Garson, Paul 1946-

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GARSON, Paul 1946-

PERSONAL: Born March 7, 1946, in Washington, DC; children: Grant Nathan. Education: Tulane University, B.A., 1968; Johns Hopkins University, M.A., 1970; University of Southern California, M.F.A. Hobbies and other interests: International travel, especially by hitchhiking, unidentified flying objects, extra-sensory perception, astronomy, the art of filmmaking, painting, motorcycles, martial arts, old Jaguar automobiles.

ADDRESSES: Office—1942 Pelham Ave., #13, Los Angeles, CA 90025.

CAREER: Teacher at N. Lake High School, Belle Glade, FL and DiBacco School, Lake Worth, FL; senior copy writer at Beckett & Beckett, Inc. (management consulting firm), Altadena, CA; editor of national magazines, including Hot Bike, Early-Riders, and VQ; photographer with over 1,000 published photos; writing instructor at California State University-Fullerton and University of Southern California; currently freelancer.

MEMBER: All-American Karate Federation; MUFONLA.

AWARDS, HONORS: First prize from Carolina Quarterly, 1970, for short story, "The Disguise."

WRITINGS:

The Great Quill, Doubleday (New York, NY), 1973.

Harley-Davidson Factory and Dream Machines, Thunder Bay Press (San Diego, CA), 1996.

Born to Be Wild: A History of the American Biker and Bikes, 1947-2002, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 2003.

Contributor of over 2000 articles to periodicals, including Los Angeles Times, Omni, Details, Explore, Attache, Automobile, Easyriders, Unleashed, Hot Rod, Car Craft, Popular Hot Rodding, Fabulous Fords and Mustangs, American Rodder, British Car Magazine, Story, Carolina Quarterly, Men's Health & Fitness, Black Belt Magazine, L'ecran Fantastique, E-Zone, Saab & Co., VQ, Hot Bike, V-Twin, Early Riders, Nitro, Bike, Super Bike, Classic Motorcycle, Survival Guide, Air Brush Art & Artist, Biker, Street Chopper, In the Wind, Tattoo, Tattoo Industry, Savage, Flash, Gallery, Touring Bike, American Rider, Rider, Free2Wheel, Fabulous Fords, Chopper, Super Cycle, Turbo Bike, Iron Horse, American Iron, Indian, MCNYTT, Back Street Guerillas, Quick Throttle, Old Bike Journal, Riderworld.com, Eagles Eye, City Bike, Kawasaki Good Times, Super Chevy, Thundercycle, MIR, and others.

Author of film scripts, including Cyclone (Cinetel) and Alienator (American Independent).

WORK IN PROGRESS: One Stone (novel); Vulan's Hammer (novel); Earth Angel (screenplay); Arc (screenplay).

SIDELIGHTS: Paul Garson is a contributor to a wide variety of magazines. His interest in motorcycles has led to his becoming a contributor to Easyrider Magazine, and he completed a book about motorcycling titled Born to Be Wild: A History of the American Biker and Bikes, 1947-2002. This history covers much about the various types of motorcycles and the culture that has evolved around them in what Booklist contributor Mike Tribby called "an excellent resource for hog-ridin' fools and those who love them." The book is not for everyone, though, warned Jamie Malanowski in her Washington Monthly review. Malanowski felt that Born to Be Wild will make "less than compelling" reading for any but the most enthusiastic biking fans. Calling the book a "choppy, inelegant pastiche," she nevertheless felt that after reading Born to Be Wild "you do come away with an insight into the nature of American rebelliousness."

Garson told CA: "I wrote my first story at age twelve. Reading got me interested in writing as did the vocabulary lessons in school. Yes, I was the kind of kid that read dictionaries for fun.

"My first adult books, read at twelve, were Bradbury's Martian Chronicles, which sent me off the planet; Huxley's Brave New World, [which] made me want to remain offworld; and Sandburg's biography of Lincoln, which gave me hope for the world." Garson added that he admired the Richard Haliburton travel books in junior high, and credits both Ray Bradbury and Jerzy Kosinski as "disturbing and brilliant" influences on his work. "I would hope that [my work] could entertain and educate at the same time, and yes, make the world a better place."