Just 'get those voices on paper'

 

“I think every fiction writer, to a certain extent, is a schizophrenic and able to have two or three or five voices in his or her body. We seek, through our profession, to get those voices onto paper.” – Ridley Pearson

 

Born in Glen Cove, NY on this date in 1953, Pearson has authored 30 suspense and thriller novels for adults and 20 adventure books for kids, the most recent being The Final Step in 2018.   His “Walt Fleming” and “Lou Boldt” series of mystery thrillers have earned him legions of adult readers, and his “Peter & The Starcatchers” and “Kingdom Keepers” series have an equal, if not greater, following among the younger crowd.  

 

Pearson studied at Brown University and the University of Kansas, and after becoming the first American to receive the Raymond Chandler-Fulbright Fellowship at Oxford University, he has spent most of his writing career in St. Louis, MO, where he also has been a tireless advocate for young people developing their own writing skills.   The Missouri Writers Hall of Fame presented him with its highest honor, The Quill Award, for his efforts.  

 

“My favorite novel is To Kill a Mockingbird because of its broad sweep, its tackling of big issues in ways that even young minds can make sense of, and for the heart of the characters, who span a wide range of ages,” he said.  “I re-read it every year.”