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Brent Hartinger

Biography

Brent Hartinger

Brent Hartinger has been writing books for fifteen years, but didn't sell any of them until the summer of 2001. Since then, he has sold nine novels. Seven are aimed at teenagers and adults, including: GEOGRAPHY CLUB (HarperCollins, 2003); THE LAST CHANCE TEXACO (HarperCollins, Feburary 2004); a sequel to GEOGRAPHY CLUB called THE ORDER OF THE POISON OAK (HarperCollins, February 2005); and GRAND & HUMBLE (HarperCollins 2006). Two more of Mr. Hartinger's books are fantasy novels aimed at readers ten and older: DREAMQUEST (Tor Books, 2006) and THE FIFTH SEASON (Tor Books, 2007).

Mr. Hartinger's book honors include being named a Book Sense 76 Pick (twice), a IRA Notable Book, a Lambda Literary Award Finalist, a New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age, a Booklist Top Ten First Young Adult Novel, a ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers, winner of the SCBWI/Judy Blume Grant for a Contemporary Young Adult Novel, and an InsightOut (Bookspan) Book Club Main Selection.

Mr Hartinger has contributed stories or essays to many current or upcoming anthologies, including RUSH HOUR edited by Michael Cart (Random House); and YOUNG WARRIORS edited by Tamora Pierce and Josepha Sherman (Random House).

Also a playwright, Mr. Hartinger has seen his work produced at theaters across the country, including Off-Off Broadway at Wings Theatre in New York. His play version of his novel GEOGRAPHY CLUB premiered at Seattle's FringeACT Festival of New Plays in 2004.

As a screenwriter, Mr. Hartinger has won many awards, including the $5000 Fort Lauderdale Film Festival Screenwriting in the Sun Award. He has several scripts under option and in the process of studio or network development.

Mr. Hartinger lives south of Seattle with another novelist, Michael Jensen, his partner since 1992. He has counseled dozens of teenagers, both as co-facilitator of Oasis, a 200-member gay teen support organization he helped found, and as a counselor at a group home for troubled young people.

He is currently spearheading The Real Story, an online and print safer sex campaign aimed at gay male teens and twentysomethings, which involves characters from GEOGRAPHY CLUB and other popular teen novels; the project will debut in 2005.

Mr. Hartinger speaks frequently on the subjects of writing, social tolerance, and personal motivation, at schools, bookstores, conferences, churches, and civic groups; he appeared at 60 such events last year.