Sharlene P. Nelson

Background

Sharlene P. Nelson was born on August 27, 1933, in Los Angeles, California, United States. Her parents were William O. Patten, a coach and teacher, and Katherine (Bailey) Patten, an office manager.

Education

Sharlene Nelson received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Berkeley in 1955.

Career

Sharlene Nelson has been a freelance writer since 1956. In 1953 Sharlene was given a course assignment to write a children’s story or review one hundred children’s books. She chose to write a story about Smokey Bear, then a well-known symbol for forest fire prevention. Her fiance, Ted, agreed to do the illustrations. They produced the hand-printed book with water-color illustrations and had it bound in hardcover.

Sharlene Nelson also worked as a staff writer at Pacific Search from 1966 to 1972. Nelson was also a correspondent at Oregonian between 1973 and 1982.

Besides, she has worked with a number of historical societies, including the Washington County Historical Society of North Carolina. Nelson was its president in 1969-1970.

In 1977 Sharlene Nelson together with her spouse moved from the Oregon coast to Longview, Washington, and began sailing on the nearby Columbia River. Sharlene learned of a publisher who wanted to produce a boaters’ guide to the Columbia River, and she volunteered. After traveling every mile by water, doing interviews and research, their first book "Cruising the Columbia and Snake Rivers" was published in 1981.

Her other books include "The Umbrella Guide to Washington Lighthouses", "Bull Whackers to Whistle Punks: Logging in the Old West", and "Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument", among others.

Achievements

• Sharlene Nelson is best known as an outstanding writer. Her best-known books include "The Umbrella Guide to Washington Lighthouses", "Bull Whackers to Whistle Punks: Logging in the Old West", and "Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument", among others.
  
  Moreover, Nelson won the second-place award in children’s nonfiction book category at the Pacific Northwest Writers Conference in 1972 for "Gray Whale".

Works

More photos

• book

  • William Boeing: Builder of Planes

    (A biography of Bill Boeing, a pioneer in the development ...)

    1999
  • Oregon Lighthouses

    (Oregon Territory s first lighthouse was built on the Umpq...)

    1994
  • Bull Whackers to Whistle Punks: Logging in the Old West

    (Details the lives and innovations of nineteenth-century l...)

    1996
  • The Makah

    (Examines the history, culture, religious beliefs, poetry,...)

    2003
  • Mount Rainier National Park

    (Describes the history, landscape, wildlife, and activitie...)

    1998
  • The Golden Gate Bridge

    (Describes the history, construction, architecture, and si...)

    2001
  • The Nez Perce

    (Examines the history, culture, and contemporary life of t...)

    2003
  • Olympic National Park

    (Describes the landscape, wildlife, and activities of Wash...)

    1997
  • Brett Favre

    (A biography tracing the personal life and football career...)

    2000
  • Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

    (Learn all about the volcanoes in Hawai Volcanoes National...)

    1998
  • Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument 1989
  • Umbrella Guide to California Lighthouses 1993
  • Cruising the Columbia and Snake Rivers 1981
  • Jedediah Smith 2004
  • Umbrella Guide to Washington Lighthouses 1990

Membership

Sharlene Nelson has been a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, United States Lighthouse Society, Pacific Northwest Writers Conference, Oregon Historical Society, Washington State Historical Society, Washington Trail Association, Tacoma Yacht Club, Tacoma Women’s Sailing Association, and Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation.

Interests

• sailing, backpacking with her grandchildren, skiing

Connections

Sharlene P. Nelson married Ted William Nelson, a forester and author, on July 17, 1955. The marriage produced two children - Gregg Nelson and Janise Nelson Gates.

Father:

William O. Patten

Mother:

Katherine (Bailey) Patten

Spouse:

Ted Nelson

Son:

Gregg Nelson

Daughter:

Janise Nelson Gates

References

• Contemporary Authors New Revision Series