Joe Cottonwood facts for kids

Joe Cottonwood (born August 19, 1947) is an American author. He writes stories and poems for both adults and children. Joe Cottonwood lives in La Honda, California. His books for adults include Famous Potatoes (1978) and Clear Heart (2009). For kids and young adults, he wrote Quake! (1995) and The San Puerco Trilogy (1990-1996).

Early Life and Education

Joe Cottonwood grew up in Bethesda, Maryland. His parents were both scientists. He went to Washington University in St. Louis. In 1970, he earned a degree in English. He also studied a lot of science there.

Life in La Honda

From 1970 to 1976, Joe Cottonwood worked as a computer operator. He worked in several cities like St. Louis and San Francisco. Since 1976, he has worked in building. He has been a carpenter, plumber, and electrician. He even became a general contractor, fixing houses.

Since 1978, he has lived in the small mountain town of La Honda, California. He and his wife raised their three children there. Joe Cottonwood enjoys being called an "Old Hippie." He says La Honda is still full of unique people and dreamers.

Joe Cottonwood also helps host "Lit Night" in La Honda. This is a monthly event where people read their own stories or poems. They can also read works by other authors. It's a fun gathering in a local bar.

Writing Adventures

Joe Cottonwood's first successful book was Famous Potatoes. It was published in 1978. People often called it an "underground novel." This was because many readers who liked new ideas enjoyed it. Joe Cottonwood shared that he used to hitchhike around the United States. He traveled without money or a backpack during college breaks. These trips helped him write Famous Potatoes.

When he was a plumber, Joe Cottonwood met a man named John Daniel. John wanted to be a book editor. They decided to publish Famous Potatoes together. A big publisher in New York City then wanted to buy the book. This publisher had worked with famous writers like Kurt Vonnegut. Joe Cottonwood agreed not to sell the copies he had already printed. He still has those first 500 books today!

Books for Young Readers

Educators have praised Joe Cottonwood's novels for younger readers. Kids enjoy the exciting plots and characters. Some of his popular books for young people include:

• Quake!: This book is about the 1989 World Series earthquake.
• The San Puerco Trilogy: These novels are about three brave boys. They live in a small town called San Puerco, which is a lot like La Honda, California.
• Four Dog Riot: This book was published in 2011.

Books for Adults

His recent novel for adult readers is Clear Heart. Joe Cottonwood describes it as a love story. It also involves tools, concrete, and strong women. This book is popular with many readers. It is especially liked by carpenters and people who work in trades.

In 2013, Joe Cottonwood wrote a memoir called 99 Jobs: Blood, Sweat, and Houses. A memoir is a book about the author's own life experiences. This book is based on his time as a contractor, carpenter, plumber, and electrician. Readers have said it is funny and feels very real.

Joe Cottonwood has also made podcasts of five of his novels. The first version of 99 Jobs started as a blog. Readers could comment and help edit it. He calls this "open source editing."

Some readers have compared his writing to that of famous authors. These include John Steinbeck and Mark Twain. Joe Cottonwood and his work have been featured in local newspapers and magazines.

Novels for Children and Young Adults

• The Adventures of Boone Barnaby (The San Puerco Trilogy) (Scholastic, 1990)
• Danny Ain't (The San Puerco Trilogy) (Scholastic 1992)
• Quake! (Scholastic 1995)
• Babcock (The San Puerco Trilogy) (Scholastic 1996)
• Four Dog Riot (ebook, 2011)

Novels for Adults

• The Naked Computer (Black Dragon Books 1974)
• Famous Potatoes (No Dead Lines Press 1978)
• Famous Potatoes (Delacorte/Seymour Lawrence 1979)
• Frank City (Goodbye) (Delacorte/Seymour Lawrence 1981)
• Clear Heart (audiobook: Podiobooks.com 2007, winner of the 2008 Founders Choice Award; BookSurge Publishing 2008).

Books of Poetry

• Son of a Poet (John Daniel 1986)
• Foggy Dog: Poems of the Pacific Coast (Clear Heart Books 2018)
• Random Saints (Kelsay Books 2020)

Awards and Honors

• Danny Ain't won the BABRA Award in 1992. This was for Best Book for Children.
• The audiobook of Clear Heart won the Founders Choice Award in 2008. This award is for "excellence in serialized audiobook production."
• The audiobooks of Boone Barnaby and Babcock won the Founders Choice Award in 2009. They were recognized for "impeccable quality."
• 99 Jobs won First Place for nonfiction in the 2014 IndieReader Discovery Awards.