Paul Zindel

            “Only dead fish swim with the stream.” That was Paul Zindel’s reminder to himself that creative writing was the only way to write a book that sells. Zindel learned that in grade school, and has remembered it up to his writing career. He used it to make his mark in the vast world of literature.

 Paul Zindel was born on May 15, 1936, in Staten Island, New York City.  He grew up in the lower class society.  His family jumped from town to town, each time failing to succeed in finding money.  However, it was through this experience that Zindel created a “stage” for his writing fantasies.  Each town gave him a new “backdrop” for his imagination.

            Zindel attended Wagner College and received a B.S. degree in 1958. He took chemistry and English courses. His English teacher recommended him on writing novels. Zindel took his advice and started right away. He discovered that he had both the talent and the passion of writing. In 1959, Zindel earned his M.S. and became a chemistry teacher. But that did not last long. About one year later, Zindel resigned and decided to do something he was more comfortable at: writing magazines for teenagers. The job suited him well. He discovered that he had the knack for writing teenage reading materials.

            His first novel was The Pigman. Within a short time, The Pigman sold over one million copies. His book was published as a bestseller in The New York Times. With this huge success, Paul Zindel wrote other books such as The Pigman’s Legacy, The Undertaker’s Gone Bananas, and much more. Paul realized that other books did not portray the problems of real-life teenage problems. In order to make a connection to the kids, he wrote a list of the things teens like, based on his own accounts as a teenager. Paul was trying to show other teens that they were not alone.  His books were frequently listed on the New York Times as bestsellers and gained many praises from magazines. 

            However, the realistic manner that Zindel profiled the teenagers in his novel, The Pigman, raised issues from concerned schools and parents.  In 1985, the Hillsboro School District in Missouri challenged the book for banishment.  The district considered it “dangerous” because it features “liars, cheaters, and stealers.”  Educators believed that the book has a tremendous appeal to teenage readers.  The book’s characters, John and Lorraine, drink, skip school, swear, prank call, lie, con, vandalize, and smoke.  In addition, these two spend their free time at the cemetery and contemplate suicide.  All of these sum up to teenage rebellions and depressions.  In 1990s, The Pigman made the list for “The Most Frequently Banned Books.”  Many parents of middle school students believed that this book was being read by an inappropriate age group, and belonged in high school.  His works have inspired many teenagers to fall into a state of total rebellion and alcoholism. 

Although Paul Zindel’s The Pigman has been banned in schools nation-wide, it is still an excellent addendum to the teenager’s library.  Now residing in Manhattan, Paul Zindel has made an invaluable contribution to world literature.  He has decided that he has successfully fulfilled his goal of relating lost teenage souls to others of their same status and position in life.

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