Author Profile: Paula Danziger

Paula Danziger

In Memoriam

Well-renowned children's author Paula Danziger passed away on July 8, 2004, following complications arising from a heart attack in June. She was 59.

Born in Washington, D.C. and raised in New York, Danziger knew since the second grade that she wanted to be a writer. Throughout her career, she wrote a collection of children's stories, including THE CAT ATE MY GYMSUIT, THE DIVORCE EXPRESS and, more recently, the Amber Brown series.

Danziger loved to travel and meet young kids all over the world. She was embraced by her audience for her ability to relate to children through the characters in her stories. She was often known for "borrowing" children (only the ones she knew) for her inspiration. The Amber Brown character was conceived during one of her trips with her niece.

Danziger was also the recipient of numerous literary awards, including the Children's Choice Award from the International Reading Association and the 2003 Garden State Children's Book Award. She spent most of her time in New York City and London, England.

She is survived by a brother, three nephews, and a niece. The Amber Brown Fund has been set up in memory of her. Donations for this fund will be used to allow authors and illustrators to speak at local schools and libraries.

BIO

Paula Danziger loves to write for and about kids, and kids love her! Wherever she goes, they ask her questions about her life, her books and her travels. Passionate about life, she loves to travel, see new places, meet new friends and play pinball! She is often known for "borrowing" children (only the ones she knows) for her inspiration. Her characters are so real that readers tell Paula they feel as if they know them.

Born in Washington, D.C., and raised in New York, Paula Danziger has known since second grade that she wanted to be a writer. Beginning her career as a teacher, Danziger taught at the high school and junior high school levels as well as the college level. She received her Masters Degree in reading and during that time she wrote her first bestselling novel, THE CAT ATE MY GYMSUIT. She returned to teaching, but the success of her book encouraged her to become a full-time writer. It has been non-stop for Danziger since then. Among her titles are: REMEMBER ME TO HAROLD SQUARE, THE DIVORCE EXPRESS, and CAN YOU SUE YOUR PARENTS FOR MALPRACTICE? Danziger is the recipient of numerous honors, state library awards, and nominations including: a Parent's Choice Award, an International Reading Association --- Children's Book Council Award, an IRA-CBC Children's Choice Award, and a California Young Reader Medal nomination.

Paula Danziger passed away on July 8, 2004, following complications arising from a heart attack in June. She was 59.

INTERVIEW

Paula Danziger first recognized her calling to be a writer as a seven-year-old growing up in New York. "When my father would yell at me," she says, "I told myself someday I'd use it in a book."

She may have known her ultimate destiny as a child, but it took almost thirty years, a tenure in teaching and two dangerous car wrecks (in two days) to finally launch Danziger's writing career. "After the second wreck, I decided I better try to write before I got hit by a bus."

Today, Danziger can proudly claim some of the most popular novels for young people ever created, including her first book THE CAT ATE MY GYMSUIT (1980), a series of AMBER BROWN books for beginning readers and her latest,  P.S. LONGER LETTER LATER: A Novel in Letters, a collaborative effort with Baby-sitters Club author Ann M. Martin.

Kids Reads caught up with Danziger at her home in New York City and this is what she had to say.

Kids Reads: You seem to focus on a lot of serious issues. Is that a conscious
choice?

Paula Danziger : Yes, it is a conscious choice. I made the choice long ago to write about real life. And life is both serious and funny. John Ciardi once said, "If you underline the funny lines in red and the serious lines in blue, by the end of the poem it'll be purple." That's what I try to do. . .blur the lines.

Kids Reads: Are there any issues you won't explore as an author?

Paula Danziger: None of my characters seem to have had sex yet --- I haven't written about that. And I wouldn't want to deal with what's happening in Oregon --- the school shootings.  I'm never going to write that book.  The way I see it, people like Robert Cormier are wonderful writers who cover those subjects. But I couldn't do them justice.

Kids Reads: How did you feel about your collaboration with Ann M. Martin? That was a real departure for you.

Paula Danziger: It was wonderful. I tried to write with someone else once before, but it was not successful. I think the reason P.S. LONGER LETTER LATER worked was the fact that we each had our own voice. Ann is more serious and I am more outspoken, I love play. We were  able to say something about friendship and differences. And we are going to do a sequel. In the next one, we will talk about how friendship changes, how people are not always friends in exactly the same way.

Kids Reads: Divorce seems to come up in a lot of your work. Do you think that's a topic of interest to young readers?

Paula Danziger: It doesn't really come up that often in my books. But I deal with
unhappy marriages a lot. I've never been married, I'm single. But I grew up in a
dysfunctional family. Well, now we'd be called dysfunctional; then we were called the Danzigers. But it's not about divorce, it's about living. I write about life. People sometimes go. Fathers sometimes leave. It's not all fun and games.

Kids Reads: Do you like the idea that your books provide solace to young people
going through hard times?

Paula Danziger: Of course. That would be very nice if that happened. In fact, I wish I had had my books when I was a kid, I do. I had Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys. And I liked Nancy because she solved all those mysteries. But Amber Brown seems to have struck a chord with so many kids. I think that's lovely. It's wonderful when I get letters that say how funny she is or how she helps kids get through different things.

I hope Amber helps people be more gentle. I hope she helps people learn it's okay to take baby steps to get where they need to go.

Kids Reads: Where did Amber Brown come from?

Paula Danziger: I can tell you where the name "Amber Brown" came from.  Normally, I name my characters after famous comedians. But when I heard Marc and Laurie Brown wouldn't name their child Amber because people would call her "Crayola face," that was it. As for who Amber Brown is, well, she's not a real child, no.  She's not me.  She's much feistier than I ever was.  I think I'm more like Aunt Pam. But I do tend to buy Amber things when I'm out shopping. . .things I think she'd like or wear. I bought these barrettes, these clear round balls with jacks in them and sent them to illustrator Tony Ross. Sometimes it's easier to show than it is to tell.

Kids Reads: If Amber Brown isn't Paula Danziger, do you consider any of your
heroine' a closer match?

Paula Danziger: Marcy Lewis in THE CAT ATE MY GYMSUIT is the closest to who I am. If she were to grow up, she'd definitely be writing somewhere.

Kids Reads: What's next for Paula Danziger?

Paula Danziger: Well, in my next life, I want to be tall and thin, parallel park and
make good coffee. But for now, I have lots of stuff to work out in my life, but I'll have
that until the day I die. I want to write more books.  And I'm very excited that Putnam has bought my backlist books. Now that people will know who Matthew Martin is, I'm going to do more about him. And I'm traveling again. I'll be in England, Ireland and Scotland. And I'll be visiting the American School in India soon. I'd also love to do more television. I do an interview show for the BBC in England, and I'd love to do an American version here.

I want to keep meeting new people, enlarging my circle of friends. I have great friends now. . .really good people. But I'm always ready for what comes next.