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S. E. Hinton

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S. E. Hinton is a highly influential American novelist. She is widely credited with introducing the young-adult (YA) genre. This genre focuses on stories specifically written for teenagers. Most of her influential work is set in Oklahoma. Her writing often explores the lives and social struggles of young people.

Hinton's most famous work began during her teenage years. She started writing her first novel, *The Outsiders*, in 1965. She was only sixteen years old when it was published in 1967. The story was inspired by rival groups at her school, Will Rogers High School. These groups were known as the Greasers and the Socs. Hinton wanted to write from the perspective of the Greasers to show empathy for them.

Her publishing career involved a specific choice regarding her identity. Her publisher suggested she use her initials instead of her full name. They feared male book reviewers might dismiss her work because she was female. Hinton continued using her initials to maintain a boundary between her public and private life. This practice helped her keep her personal life separate from her fame.

Hinton produced several significant young adult novels throughout the 1970s and 1980s. These stories often take place within a shared universe in Oklahoma. Her second book, *That Was Then, This Is Now*, was released in 1971. It follows two friends, Byron and Mark, as they face the world of drug dealing. In 1975, she published *Rumble Fish*, which follows a high-schooler named Rusty-James. Her fourth YA novel, *Tex*, arrived in 1979. She completed her final YA novel, *Taming the Star Runner*, in 1988.

Her literary success is measured by massive sales numbers. *The Outsiders* has sold more than 14 million copies. In 2017, Viking Press reported that the book sells over 500,000 copies annually. By 1982, her first four novels had reached 10 million copies in sales. In 1988, the American Library Association gave her the inaugural Margaret Edwards Award. This award recognized her cumulative contributions to writing for teenagers.

Many of Hinton's stories transitioned from books to film adaptations. Director Francis Ford Coppola directed the movies for *The Outsiders* and *Rumble Fish*. Hinton co-wrote the script for the *Rumble Fish* film. Other books like *Tex* and *That Was Then, This Is Now* also became movies. Hinton even appeared in three of these films in cameo roles. She played a nurse in *The Outsiders* and a teacher in *Tex*.

As her career progressed, Hinton expanded into different types of writing. In the 1990s, she began writing books for children. This included the picture book *Big David, Little David* and the novella *The Puppy Sister*. In 2004, she published her first adult novel, *Hawkes Harbor*. This book differed from her earlier work by including strong language and sexual situations. She has also explored screenwriting and continues to write today.

Hinton's personal life has influenced her journey as a writer. She grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where her father was a salesman. Her father passed away from a brain tumor when she was fifteen. After the success of her first book, she experienced writer's block and depression. Her husband, David E. Inhofe, helped her overcome this by encouraging her to write two pages every day. This discipline helped her finish her second novel. She currently lives in Tulsa with her husband and their son, Nicholas David.

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