|
home
: convention : Convention Speakers
: John Erickson
2009 THSC State Convention
and
Family Conference
August
6-8, 2009
The Woodlands, Texas
The Woodlands Waterway Marriott
John Erickson
John R.
Erickson, a former cowboy and ranch manager, is gifted with a
storyteller's knack for spinning a yarn. Through the eyes of Hank
the Cowdog, a smelly, smart aleck Head of Ranch Security, Erickson
gives readers a glimpse of daily life on a ranch in the West Texas
Panhandle. This series of books and tapes is in school libraries
across the country; has sold more then 6 million copies; is a
Book-of-the-Month Club selection; and, is the winner of the 1993
Audie for Outstanding Children's Series from the Audio Publisher's
Association. Publishers Weekly calls Hank a "grassroots publishing
phenomena," and USA Today says this is "the best family
entertainment in years."
The road to
stardom for Hank, however, wasn't all dog biscuits and gravy.
Erickson graduated from the University of Texas in 1966 and
studied for two years at Harvard Divinity School. He began to
publish short stories in 1967 while working full-time as a cowboy,
farmhand, and ranch manager in Texas and Oklahoma. Hank and his
sidekick Drover are dogs Erickson worked with on the range. This
mixture of true life experience, fun, and adventure has gained
Hank a loyal following of thousands of children and adults.
In 1982,
however, Erickson was at his rope's end. "I was working out in the
cold; there was 8 inches of snow on the ground," he says, "I had
just gotten a couple of rejection slips from New York publishers;
and, I had a wife with two kids and another one on the way." So,
with $2000 in borrowed money, Erickson started his own publishing
company, appropriately named
Maverick Books.
Hank the
Cowdog made his debut in the pages of The Cattleman, a magazine
for adults. An obvious favorite of readers, Erickson included two
of Hank's humorous stories in Maverick Book's first publishing
effort, The Devil in Texas (1982). Erickson began selling books
from his pickup truck at cattle auctions, rodeos, and just about
any place cowboys gathered.
When Erickson
started getting "Dear Hank" letters, he knew he was onto
something. So in 1983, 2,000 copies of The Original Adventures of
Hank the Cowdog were published, and sold out in 6 weeks. Not long
after that first printing, the book was recorded word-for-word on
audiotape. Since then, every Hank book has been recorded, making
Hank the longest running successful children's series on audio
ever. (Source: Billboard)
When teachers
began inviting Erickson to their schools, Hank found his most
eager fans. Teachers, librarians, and students alike love Hank.
According to some Texas Library Association surveys, Hank the Cowdog books are the most popular selections in many library
children's sections. The lively characters make excellent material
for reading and writing lessons, and turn even the most reluctant
readers into avid Hank-a-holics. When used with the books, Hank
tapes increase reading skills rapidly. In response to popular
demand from the growing bilingual market, the first two Hank the Cowdog adventures are available in Spanish.
Erickson was
born in Midland, Texas. By the age of 3, he had moved with his
family to Perryton, Texas where he lives today with his wife,
their youngest son, and a dog named Sophie on their very own
ranch. His advice to young writers is, "Write about something you
know. Try to leave your readers better off than they were before."
Mr. Erickson
joined then Texas Governor George W. Bush at Govalle Elementary in
Austin, Texas, to celebrate the Governor's Reading Initiative
program. The governor joined the crowd of students and teachers to
hear Erickson read from Hank's adventures, strum on his banjo, and
sing some cool cowdog tunes. The goal of the Governor's Reading
Initiative is: "All students will read on grade level by the end
of grade 3 and will continue to read on grade level, throughout
their schooling." Governor Bush said, "Reading is to the mind what
food is to the body. Nothing is more basic or more essential. And
in this administration nothing is going to take a higher
priority."
Back to Speakers
|
