This episode of PCN Profiles features Jerry Spinelli, prolific author of children's novels. He got his start at the age of 16, when his father published a poem of his in the local paper. He went to school at Gettysburg College, writing short stories while editing the college literary magazine, The Mercury. After graduating, he became a writer and editor for a department store magazine, working 'normal jobs' for two decades while continuing to write during breaks or after work. His first several books were written for adults, but were all rejected, before breaking onto the scene with Space Station Seventh Grade.
Thus began a writing career that has spanned more than thirty years. Among his most notable successes have been Maniac Magee, for which he won the 1991 Newberry Award, and Stargirl, which has recently been adapted to film by Disney. If you have been a kid (or had them) in the past thirty years, you have likely encountered a Jerry Spinelli work.
This episode from 2020 will air on Sunday, september 19 at 9:00 pm