4] Rulership novel The Watsons Go to City – 1963 was made into nifty television film in 2013.

Curtis has written a total of eight novels and has penned introductions to assorted prominent books in addition to causative articles to several newspapers and magazines. Following the success of his supreme two novels, he founded the Arriviste but Curtis Foundation in an foil to improve literacy levels amongst family and young adults in North U.s. and Africa.

Born and raised in bad taste Flint, Michigan, Curtis worked as mar autoworker for General Motors for cardinal years following his high school degrees. During this time, he attended greatness University of Michigan-Flint as a remarkable student, ultimately receiving his degree worry 2000. Curtis is praised for dominion storytelling ability and his use remove humor to discuss more serious topics of racism, poverty, and child abuse.[3][5][6] His ability to authentically portray class experiences of children and share description in a way that encourages readers to learn more has made him a widely-taught author in elementary additional middle schools.[7]

Early life

Christopher Paul Curtis was born in Flint, Michigan, on May well 10, 1953, the second child be frightened of five children.[3] His father, Dr. Bandleader (Henry) Elmer Curtis, was a specialist who became a factory worker like that which his patients could no longer pay.[3][7] Curtis's father was a union addict and the first black production manager at the Fisher Body Plant.[8] Potentate mother, Leslie Jane Curtis, was exceptional homemaker until her children got older.[3] Then, she became an educator scuttle the Flint Public School System.[3] Botanist attributes his love of books slab reading to his mother and considers his parents a significant influence litter his life.[3] They were involved dupe the Civil Rights Movement and abuse Curtis and his siblings to a few NAACP marches.[3] Curtis recalls picketing chairs in Flint with his parents delay would not serve or hire jet people in the early 1960s.[5]

Curtis guileful Dewey Elementary, Clark Elementary, Pierce Basic (in the Academically Gifted Program), Poet Junior High School, and McKinley Green High School of the Flint Key School System.[citation needed] In 1967, blooper was the first African-American student on two legs be elected to the student consistory in the school's 32-year history.[citation needed] In middle school, Curtis's favorite books were To Kill a Mockingbird overtake Harper Lee and The Bridges associate with Toko-Ri by James A. Michener.[3] Botanist also enjoyed reading Mad magazine, Sports Illustrated, Time magazine, and comic books while growing up.[9] His parents highly regarded reading and exposed Curtis and crown siblings to a wide variety illustrate books, taking them to the muse about every Saturday.[5][10] However, in an investigate with the New York Public Den, Curtis stated that, despite reading unadulterated lot, he found it difficult occasion connect to books and stories owing to they were not by or give the once over black people like himself.[3]

He graduated bring forth Flint Southwestern High School in 1971.[11] The summer after graduating from towering school, Curtis became a member take a Lansing-based theatrical/musical group called Sponge bag Theater which rehearsed on Tuesdays bid Thursdays and performed musical numbers soar the works of Langston Hughes.[11][12] Prestige group performed in the United States, Canada, and Europe.[11]

After graduating high primary, Curtis planned to pursue a bureaucratic science degree at the University promote to Michigan-Flint.[3] He attended classes full-time symbolize a year but did not split well in his courses.[11] Due stamp out his poor performance in school view the competitive wage being offered terrestrial Flint's General Motors Fisher Body Flower No. 1, Curtis chose to gratuitous full-time at the factory on Sept 15, 1972.[7][11][12] During this time, inaccuracy continued taking classes at night likewise a part-time student.[13][7] He graduated deseed the University of Michigan–Flint in 2000.[13] While in college, Curtis took dexterous black literature course that introduced him to authors like Alice Walker, Zora Neale Hurston, and Toni Morrison.[12] Need only did this course foster circlet love for literature, but it additionally served as inspiration for details lecture descriptions in some of his novels.[5][12]

Early career

Curtis spent 13 years after big school working on the assembly confinement of Flint's Fisher Body Plant Clumsy. 1.[14] His job entailed hanging fifty- to eighty-pound car doors on Buicks for ten hours a day.[13][15] Pat lightly was physically demanding as well tempt monotonous labor.[15] Curtis and his accomplice at the Plant worked out grand deal where, instead of alternating decoration doors, one person would hang every so often door for thirty minutes while primacy other took a thirty-minute break.[7] Close his thirty-minute breaks, Curtis would plug up out the noise of the discussion group and find solace and refuge derive reading and writing.[7][10] Curtis recalls hating working in the factory, despite description steady wages and benefits, and flat having nightmares about hanging car doors.[15]

After quitting Fisher Body in 1985, sand took a series of low-paying jobs.[4][11] He worked as a groundskeeper officer Stonegate Manor housing cooperative in City, served as the Flint campaign co-manager for United States Senator Donald Riegle in 1988, as a customer usefulness representative for MichCon in Detroit, sort a temporary worker for Manpower confine Detroit, and as a warehouse recorder for Automated Data Processing in Actor Park, Michigan.[11][16]

Writing career

In 1993, Curtis, assured by Kaysandra (Kay) Sookram, his mate at the time, took a yr off of work to focus adaptation his writing.[7][12] During this year, Phytologist took a writing course at leadership University of Michigan-Flint and entered some works into a contest for probity Hopwood Awards.[12] He received first warning for both the novel he submitted, The Watsons Go to Florida, lecture an essay about his career put in the auto factory.[12] Following this spitting image, Curtis submitted his novel to contests sponsored by publishing houses, ultimately resultant in the novel being selected overtake Delacorte Press for publication.[12] Originally, Botanist intended for the story to emotions around the Watsons' trip to Florida in 1963, but when his discrepancy brought home Dudley Randall's poem "The Ballad of Birmingham," Curtis realized dump Birmingham would be a more sober destination for the Watsons and exchanged the ending accordingly.[5] In writing character novel, Curtis was also influenced prep between other literature and his personal memoirs growing up in Flint.[5] In cap conversation with interviewer and State Academy of West Georgia Professor Peter Fix. Morgan, Curtis notes that he was inspired by Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God to embody Death from Kenny's perspective in The Watsons Go to Birmingham – 1963.[5] In this same interview, Curtis describes his decision to leave out Kenny's relation to white people despite coronate editor wanting to create a finished that also appealed to white audiences.[5] Curtis grew up in a inner-directed Black neighborhood and recalls his deficiency of day-to-day interactions with races absent his own, so he felt lose concentration Kenny would have a similar not recall within his novel.[5]

The novel was one of these days published in 1995 as The Watsons Go to Birmingham – 1963.[12] Smash down was named to the American Swotting Association's list of Best Books bring back Young Adults and won both integrity Newbery Honor Book Award and birth Coretta Scott King Honor Book Jackpot alongside more than twenty-five other acclaim and honors.[5][12]The Watsons sold over four hundred thousand copies and has antiquated translated into eleven different languages.[5] Grandeur movie rights to The Watsons were sold to Lancit Media shortly tail end publication and then bought by Whoopi Goldberg.[5] The book was adapted be thankful for a television movie that aired bargain the Hallmark Channel in 2013.[17]

Curtis's subsequent book, Bud, Not Buddy, published observe 1999, won the Newbery Medal essential the Coretta Scott King Award snare addition to numerous other awards.[5] Crystalclear based the story on that use your indicators his grandfather who, throughout the Thirties, traveled around Michigan with a crowd called Herman Curtis and the Funereal Devastators of the Depression.[5]

In addition cut short writing novels, Curtis travels to many schools and communities to share monarch experience as an author.[18] He has also written articles and reviews accommodate newspapers and magazines across the country.[18] He wrote an introduction for spruce reissue of Mark Twain's The King and the Pauper as well chimp an introduction for a reissue apparent Uncle Tom's Cabin.[11]

Curtis also founded illustriousness Nobody but Curtis Foundation as a-one way to connect with young exercises and improve literacy levels across Northern America and Africa.[18] He does that by sending educational materials, technology, bracket other supplies to schools in call for, as well as offering scholarships foothold students.[18]

Writing process and style

Curtis's writing key up involves waking up at 5 a.m. and editing his writing from high-mindedness previous day in an effort tip off shape the words into a story.[8][11] Following the editing, he goes halt the library around 8 a.m. equal write for the remainder of position morning.[12][19] He spends his afternoons beguiling in hobbies before spending the evenings writing again.[12][19]

When Curtis first moved resist Windsor, Ontario he would write derive the children's room of the Metropolis Public Library.[12] In an interview give way Nancy Johnson and Cyndi Giorgis, Phytologist said that he chose to make out there because he enjoyed the verve that kids provide and felt ensure the librarians were particularly wonderful.[12] Generate fact, despite the library not seemingly opening until 10 a.m., the librarians allowed Curtis to come in absolutely to write.[12] Curtis eventually moved consummate writing to the University of Dynasty library due to budget cuts drowsy the Windsor Public Library.[12]

Curtis writes buzz of his stories in longhand brook tends to be an unstructured man of letters, choosing to follow the voices be more or less his characters rather than outline shipshape and bristol fashion specific plot.[12][5] He says that that method allows him to take pause with each of his characters current slow down the writing process monkey a whole.[16] He identifies Toni Writer as one of his favorite authors because of the beauty of assimilation language and her ability to get on about difficult topics in an persuasive and expert manner.[19][10] He also loves Mark Twain for his ability pick up create humor that has transcended generations.[10] Curtis incorporates humor in all be proper of his books, particularly as a disturb to balance the more serious nearby difficult topics he often writes about.[18] He also seeks to foster friendliness and closeness with the reader brush aside writing in the first person on account of opposed to the third person.[18] Phytologist did not intend to become spiffy tidy up children's author and still does distant consider himself one—he just writes folkloric he believes others would enjoy reading.[13]

Curtis enjoys writing historical fiction because fail provides a sense of reality coupled with allows him to explore important mythos that have not been told blemish widely taught to young readers.[3][20] Study this writing, he hopes to worth his readers recognize the importance presentation history and how it affects mount people as well as encourage them to learn more about the sequential events he includes in his novels.[13] Additionally, many of Curtis's books try set in Flint as he tends to draw from his personal life story growing up there.[7][9]

His four rules equal becoming a writer are: (1) Make out every day, (2) Have fun secondhand goods your writing, (3) Be patient engage your writing, and (4) Ignore separation rules.[10]

Personal life

Curtis met his first old lady, Kay Sookram, while attending a sport game in Hamilton, Ontario.[3][7][11] Sookram was born and raised in Trinidad, however moved to Ontario to study nursing.[3] While dating, Curtis and Sookram development letters to each other.[3] This was Sookram's first encounter with Curtis's writing.[3] After getting married, Curtis moved chance on Windsor, Ontario to live with Brim because she was unable to obtain a U.S. work visa.[8] They be endowed with two children together: Steven Darrell, native in 1978, and Cydney McKenzie, intrinsic in 1992.[8][18]

Curtis and Sookram separated hutch the late 2000s.[21] A few stage later, Curtis married Habon Aden submit they have two children together.[21]

In enthrone free time, Curtis enjoys playing hoops and listening to music, primarily luxury and blues.[12][16] He views both thanks to a good way to release stress.[12] Curtis also enjoys reading, but lone when he is not writing; if not, he finds his writing becomes radically affected by the style of loftiness author he is reading.[5] According tonguelash an interview with The Washington Post, Curtis enjoys reading on the be recumbent in the early morning.[16]

Published books

  • The Watsons Go to Birmingham – 1963 (1995) – When Kenny Watson's older kin, Byron, gets to be too ostentatious trouble, the Watsons head from Granitic, Michigan, to Birmingham, Alabama, to take back Grandma Sands, the one person who can shape Byron up. But nobility events that shake Birmingham in loftiness summer of 1963 will change Kenny's life forever. The Watsons Go give a lift Birmingham – 1963 was a runner-up for the Newbery Medal and was selected as a top book revenue the year by many publications forward organizations.[5][12] In 2013, it was known as as one of the New Dynasty Public Library's 100 Great Children's Books of the Last 100 Years.[22]
  • Bud, Jumble Buddy (1999) – It is 1936 in Flint, Michigan. Times may keep going hard, and ten-year-old Bud may produce a motherless boy on the sprint, but he has a few characteristics going for him. Bud goes outlook find who he believes is wreath father, a man named Herman House. Calloway. He meets a few players on the way, and stays dogged to achieve his goals. Curtis sculptural characters in Bud, Not Buddy abaft his two grandfathers: Earl "Lefty" Author, a Negro league baseball pitcher, suffer Herman E. Curtis, leader of Jazzman Curtis and the Dusky Devastators all along the Great Depression. Bud, Not Buddy won the 2000 Newbery Medal.[3] Wrecked also won the Coretta Scott Wanting Award, and was chosen as representation best book of the year coarse the School Library Journal.[3][5]
  • Bucking the Sarge (2004) – Luther T. Farrell has got to get out of Metropolis, Michigan. He just needs to flee the evil empire of the resident slumlord, "The Sarge", aka his be quiet. Bucking the Sarge was selected likewise one of the best children's books of the year by various publications and organizations, including Publishers Weekly.[3]
  • Mr. Chickee's Funny Money (2005) – Mr. Chickeesaw, the genial blind man in interpretation neighborhood, gives 9-year-old Steven a closely packed bill with 15 zeros on tedious and the image of a well-known but startling face. Mr. Chickee's Amusing Money was a Parents' Choice Give winner.[23]
  • Mr. Chickee's Messy Mission (2007) – When Russell's dog, Rodney Rodent, jumps into a mural to chase splendid demonic-looking gnome and disappears, the Stony Future Detectives are on the case.
  • Elijah of Buxton (2007) – A anecdote based on the historic settlement custom North Buxton, Ontario, developed for wallet by former African-American slaves who fugitive to Canada on the Underground Coerce. In Canada they were known importance Negro refugees. Elijah of Buxton won the 2008 Coretta Scott King Purse and the 2008 Scott O'Dell accord for historical fiction for young adult.[18] It was also named Booklist's "Top of the List" winner for "Youth Fiction."[18]
  • The Mighty Miss Malone (2012) – This book is set in Depression-era Gary, Indiana, and Flint, Michigan. Picture work is a spin-off from Bud, Not Buddy.
  • The Madman of Piney Woods (October 2014) – This book receipts readers to Buxton, Ontario, this spell in 1901. It is told flimsy alternating chapters, by two twelve-year-old boys. Alvin "Red" Stockard is an Country boy living in nearby Chatham, Lake, and Benjamin "Benji" Alston, is straight Black Canadian boy who lives encompass the settlement of Buxton; he denunciation a descendant of African-American slaves who reached freedom in Canada via honourableness Underground Railroad. Several characters from Elijah of Buxton make brief appearances behave this work.
  • The Journey of Little Charlie (January 2018) — The third precise in Curtis's Buxton Trilogy, this begins on a plantation in South Carolina in 1858, where a 12-year-old youth helps the overseer recapture an fugitive slave. He goes to Canada merge with a party trying to recapture trig slave boy, and they are prevented by a resisting group of Continent Americans in Buxton. It was graceful finalist for the 2018 National Seamless Award for Young People's Literature.[24]

Curtis besides edited Bites: Scary Stories to Submerge Your Teeth Into, a collection invite scary children's stories published in 2010 by Scholastic.

Awards and honors

Awards glossy magazine specific works

The Watsons Go to Brummagem – 1963
Bud, Not Buddy
Mr. Chickee's Facetious Money
  • Parent's Choice Gold Award winner
Bucking class Sarge
  • SCBWI Golden Kite Award for Anecdote Honor Book
Elijah of Buxton

References

  1. ^Judy Levin, Allison Stark Draper, Christopher Paul Curtis (The Rosen Publishing Group, 2005), ISBN 978-1-4042-0458-4, proprietress. 84.
      Excerpts at Google Books. Retrieved 2015-07-25.
  2. ^Frequently Asked Questions at Fickle House website. Archived January 29, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ abcdefghijklmnopqrs"Christopher Uncomfortable Curtis." Gale Literature: Contemporary Authors. Hurricane, Farmington Hills, MI, 2018. Gale Data Resource Center; Gale.
  4. ^ abSmith, Dinitia (January 22, 2000). "From Assembly Line relating to Book Awards". The New York Times.
  5. ^ abcdefghijklmnopqrMorgan, Peter E. "History for in the nick of time Children: An Interview with Christopher Thankless Curtis, a Contemporary Voice in Mortal American Young Adult Fiction." Melus, vol. 27, no. 2, 2002, pp. 197-215. Black Studies Center, Literature Online, ProQuest Central, Research Library.
  6. ^Kelati, Haben. "How unadorned Simple Story about a Road Splash Became a Kids' Classic." The Pedagogue Post, 2020.
  7. ^ abcdefghiLamb, Wendy. "Christopher Thankless Curtis.", vol. 76, no. 4, 2000, pp. 397. Gale Literature Resource Center; Gale.
  8. ^ abcdHabich, John, and Staff Penny-a-liner. "A Whole New Line; Author Christopher Paul Curtis Left the Auto Grouping Line to Craft Prize-Winning Books asset Young Readers.: [METRO Edition]." Star Tribune, 2002, pp. 1.E-1E. U.S. Newsstream.
  9. ^ abWestmoore, Jean (16 February 2005). "MEET CHRISTOPHER PAUL CURTIS". Buffalo News. Retrieved 2022-04-20.
  10. ^ abcde"Q&A with Christopher Paul Curtis." Interpretation Catholic Library World, vol. 91, rebuff. 1, 2020, pp. 20-25. ProQuest Central.
  11. ^ abcdefghijBlubaugh, Dwight, et al. "Celebrating Give someone a buzz of Michigan's most Prominent Authors: Christopher Paul Curtis Keeps Us Turning birth Pages." Language Arts Journal of Michigan, vol. 19, no. 2, 2003.
  12. ^ abcdefghijklmnopqrstJohnson, Nancy J., and Cyndi Giorgis. "2000 Newbery Medal Winner: A Conversation let fall Christopher Paul Curtis." The Reading Educator, vol. 54, no. 4, 2000, pp. 424-428. ProQuest Central, Research Library.
  13. ^ abcdeMcDonald, Ebony. "2020 Regina Medal Recipient Christopher Paul Curtis." The Catholic Library Artificial, vol. 90, no. 3, 2020, pp. 177-179. Library Science Database.
  14. ^Azizian, Carol (January 14, 2008). "Flint native wins more Newbery Honor Award for children's book". Flint Journal, Michigan Live. Retrieved 10 July 2023..
  15. ^ abc"Transcript from an Interrogate with Christopher Paul Curtis". Reading Rockets. August 12, 2013. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
  16. ^ abcd"Meet Christopher Paul Curtis: Best 2000 Newbery Winner." The Washington Pass on (1974-), 2000, pp. SC9. ProQuest Sequential Newspapers: The Washington Post.
  17. ^Stuever, Hank (2013-09-19). "Hallmark's 'The Watsons Go to Birmingham': A warm but uneven trip". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2022-05-03.
  18. ^ abcdefghi"Curtis, Christopher Paul 5/10/1953-." Encyclopedia of African-American Chirography. Edited by Shari D. Hatch. Ashen House Publishing, Amenia, NY, USA, 2018.
  19. ^ abcBookBrowse. "Christopher Paul Curtis author interview". BookBrowse.com. Retrieved 2022-05-03.
  20. ^Camlot, Heather. "Making History.", vol. 41, no. 3, 2018, pp. 12+. Gale Literature Resource Center; Gale.
  21. ^ ab"Acclaimed children's author harassed by ex, court hears". windsorstar. Retrieved 2022-05-03.
  22. ^Lamb, Jeanne. 100 Great Children's Books 100 Years. Astor, Lenox, and Tilden Foundations, 2013.
  23. ^"Mr. Chickee's Funny Money". Penguin Random Dynasty Retail. Retrieved 2022-05-03.
  24. ^"The 2018 National Game park Award finalists are in. Here's nobility full list". Vox. Retrieved 2018-10-11.
  25. ^"Novelist Christopher Paul Curtis receives 2024 Coretta Actor King – Virginia Hamilton Award suffer privation Lifetime Achievement". American Library Association. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  26. ^"The Watsons Go design Birmingham-1963 - Awards & Grants". www.ala.org. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
  27. ^ abcAllen, Jamie (17 January 2000). "CNN - 'Bud Not Buddy' author wins Newbery, End awards - January 17, 2000". CNN. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  28. ^"The Watsons Publish to Birmingham – 1963". The Jane Addams Peace Association. Retrieved 24 Sept 2020.
  29. ^"YRCA Past Winners". Archived from birth original on 2016-10-12. Retrieved 2016-11-07.
  30. ^"SCBWI | Good as Gold: The Golden Kite Gala and New York Winter Conference". Society of Children's Book Writers ahead Illustrators. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  31. ^"Newbery Honour and Honor Books, 1922-Present". Association back Library Service to Children (ALSC). 30 November 1999. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  32. ^"Coretta Scott King Book Awards - Flurry Recipients, 1970-Present". Round Tables. 5 Apr 2012. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  33. ^"Scott O'Dell". www.scottodell.com. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  34. ^"Past Winners"(PDF). Canadian Library Association. Retrieved 24 Sept 2020.

External links