Dale Peterson

Biography

Raised in a military family, Dale Clarence Peterson spent most of his childhood out of the United States. He attended British schools in Bermuda and later in Liverpool, England and a High School of just 35 students in Keflavik, Iceland. His childhood experiences encompassed much that would seem wildly exotic to the average American child.

He attended college in Utah and graduate school in the hippie culture of 1970’s California. He was a war-time soldier. He became an artist, a husband and father and finally a teacher. He has been recognized with two National Teaching Awards. His art work has been exhibited and sold across the country for over 25 years. Including in the Smithsonian Gallery.

Mr. Peterson has written many Educational Grants and presented many professional papers at Teachers’ Conferences and workshops. He has served as member of the National Association of Independent Schools Accreditation Committee for technology. While he began teaching Art, Dale was one of the first educators in the U.S. to embrace technology in the classroom and served as a consultant in this area for two decades.

What he truly loves, by choice, is the joys of life as a husband/father/teacher. Raising six children, and teaching hundreds of others in the classroom, beginning in the back woods of New Hampshire to the sophisticated whirl-wind of Washington D.C.. With everything he writes, he speaks from hard won experience.

Retiring from teaching in 2012, Dale now spends his time writing and pursuing his other passions of sea kayaking and motorcycle riding. “The Dollar-Table Hammer” is his first published book, but far from his last. He is currently at work on no less than three others. You can expect a lot more witty observations on the wonders of big family life and the nature of the artistic mind, sometimes gone amok.

Smashwords Interview

Do you remember the first story you ever wrote?
My very first story was about how I got the role of General Grant in my High School's production of "Thurber's Carnival". This was mostly because I was the only Junior who could grow a full beard.
What is your writing process?
Frequently I write most of a story, or event ... whatever, by imagining the whole thing as a sort of movie running through my brain. Then I mostly just describe that movie vignette and the rest kind of builds from that. Once I get going I find it very easy to keep adding scenes and details. I write from real life experiences. I am mostly a visual artist and produce a lot of drawings and paintings and illustrations, so my writing tends to have a very visual descriptive nature to it.
Read more of this interview.

Where to buy in print

Videos

"Boxes of Clay" Interview
This is a brief promotional video for ny second book "Boxes of Clay". A close friend of mine, who is an ardent fan, interviews me.

Books

Drawing Blind
Price: Free! Words: 15,600. Language: English. Published: April 6, 2014 . Categories: Nonfiction » Art, Architecture, Photography » Art - how to » Drawing
(5.00 from 1 review)
You can learn to draw!(?) Every living human being draws, every day. You may not think of it as such, but you are! When you write yourself a note, sign your name, do any kind of doodle, you are drawing. You are moving a pencil or a pen around on a piece of paper, or a napkin, or even the palm of your hand (if that’s all that’s available) and you are drawing. Just newly reformatted.
Boxes of Clay
You set the price! Words: 41,570. Language: English. Published: December 23, 2013 . Categories: Nonfiction » Entertainment » Humor & satire » Topic / marriage & family, Nonfiction » Inspiration » Personal inspiration
This is the second volume in the series Stories from East Pickerel Corners by Dale Clarence Peterson. This volume continues the laugh or you’re gonna cry saga of a large family. These pieces of life are told in the first person narrative with such skill that you feel as though you are sitting across a table from the author, in your favorite coffee shop. Undoubtedly to become an American Classic.
The Granite House
Price: Free! Words: 36,230. Language: American English. Published: September 26, 2013 . Categories: Nonfiction » Relationships & Family » Parenting / child rearing
Previous title "The Dollar-Table Hammer". This book tells the story of what life in a 200 year old house in the central region of New Hampshire was like. Humorous and inspirational stories. The seasons were harsh, the house was old but solid and living in it was not at all easy. It taught this unique family, many lessons and made them all better people in the end.