# Terry Trueman > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Terry_Trueman > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Terry_Trueman.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_Trueman > Source revision: 1354766908 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) American writer **Terry Trueman** (born December 15, 1947) is a [Printz Award-winning](/source/Michael_L._Printz_Award) author of [young adult fiction](/source/Young_adult_fiction), with his best known book being *[Stuck in Neutral](/source/Stuck_in_Neutral)*, as well as books of poetry and short stories for adults and children. Born in [Birmingham, Alabama](/source/Birmingham%2C_Alabama), Trueman has lived in [Spokane, Washington](/source/Spokane%2C_Washington) since 1974.[1] He also had a home in [Tucson, Arizona](/source/Tucson%2C_Arizona) for many years. He holds master's degrees in applied psychology and creative writing.[2] ## Early life Trueman grew up in the northern suburbs of [Seattle, Washington](/source/Seattle%2C_Washington) with his parents. His father, Sydney M. Trueman, was a fighter pilot in [World War II](/source/World_War_II) and won the [Air Medal](/source/Air_Medal) flying off the Aircraft Carrier USS Ticonderoga. He has one sister.[3] ## Education Trueman struggled in school, especially during middle school and high school, but graduated from Shoreline H.S. in 1966. He attended [Shoreline Community College](/source/Shoreline_Community_College) and [Everett Community College](/source/Everett_Community_College) in the following couple years, prior to enrolling at the [University of Washington](/source/University_of_Washington) in 1968, where he earned his bachelor's degree in 1973, majoring in Creative Writing in English. He received a Master of Science in Developmental Psychology from Eastern Washington State College in 1975. He pursued further graduate study in the Education Dept. of Washington State University between 1980 and 1981. He received a Master of Fine Arts degree from [Eastern Washington University](/source/Eastern_Washington_University) in 1984. Trueman was 'lifetime' certified as a K-12 licensed Teacher in 1973.[4] ## Career as a writer His first novel, *[Stuck in Neutral](/source/Stuck_in_Neutral)* was published in 2001, and was inspired by his son Sheehan, who was born a [quadriplegic](/source/Quadriplegic) with [cerebral palsy](/source/Cerebral_palsy). The disease severely crippled his son and threatened to overwhelm Trueman, who eventually turned his shock and grief into a narrative poem, *Sheehan*, which in turn grew to become the novel, *Stuck in Neutral*.[5] Trueman released two other companion novels for teens, *Cruise Control* (2004) and *Life Happens Next* (2012), as well as a non-fiction book about his son, *Sheehan: Heartbreak and Redemption* (2007). Trueman's favorite author is [Charles Bukowski](/source/Charles_Bukowski). Like Bukowski, Trueman had written his whole life but only gained recognition later, when he was 52.[6] ## Selected works - *[Stuck in Neutral](/source/Stuck_in_Neutral)* (1st ed.). New York: HarperCollins. 2000. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780064472135](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780064472135). - *Inside out* (1st ed.). New York: HarperCollins. 2003. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780066239637](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780066239637). - *Swallowing the sun*. London: Hodder Children's. 2003. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780340866412](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780340866412). - *Cruise control* (1st ed.). New York: HarperCollins. 2004. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780066239606](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780066239606). - *No Right Turn* (1st ed.). New York: HarperTempest. 2005. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780060574925](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780060574925). ## Awards - [Michael L. Printz Honor Award](/source/Michael_L._Printz_Award), 2001[7] ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["'Where's the Fire?' takes Trueman back to his roots"](https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2015/jul/12/wheres-the-fire-takes-trueman-back-to-his-roots/). *Spokesman.com*. 2015-07-12. Retrieved 2025-05-05. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Terry Trueman"](https://web.archive.org/web/20150605021255/http://www.teenreads.com/authors/terry-trueman). Teenreads.com. Archived from [the original](http://www.teenreads.com/authors/terry-trueman) on 2015-06-05. Retrieved 2015-06-04. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** [8. The Phillip Sadler Research Center for Children's and Young Adult Literature](http://guides.library.ucmo.edu/specialcollections) at The University of Central Missouri, in Warrensburg MO. houses an extensive collection of Terry Trueman's personal papers, photographs, videos and other materials relating to the writings and life. Retrieved 2015-06-11. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** [9. Terry Trueman, Contemporary Authors, Gale series](http://www.cengage.com/search/productOverview.do;jsessionid=F1330989484FE9A679CE29E06BC7D915?N=197+4294916915&Ntk=P_EPI&Ntt=110808912611166207411187162436533505368&Ntx=mode%2Bmatchallpartial) (December 2007). Retrieved 2015-06-11. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Flowers, Mark (2013-02-05). ["Interview with Terry Trueman | The Hub"](https://web.archive.org/web/20150605060023/http://www.yalsa.ala.org/thehub/2012/08/29/interview-with-terry-trueman/). Yalsa.ala.org. Archived from [the original](http://www.yalsa.ala.org/thehub/2012/08/29/interview-with-terry-trueman/) on 2015-06-05. Retrieved 2015-06-04. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Interview with Award-Winning Author Terry Trueman"](http://authorturf.com/interview-with-award-winning-author-terry-trueman-2/authorinterviews). Authorturf.com. 2013-04-28. Retrieved 2015-06-04. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Jensen, Karen. ["YA A to Z: Terry Trueman"](https://www.slj.com/?detailStory=ya-a-to-z-terry-trueman). *School Library Journal*. Retrieved 2 October 2020. Authority control databases International ISNI VIAF GND FAST WorldCat National United States Japan Czech Republic Netherlands Norway Latvia Korea Israel Other IdRef Open Library Yale LUX --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Terry Trueman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_Trueman) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_Trueman?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.