This work is about the things that save a man's life, beginning with a motorcycle. At the age of 57, looking over his shoulder at heart disease, Gary Paulsen acquires his first Harley-Davidson. He decides to ride from his home in New Mexico to Alaska, and its turns out to be a trip in time as well as space.

A memoir in which the author describes the mid-life catharsis he experienced when he purchased a Harley-Davidson at the age of fifty-seven and embarked upon a long ride from his home in New Mexico to Alaska.

McFarland Companions to Young Adult Literature American novelist Gary Paulsen is best known for his young adult fiction, including bestsellers Nightjohn, Soldier's Heart, and Woods Runner. From his trenchant prose in The Rifle and The Foxman to the witty escapades of Harris and Me and Zero to Sixty, Paulsen crafts stories with impressive range. The tender scenes in The Quilt and A Christmas Sonata speak to his empathy for children, with characters who endure the same hardships that marred his own early life. This literary companion introduces readers to his life and work. A-to-Z entries explore themes such as alcoholism, coming of age, slavery, survival, and war. A glossary defines terms unique to his work. Appendices provide related historical references, writing, art, and research topics.

Much of Gary Paulsen’s life has been lived close to the natural world. A three-time Newbery Honor winner, Paulsen writes adventure stories, such as Dogsong, Hatchet, and Woods Runner, where his young main characters struggle to survive in the natural world. Other stories touch on family visits to Minnesota, as in The Winter Room and Harris and Me, or science fiction, as in Time Hackers. Recently, Paulsen and his son, Jim, collaborated on two books involving a boy, his father, and their dogs. In 1997, Paulsen won the Margaret A. Edwards Award for his lifetime contribution to young adult literature.

A biography of an author whose varied experiences provided background for many of his adventure stories, historical novels, sports books, and nature stories.

Exploring the country and the heart, the author buys a Harley Davidson and takes the ride of his life.

Describes the life and accomplishments of the author known for his tales of adventure and survival, including "Hatchet" and "Dogsong."