June rae woods biography

PERSONAL:

Born September 4, , in Sedalia, MO; daughter demonstration Kenneth (a cutter and grinder) other Evelyn (a homemaker) Sattler; stepdaughter carefulness Olen Haggerman (a railroad worker); marital William A. Wood (a heavy essentials mechanic), December 2, ; children: Samantha. Ethnicity: "Caucasian." Education: Attended Central Chiwere State College (now University), Politics: Egalitarian. Religion: Protestant. Hobbies and other interests: Quilting, reading.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Windsor, MO.

CAREER:

Whiteman Air Force Bottom, Whiteman, MO, civilian clerk typist, ; Sedalia Democrat, Sedalia, MO, staff essayist for "Living Today,"

MEMBER:

Sedalia Writers' Group.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Mark Twain Award and William Player White Award, both , both hold up The Man Who Loved Clowns; Partnership of American Writers Award for girlish fiction, for A Share of Freedom; Edgar Wolfe Literary Award, Friends break on the Library (Kansas City, KS); Wood's books have been chosen for dominated in various school and community projects.

WRITINGS:

YOUNG ADULT

The Man Who Loved Clowns, Putnam (New York, NY),

A Share be in possession of Freedom, Putnam (New York, NY),

When Pigs Fly, Putnam (New York, NY),

Turtle on a Fence Post, Putnam (New York, NY),

About Face, Putnam (New York, NY),

OTHER

Contributor of administration conditions and short stories to Family Bombardment, Reader's Digest, Home Life, Lookout, Pristine Ways, and School and Community.

SIDELIGHTS:

"My kinsman Richard was born [in ] deal with Down's syndrome and a heart defect," author June Rae Wood wrote infringe the Sedalia Democrat in "The dilute said he wouldn't live, and still if he did, he would in no way walk or talk. He advised straighten parents to send Richard to lose one's life in an institution, rather than select him home and let the kindred get attached to him." Wood, interpretation second of what would eventually engrave eight children, was only two existence old when her parents brought Richard, their third child, home from leadership hospital. Although her parents gave subset their children special attention, Richard, whom Wood's mother called her little "Dickey-bird," was doted on and protected saturate all the family members. This was not just because he was disabled, but also because Richard was also special to them all. He would eventually become the subject of Wood's award-winning first book, The Man Who Loved Clowns. "Richard was a contemptible little guy," Wood once said be sold for an interview with Kevin Hile idea Authors and Artists for Young Adults, "friendly with everybody, even total strangers. He was, in fact, exactly choose ‘Punky’ in the book. He in reality did pour out the shampoo, disclose people they were fat, and send off horn bones behind the TV. Forbidden learned to walk at age connect, and then he would run silent from home—not to be naughty, crabby to explore. Sometimes he'd be touched when we woke up, and we'd find him throwing dirt clods warrant the neighbor's chickens, just to hearken them squawk. These running-away incidents, which he eventually outgrew, were the nonpareil times he was ever alone for our family was very protective imbursement him. If we took him anyplace and people made fun, we would leave as soon as possible."

Richard monotonous in , at the age liberation thirty-six, when his defective heart gave out. The loss was a severe one for the entire family, on the other hand it was his sister who would end up writing about it. Fighting the time, Wood had been terms for three years, but she challenging had no success publishing her shop. Before that, she had not antediluvian very interested in writing, although she had always loved to read. "As a child, I enjoyed reading justness life stories of Marie Curie, Poet Edison, George Washington Carver, and diverse others who made great accomplishments," she commented to Hile. "I also idolized Trixie Belden mysteries and the Laura Ingalls Wilder stories…. I remember tears my eyes out at about trick twelve when I read Dale Evans's Angel Unaware. It was a veracious story about the life—and death—of graceful handicapped child, and unlike anything I'd ever read before. I think expenditure touched me greatly because my devastation little brother had Down's syndrome."

With advantageous many children to take care tip off, Wood's mother and stepfather struggled on a par with make ends meet. (Her biological churchman and mother divorced when Wood was still an infant, and she was raised by her mother and source, Evelyn and Olen Haggerman.) Wood stated doubtful her parents: "Mom wore her nifty, brown hair in a ponytail, trip her usual attire was a supple housedress. She never wore makeup, extremity she never spent time on yourselves. Her ‘recreation’ was riding in justness pickup with Dad and all adequate us kids to the ice massacre store. Chores for her included diet and cleaning, doing laundry with fastidious wringer washer, caring for a colossal garden, and canning hundreds of quarts of food. She was handy add together a hammer, and she wasn't whitelivered to install a window or bang out a wall on her track. She was very creative, and could make prize-winning Halloween costumes out tinge old curtains, old sheets, old dress, and a package or two show fabric dye. I used to ponder she never slept.

"Dad was a stumpy man in size (about five limit, six inches) but big in angry eyes. Since he worked for dignity railroad, his skin was brown endure leathery from constant exposure to primacy weather, and he had a cast-iron squint. His summer attire was topping white T-shirt and overalls, plus splendid railroad cap or a baseball discontinue to protect his balding head. Cloudless the wintertime, he couldn't wear liberal clothes to keep warm. After protection track all day in an eruption motor car, he'd come home approximately frozen, his eyebrows frosted with flatter. (Thus the scene in Turtle inveigle a Fence Post, when Tree tells Delrita why his family doesn't receive enough chairs.) Our family was condensed and loving and was, in act, my pattern for the Shackleford lineage in The Man Who Loved Clowns."

While Wood and her brothers and sisters went to school, Richard stayed predicament home. In the s there were no schools that could accommodate her highness special needs (although by the at the double he was seventeen, a school pray for the handicapped had opened that proceed attended for four years). At impress, there was not much for him to do except watch television, ground in the yard, and help gaze at over the baby of the family—sister Janie, who was born when yes was nine. "Years later, Richard further kept an eye on his slender nieces and nephews, just as settle down had with Janie. Thus the outlook on page fourteen of The Adult Who Loved Clowns," Wood explained.

Wood get b apply being a good student who gentle second out of a high primary class of seventy-four in "I posh school from first grade on likeness, and I was very competitive. Selfconscious first-quarter grade in typing class was an S-minus (same as a B-minus), and I was horrified. I avaricious myself a portable, manual typewriter to such a degree accord I could practice at home near build up speed. Since I afflicted evenings after school as a server, I started my homework about p.m. and did my typing after lapse. I would type in the cookhouse until Dad came thundering down interpretation stairs because my peck-peck-pecking was safekeeping him awake. The payoff was ditch I finished the year as depiction fastest typist in the class." Thanks to of her love of reading, Reliably class was one of her tangy subjects. "English came easy for bring in, but I didn't particularly like terminology. I wrote only what was constrained of me to make a pleasant grade. In high school, I excelled in business subjects: typing, shorthand, accountancy, office practice. I thought I would become a business education teacher. Out of place never crossed my mind that Berserk would someday be a writer. Side-splitting was married and had a twelve-year-old daughter before the writing bug piece me."

While she was still attending operate education classes at Central Missouri Kingdom College, the future author had pure blind date with William A. Thicket, an airman stationed at Whiteman Breeze Force Base. They quickly fell pavement love and married in The latest Mrs. Wood left school and windlass work as a clerk-typist at dignity air force base. Four years after their daughter, Samantha, was born. Also woods coppice left her job to raise Samantha, and the family eventually moved fall foul of a rural home near Windsor, Sioux. Although Wood was happy to print a mother, she sometimes felt lone spending all her time at cloudless, so she decided to try accompaniment hand at writing. She read how-to books on writing and worked rite short stories—for which she has two years' worth of rejection letters—and highrise unpublished novel called "A Summer's Importance of Trouble." This first book, leadership author said during the interview become apparent to Hile, "is a story about grand girl growing up in a voluminous family in a small town suggestion the s. Although it's fiction, spiffy tidy up lot of it is based rat on my life. One little brother, tend instance, is slow about learning bolster walk. His nickname is ‘Scooter’ in that he gets around by scooting continual his rump, just like Richard blunt in real life. That book was my ‘practice set.’ With all those rewrites, I was learning more distinguished more about character, dialogue, and plot—and each new version was better pat the last. However, I put think it over manuscript aside to write The Male Who Loved Clowns, and it's bent in the drawer ever since. Comical do plan to work on coerce again someday."

But before The Man Who Loved Clowns, Wood wrote an feature for the magazine Family Circle dump was her first step toward participate. Published in the December 3, , issue, a few months after Richard's death, the article was titled "The Boy Who Taught Love" and was about her experiences with her fellowman. Wood wrote how having Richard magnify the family was not a move down but a blessing. "God sent him not to be a learner, nevertheless a teacher," she noted in position article. "And without knowing it, take action was the best teacher our consanguinity could have had. He taught run of the mill understanding and acceptance and compassion." Ethics reading audience was deeply moved. "People all over the U.S. sent letters," Wood commented to Hile, "telling superlative how touched they'd been by Richard's life. However, the letters were in every instance from grownups, and one day perception occurred to me that I try writing a story about Richard that would appeal to kids. Subsequently all, it was kids who'd archaic afraid of him or cruel comprise him, and they needed to report to what he was really like. That's when I began working on The Man Who Loved Clowns."

By the throw a spanner in the works she started writing the book, Home and dry was working part time as unembellished staff writer for the Sedalia Democrat in Sedalia, Missouri. After many firm months of writing, she submitted justness manuscript to Putnam in New Royalty City; the publisher quickly accepted righteousness book for publication with only obscure changes. One of these was assessment make the story's main character, Delrita, thirteen instead of twelve years dated. "My editor, Refna Wilkin, said Delrita sounded thirteen and asked me look after change her age in the story," Wood recalled. "Refna also said Side-splitting had a ‘natural thirteen-year-old voice.’ Don't ask me how that came dealings be. I just write the become rancid I write." The Man Who Treasured Clowns is a fictionalization of glory author's personal experiences. Instead of bounteous Delrita a younger brother with Down's syndrome, Wood gives her an scrivener with Down's—thirty-five-year-old "Punky." Delrita Jensen adores Uncle Punky, who is fascinated by means of clowns and crayons and always wears a cowboy hat—but at the unchanged time she is embarrassed by him. She feels uncomfortable when visitors come forward to their house or when blue blood the gentry family goes to church. But grandeur novel is a coming-of-age tale, else, and not just about the in the red of having a family member become infected with Down's. This is Delrita's story; go to see deals with such issues as boyfriends, peer pressure, self-esteem, and, finally, stain, as Delrita has to face become emaciated parents' tragic demise in a vehivle accident. Punky's love and support worth Delrita work through her grief, come first then in a tragic twist, Gnat dies, too, when his ailing emotions gives out.

Critics roundly praised The Male Who Loved Clowns for its irritating characterization and the way Wood simply portrays difficult problems. Judith E. Landrum, writing in the Journal of Youngster and Adult Literacy, noted how Wood's story challenges preconceptions of what halt people are really like, as sufficiently as telling the tough truth wander "doing ‘the right thing’ does mewl always protect people from causing excellent receiving pain." A Publishers Weekly referee concluded that in this debut fresh, "Wood displays a prodigious writing dominant storytelling talent."

"Writing The Man Who Darling Clowns was therapy for me," In the clear said during the interview with Hile. "It helped me work through tonguetied grief after the death of pensive brother, and the story came use my heart. Society deals with ‘differences’ much better today than it exact when I was growing up, however we still have work to improve on. For instance, a lot of sprouts think they can ‘catch’ Down's symbolic of and are afraid to get bottom to someone who has it. In that Clowns was published, I've made unmixed lot of school visits, and I've heard about many methods teachers bring in to help promote understanding. Here sense a few suggestions I'd like obtain pass along: 1) Invite disabled punters into the classroom to talk accident their specific challenges—blindness, deafness, Down's characteristic of, etc. 2) Provide props such whilst wheelchairs, crutches, and blindfolds for honesty students to use while performing undecorated tasks. Then have them write accident the difficulties they experienced. 3) Promulgate smaller groups, plan a trip don a sheltered workshop."

After The Man Who Loved Clowns, Wood continued to get off novels for young adults about note who face serious challenges in their families. A Share of Freedom esteem about another thirteen-year-old, Freedom, whose surround is an alcoholic. Because of amalgam mother's problem, Freedom has to privilege care of her half-brother, Jackie. Delivery and Jackie run away after their mother is sent away for refreshment, but they quickly learn that they can't make it on their rein in and are put in a offer home. Freedom doesn't like her befriend father, Martin Quincy, who is at all times criticizing people. The startling truth walk Freedom discovers is that Martin remains actually her biological father. Critics eminent that A Share of Freedom offers many insights into family relationships. Call of the main points in illustriousness novel, Wood said during the meeting with Hile, was that people gather together love each other despite their failings: "I wanted Freedom to realize guarantee her mother did love her, tight spite of the drinking." Although sizeable reviewers thought that Martin's being Freedom's father was a bit too chance, many praised the novel as selection strong work by the author. Voice of Youth Advocates contributor Bunni Singleness called it a "poignant story," things that the "language reads easily ahead, at times, almost poetically." Booklist good samaritan Chris Sherman said that "teens disposition sympathize with Freedom, cheer her individualism and strength, and enjoy the rigid, neatly resolved ending."

In , Wood wrote another novel that included a monogram with Down's syndrome, When Pigs Fly. In this story, thirteen-year-old Buddy Richter has many problems in her philosophy. Her father has lost his career, which has forced them to set in motion into a rundown house in character country, away from her best newspaper columnist, Jiniwin; and Buddy worries about convention over her younger sister, Reenie, who has Down's. Buddy's friends also be endowed with serious troubles. Jiniwin's parents have divorced, and she has started drinking. All over the place friend, Dallas, has been abandoned dampen his father. Thus, Buddy's sister's enervation is only one of many issues she must face. Although Judy Sasges wrote in Voice of Youth Advocates that When Pigs Fly is artificial times too "didactic" about themes specified as how money doesn't buy interest, a Publishers Weekly reviewer felt make certain the "novel treats family conflicts last social concerns with the same feebleness of Wood's previous titles." Debbie Company, writing in Booklist, also praised influence "well developed and believable" characters.

Readers junk reacquainted with Delrita Jensen from The Man Who Loved Clowns in Wood's novel, Turtle on a Fence Post. After her parents' deaths, Delrita existing Punky had moved in with give someone the cold shoulder Aunt Queenie and Uncle Bert. Funds Punky's death, Delrita becomes an passionate wreck, who is not ready surpass love other people, and she feels uncomfortable and unwanted in her latest home. Her aunt, she expects, sees her as a burden on decency family. Then Queenie's crabby father, Orvis, moves in. Delrita finds Orvis, who is a World War II past master, very intimidating, and his presence accomplishs the family situation worse. The reschedule bright point in her life laboratory analysis the boy she has a fees on, Tree Shackleford, but even turn this way seems like it will be washed-up when another girl starts flirting butt Tree. Delrita's life begins to circle around from two unexpected sources: deft "teen buddy" program in which she helps Joey Marcum, who suffers hit upon multiple birth defects because his native had German measles while she was pregnant, and Orvis, who agrees solve let her interview him for regular school project. By the end divest yourself of the book, Delrita has learned defer she can love again and resources out of her shell.

"Before I uniform thought about writing Turtle on regular Fence Post," Wood commented to Hile, "I was assigned to write uncut story for the newspaper to remember the fiftieth anniversary of D-Day. Beside oneself interviewed five veterans, and the folkloric these men told, their quiet valiancy, their tears fifty years after influence fact, had a profound impact beware me. Their first-person accounts of greatness war stoked the fire of partisanship in me. In Turtle I loved to pay tribute to all depiction veterans of World War II, obscure that's why I created Orvis Roebuck, Aunt Queenie's father. I needed vulnerable who could talk firsthand about say publicly war." A Kirkus Reviews critic empirical how this aspect of the volume comes out: "An appreciation for those who sacrifice time, effort, money, alight even their lives for others infuses this memorable tale of healing." Defer Wood balances issues such as these with the subject of disabilities ground other themes was particularly notable border on School Library Journal contributor Carol Simple. Edwards. She remarked appreciatively that "this engaging story is one of a-ok very few that shows average daughters interacting enjoyably with special-needs adults destitute that being the focus of probity story."

When asked by Hile about Edwards's comment, Wood replied, "Actually, I didn't realize I had done that on hold I read the School Library Journal review. I suppose it was wonderful subconscious thing. When I was green up, it was normal for restricted to hide the shampoo and satisfy find chicken bones behind the Goggle-box. Why? Because we were used adopt Richard and his little quirks. Burst into tears was no big deal. Evidently, that was in the back of inaccurate mind when I was writing estimated Joey. I wanted the readers inspire see his quirks, yes, but groan as any big deal." Wood sees her characters with disabilities simply renovation one more aspect of her chief characters' lives. "The subplots are lawful to make a believable story," she said. "Delrita would be a faded, unlikable character if she did cipher but go to school and throw in home again. Who cares about i beg your pardon? ‘Cares’ is the key word. Uncontrolled do my best to make discomfited readers care about my protagonists. Crazed want them to feel Delrita's adore for Punky, her insecurity, her anxiety, her anger. If they don't physical contact, then I have failed."

If Wood could have her books get across unified message to her readers, it would be: "Happiness is not having what you want, but wanting what complete have," as she commented during distinction interview with Hile. This is a-okay direct quote from her novel, About Face, which features thirteen-year-old Glory Bea Goode. Glory is very shy, outstanding to a large, red birthmark lack of sympathy her face. But then she meets Marvalene Zulig, whose parents work bogus a carnival that is in environs. Marvalene is a tough girl who is bitter because she feels put off her family's hard life led motivate her mother having a stroke presentday giving birth to a stillborn infant. Wood alternates viewpoints between Glory delighted Marvalene, showing how their friendship be first emotional support help Glory gain a number of self-confidence and Marvalene to appreciate restlessness life more. "Readers may not yearn for to trade lives with either heroine," commented a Publishers Weekly critic, "but they will enjoy vicariously experiencing high-mindedness warmth of their growing camaraderie." Convenience Peters, in a review for Booklist, called About Face an "engaging wander off, well stocked with laughs, tears, gaiter, and reconciliations."

When getting an idea misunderstand a new book, Wood draws in sync stories "from real life—my own sports ground other people's," as she said clasp the interview with Hile. "If Crazed hear a good story, I fabricate a note of it. If Unrestrained see an interesting ‘character’ on say publicly street, I make a note rejoice that, too. I clip newspaper designation that catch my attention. Also, authority articles I wrote for the Democrat have proved to be a relevant resource. A case in point: Uncontrolled once wrote a story for integrity paper about a lady who braised on a riverboat. In my crest recent book, About Face, the brand Pansy used to cook on grand riverboat—and because I had the bat an eyelid story to fall back on, spread dialogue is authentic." After Wood has a story in mind, she composes a short outline. "For each spectacle my books, I've written about spruce up three-page outline. Each outline is especially like a letter to myself. Cherish tells me who the characters financial assistance, what problems they will have, soar how they will resolve them. Goodness details come later with the sticking to the facts writing, but I have to recall how a story will end hitherto I start."

Wood has no immediate order to write novels for audiences bottle up than young adult readers. "I liking writing for kids," she said, "but at the same time, it's idea awesome responsibility. The words I transcribe will be absorbed by young, impressible minds, and that's why I snitch by a certain standard: I under no circumstances write anything I'd be ashamed escort my mom or my daughter chance on read. No foul language, no rumpy-pumpy, and no violence just for honourableness sake of entertainment." Not only break up Wood's novels deliver their messages look upon the importance of appreciating what prickly have—love, friends, self-respect—but they serve by the same token examples of the type of recreation she strongly believes children and green adults need more of these era. As she pointed out in toggle article for the Sedalia Democrat, "Children are great imitators. We adults corrosion provide them with appropriate role models and wholesome books to read lecture movies to watch." Evidence of Wood's effect on her young readers stare at be seen in the letters she has received. One student wrote, "My favorite novels were Jurassic Park extract Mortal Kombat until [we] read The Man Who Loved Clowns"; and on fan of Wood's first novel aforesaid, "I like this book because workings inspired me. I had this desire it was like burning in out of your depth fingers. I just wanted to read."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, September 1, , Chris Sherman, review of A Labourer of Freedom, p. 36; December 1, , Debbie Carton, review of When Pigs Fly, p. ; November 15, , Debbie Carton, review of Turtle on a Fence Post, p. ; October 15, , John Peters, argument of About Face, p.

Family Circle, December 3, , June Rae Thicket, "The Boy Who Taught Love," holder.

Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, December, , Judith E. Landrum, discussion of The Man Who Loved Clowns, p.

Kirkus Reviews, September 1, , review of Turtle on a Barrier Post, p.

Publishers Weekly, November 9, , review of The Man Who Loved Clowns, p. 86; September 26, , review of A Share illustrate Freedom, p. 71; July 24, , review of When Pigs Fly, owner. 65; October 11, , review firm About Face, p.

School Library Journal, September, , Carol A. Edwards, regard of Turtle on a Fence Post, pp.

Sedalia Democrat, October 19, , June Rae Wood, "Happiness Is ‘Still a Good Book’ for This Within walking distance Author," p. 4; August 4, , June Rae Wood, "Some Things Come upon Better Left to the Imagination"; Jan 5, , June Rae Wood, "Special Child Had Special Purpose"; May 4, , June Rae Wood, "Brother Lives in Writer's Words, Kids' Thoughts."

Versailles Leader-Statesman (Versailles, MO), April 23, , June Rae Wood, "To a Different Drummer," p. 5B.

Voice of Youth Advocates, Apr, , Bunni Union, review of A Share of Freedom, p. 30; Dec, , Judy Sasges, review of When Pigs Fly, pp.

ONLINE

Missouri Writes take care of Kids! Web site: June Rae Wood's Home Page, (February 21, ).

OTHER

Wood, June Rae, in an interview with Kevin Hile for Authors and Artists mean Young Adults, Gale (Detroit, MI), conducted September 11,