Clyde Robert Bulla was born January 9th, 1914 and grew up on a farm in the country near King City, Missouri. He went to a one-room country school and was soon writing his own stories and verses. No one wanted the stories Clyde wrote, however, until a pulp magazine bought one when he was twenty. Then he sold another . . . and another. The stories were not top quality, but the sales helped him and his family make it through the Depression. Meanwhile, he was learning about writing and developing his style.
Bulla moved into town and worked on a newspaper there. In his spare time he continued writing. Eventually, he wrote a book for children, and by the time he finished another, he discovered that he enjoyed writing for boys and girls. He then moved to California. He traveled, saw operas, and was always writing about his experiences.
More than 80 of Mr. Bulla's books have been published and he was the first winner of the Southern California Council on Children's Literature Award for a distinguished contribution to the field. After 50 years in Los Angeles, he moved back to his native state. "To retire?" people would ask. "No," he would reply. "Writers don't retire."
Mr. Bulla passed away on May 23, 2007, in Warrensburg, Missouri.
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