DeVries, Douglas 1933–

PERSONAL:

Born September 4, 1933, in Lansing, IL. Ethnicity: "Caucasian." Education: Calvin College, B.A., 1960; University of Colorado, M.A. (American history), 1966; University of Iowa, M.A. (elementary education), 1973.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Anchorage, AK. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

Teacher and administrator at Christian schools in Sheldon, IA, 1960-77, Randolph, WS, 1977-84, and Anchorage, AK, 1984-86.

MEMBER:

Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, America Christian Writers Association.

WRITINGS:

JUVENILES

Muscles, the Moose Calf, illustrated by Patricia Parker, Jade Ram Publishing (Anchorage, AK), 1989.

Muscles Visits Anchorage, illustrated by Patricia Parker, Jade Ram Publishing (Anchorage, AK), 1990.

Muscles, Bull Moose from Alaska, Jade Ram Publishing (Anchorage, AK), 1995.

Gold Rush Runaway: A Historical Novel of Alaska Exploration and Adventure (young adult), Jade Ram Publishing (Anchorage, AK), 1997.

Fevering for Gold: A Historical Novel about the 1900 Rush to Nome, Alaska (young adult), Jade Ram Publishing (Anchorage, AK), 1999.

The Missing Fishing Lure: A Jason Pride Mystery, Publish America (Baltimore, MD), 2001.

Enticed by Gold: A Historical Novel Based on the Founding of Fairbanks, Alaska, Publication Consultants (Anchorage, AK), 2003.

Nathan's Hope: A Bethlehem Shepherd's Story, Pleasant Word (Enumclaw, WA), 2004.

Matt Bugs Me! Eighteen Matt and Reggie Adventure Stories, Pleasant Word (Enumclaw, WA), 2005.

Also author of short stories and articles published in youth magazines.

SIDELIGHTS:

Douglas DeVries once commented: "I believe that the desire to be an author has been in me for a long time. I was the only boy in a creative writing class in high school, and the only boy writing on the high school newspaper staff. Work and the military kept me from pursuing a career as a writer, or perhaps it was the idea that it wasn't something done for ‘real’ work. I became a teacher. As a teacher I wrote articles for the local newspaper and a few short plays for my students.

"The idea to become an author surfaced in the early 1980s, and I took a correspondence course with the Institute of Children's Literature. But I still did not think of writing as my major occupation. That changed in 1987 when I decided to slow down after quadruple bypass surgery. Since 1987 writing has been my major interest. I hold a part-time position to have a steady source of income.

"As a youth I enjoyed reading and read books from public, school, and church libraries, anything I could lay my hands on, from the Hardy Boys through Stevenson, Dickens, and Dumas. One of my favorite authors of historical fiction was Joseph Altshellor, and perhaps his influence is why I have turned to that genre for my own writing. My young adult fictions are based on Alaskan history.

"I prefer to write in the morning when my mind is at its full power. To beginning writers I would say this: Find the time for you to do your best writing and try to work at that time every day. Have a good grasp of the mechanics of the English language, or the language you write in. Don't feel that you need to write a book; most of my success as a writer is from the sale of magazine stories and articles."