Peck, Richard

Richard Peck was born in 1934 in Decatur, Illinois, son of Virginia and Wayne Peck . Peck attended DePauw University (1956), before serving in the army. After the service, Peck attended Southern Illinois University (MA, 1959) before teaching in Illinois and in New York City. While still teaching, he wrote a column on the architecture of historic neighborhoods for the New York Times and contributed articles to the Saturday Review of Literature and the Chicago Tribune among others. In 1971 he left teaching to become a full time writer. His first novel was Don't Look and It Won't Hurt (Henry Holt, 1999). He was awarded the Newbery Medal in 2001 for his novel A Year Down Yonder .

From the guide to the Richard Peck Papers, undated, 2005, (Archives & Special Collections at the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center, University of Connecticut Libraries)

Richard Peck was born April 5, 1934, in Decatur, IL. He is an award-winning author of young adult novels that explore contemporary issues such as peer pressure, single parenting, rape, censorship, suicide, and the death of a loved one. He has also written a series of historical novels for junior high rieaders, and his "Blossom Culp" books delve into the supernatural. In addition, he as written humor, mystery and horror YA novels, as well as adult novels. In the 1960s Peck vacillated between teaching English and textbook editing. In 1971 he decided to give up both and go into writing. His years of teaching came in handy for such a task because he had identified an audience and had also learned that kids read not to be educated but "to be reassured, to be given hope." Biographical Source: Something About the Author, Vol. 97, p. 181-186

From the guide to the Richard Peck Collection, 1974-1991, (University of Minnesota Libraries Children's Literature Research Collections [clrc])

Epithet: of Antigua

British Library Archives and Manuscripts Catalogue : Person : Description : ark:/81055/vdc_100000001389.0x0001a8