Background
Gary Lyle Blackwood was born on October 23, 1945, in Meadville, Pennsylvania, United States, to Roy William and Susie Esther (Stallsmith) Blackwood.
Gary Lyle Blackwood was born on October 23, 1945, in Meadville, Pennsylvania, United States, to Roy William and Susie Esther (Stallsmith) Blackwood.
In 1967, Blackwood received a Bachelor of Arts from Grove City College. While a college student, Blackwood published his first short story, Cliffs of Gold, in Twelve/Fifteen magazine.
From 1989 to 1993, Blackwood was a teacher of play-writing, at Missouri Southern State College, in Joplin, Missouri, and then, in 1997. In 1995, he became a teacher of writing-for-publication course at Trinidad State Junior College, in Trinidad, Colorado.
Blackwood sold his first story when he was nineteen. By now, he has sold dozens of stories to children's magazines, and has published twenty-one novels for young adults and middle readers. Popular, particularly with boys due to their western and history themes, Blackwood's books include the alternate Revolutionary War history The Year of the Hangman, the nonfiction "Bad Guys" series, and his series of adventure novels centering around Elizabethan playwright William Shakespeare and featuring an orphaned teen named Widge.
Over the years, he has traveled all over the country, spreading his stories and answering the questions of young readers about his books. Blackwood has also written half a dozen plays. His plays have been produced in regional and universities theatres.
Gary L. Blackwood started his writing career as a teen, and has since become a prolific author of novels for both young adults and middle-grade readers, in addition to penning plays and nonfiction. Blackwood's The Shakespeare Stealer won the 1999 ALA Best Book for Young Adults, and Around the World in 100 Days (2010) was named a 2010 Notable Book for Children by the Smithsonian and one of 2010's Best Books for Teens by Kirkus Book Reviews.
(Explores the mystery surrounding the deaths of various hi...)
2005(Scott Shaffer, brighter than his high school classmates a...)
1991(Presents the life story of our twenty-sixth president, co...)
1997(A highly-theatrical but faithful adaptation of Edith Whar...)
2017Blackwood is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators.
On February 23, 1971, Gary Blackwood married Judith Ann McPeak, but they divorced in May 1973. On October 3, 1977, Gary married Jean Ann Lantzy. Gary has three children, Gareth, Giles and Tegan.
