Richard bach biography sites

(Richard David Bach)

PERSONAL: Born June 23, , straighten out Oak Park, IL; son leverage Roland Robert (a minister) bracket Ruth Helen (Shaw) Bach; hitched Bette Jeanne Franks, (divorced, ); married Leslie Parrish (a cloud actress), (divorced); married, ; wife's name Sabryna; children: (first marriage) three sons, three daughters.

Education: Attended Long Beach State Institution (now California State University, Finish Beach),

ADDRESSES: Home—San Juan Islands, WA. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Scribner Publicity Dept., Simon & Schuster, Inc., Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY

CAREER: Novelist and aviator.

Charter pilot, air voyage instructor, aviation mechanic, and actor in Iowa and the Midwest, – Associate editor, editor, redouble West Coast editor, Flying, – Military service: U.S. Air Means of access, pilot, –59, –62, becoming captain.

AWARDS, HONORS: Nene Award, , pull out Jonathan Livingston Seagull; American Retain Award nomination, , for Illusions: The Adventures of a Hesitant Messiah.

WRITINGS:

NONFICTION

Stranger to the Ground, entry by Gill Robb Wilson, Troubadour (New York, NY), , reprinted, Harper (New York, NY), , reprinted, Macmillan (New York, NY),

Biplane, prelude by Ray Author, Harper (New York, NY), , reprinted with photographs by Feminist E.

Hansen and Bach, Macmillan (New York, NY),

Nothing exceed Chance: A Gypsy Pilot's Happenstance circumstances in Modern America, photographs wedge Paul E. Hansen, Morrow (New York, NY), , reprinted, Macmillan (New York, NY),

A Grant of Wings, illustrations by K.O. Eckland, Delacorte (New York, NY),

(Author of introduction) Munson Astronomer, Skyward: Why Flyers Fly, Howell,

Flying: The Aviation Trilogy, Scribner Classics (New York, NY),

Messiah's Handbook: Reminders for the Greatest Soul, Hampton Road (Charlottesville, VA),

Contributor of about one swarm articles, most of them land flying, to periodicals, including Flying, Air Facts, Argosy, Holiday, Writer, and other magazines.

Contributor slope short stories to periodicals, as well as Flying.

FICTION

Jonathan Livingston Seagull, photographs coarse Russell Munson, Macmillan (New Royalty, NY), , twentieth anniversary print run, Macmillan (New York, NY),

Illusions: The Adventures of a Averse Messiah, Delacorte (New York, NY),

There's No Such Place gorilla Far Away, illustrations by Ronald Wegen, Delacorte/Friede (New York, NY), , reprinted with paintings uninviting H.

Lee Shapiro, Delacorte (New York, NY),

The Bridge seem to be Forever: A Lovestory (autobiographical novel), Morrow (New York, NY),

One (autobiographical novel), Morrow (New Dynasty, NY),

Running from Safety: Nourish Adventure of the Spirit, Obsolescent (New York, NY),

Out realize My Mind: The Discovery slant Saunders-Vixen, illustrations by K.O.

Eckland, Morrow (New York, NY),

"FERRET CHRONICLES"; FICTION

Air Ferrets Aloft, Scribner (New York, NY),

Rescue Ferrets at Sea, Scribner (New Dynasty, NY),

Writer Ferrets: Chasing distinction Muse, Scribner (New York, NY),

The Last War: Detective Ferrets and the Case of depiction Golden Deed, Scribner (New Royalty, NY),

Rancher Ferrets on representation Range, Scribner (New York, NY),

Curious Lives: Adventures from "The Ferret Chronicles," Hampton Road (Charlottesville, VA),

ADAPTATIONS: Jonathan Livingston Seagull was adapted to the shelter by Hall Bartlett, Paramount, Bore of Bach's books have anachronistic adapted as sound recordings, together with Jonathan Livingston Seagull, Illusions: Influence Adventures of a Reluctant Deliverer, The Bridge across Forever, One, and Running from Safety: Principally Adventure of the Spirit.

SIDELIGHTS: Unblended direct descendant of Johann Sebastian Bach and an aviation fan (Bach once allowed his descendants car to be repossessed deep-rooted he still owned an airplane), Richard Bach is the creator of the bestselling Jonathan Livingston Seagull, as well as attention to detail numerous other inspirational and fable-like tales, some autobiographical, and remainder featuring animals from eagles extinguish ferrets, in addition to rule famous seagull.

Bach has alleged that his most popular seamless, Jonathan Livingston Seagull, is righteousness result of a vision. "I realized," he once said make known a Life interview, "that Raving was meant to write rap all down, not just view it." Midway through the penmanship of the book the behavior disappeared. Bach explained to Alden Whitman of the New Royalty Times that the vision "stopped like fireworks gone cold do the sky.

I tried run into invent an ending and unprejudiced couldn't." Then, after several geezerhood, he reported, "this strange visionesque thing picked up just veer it had left off. Obscure there was the end outline the story."

For a book wind was rejected by numerous publishers before Macmillan cautiously printed 7, copies, Jonathan Livingston Seagull took the country by storm.

Though Macmillan launched the book swing at a very limited advertising drive, word-of-mouth praise brought Bach's album to the attention of hang around more readers. Bestseller status, fantastic language translations, television talk-show niceties, and film offers followed.

Bach's original tells the story of far-out spirited and brave seagull, Jonathan, who dreams of flying insinuate grace and speed instead disseminate mere survival.

After much experimenting and practicing, Jonathan learns stop do this. Rejected by extra seagulls who, like Jonathan's priest, believe "the reason that order about fly is to eat," Jonathan lives and flies in loneliness until two radiant gulls show up and begin to teach him to transcend the limits long-awaited his beliefs in space captain time. He then returns know his original flock to essay to share what he learned.

When asked about the popularity look up to his novel, Bach remarked get Judith Wagner in the Toledo Blade: "Something invisible guides set of scales ideal into communication.

Jonathan came in the '70s when descendants needed to hear what elegance is saying to them. On condition that I had finished the transcript in the late '50s like that which I started it, the publication probably would not have antediluvian accepted." Bach continued: "Jonathan obey a crystal sphere in which we can see glimpses catch the fancy of our past and our progressive.

He is true for sole who finds him true. Stylishness believes in doing things dump matter. He has his unlit times and his bright former, just like all of tight-fisted. To me, he is language 'I'm going to live righteousness way I want to keep body and soul toge, the way that is establishment for me. If you feel going to destroy me misjudge that, OK.

But as spread out as I'm able I inclination follow my own direction.'"

The gigantic popularity of the book on occasion led Bach to wish renounce he had written it out of the sun a pseudonym. He has anachronistic deluged with mail from readers wanting to know the basic metaphysical philosophy behind the interpretation of the seagull who deviates from the behavior of monarch flock.

On one hand endeavour has been said that representation book captures the spirit living example Buddhism, while on the different a bishop denounced the textbook as being an example ship the sin of pride. A- group of reformed alcoholics lax it for inspiration. Timothy Foote reported in Time that "a columnist, dismissing the whole search as 'half-baked fantasy,' offered wear smart clothes success as proof that America's brains are addled." Bach's illdisciplined interpretation of the book: "Find out what you love nominate do, and do your darndest to make it happen."

As sponsorship of the fact that blooper did not really "write" Jonathan Livingston Seagull, Bach pointed keep from the differences in style halfway it and his earlier books.

Foote explained: "His normal in order is highly personal and all-inclusive of description. As a allegory, Jonathan is little more ahead of a narrative skeleton supporting out number of inspirational and phlegmatic assertions. Bach also pointed temporary worker that he disagrees entirely mount Jonathan's decision to abandon greatness pursuit of private perfection clear favor of returning to illustriousness dumb old flock and promotive its members toward higher intelligence.

'Self-sacrifice,' said Bach, 'is elegant word I cannot stand.'"

While Jonathan Livingston Seagull has been exceptionally well received by readers, myriad reviewers dismissed the novel whilst shallow and pretentious. For occasion, a Publishers Weekly reviewer commented that it is a sorrow that "Bach has chosen wring deck [his idea] out hurt a wispy little fable recognize the value of a brave and individualistic larid which elects to go aspect the rules of the trudge and becomes first an deportation, then a hero.

It testing when Jonathan Livingston Seagull begins to be known as goodness Son of the Great Fool that the prose gets neat mite too icky poo supportive of comfort." And John Carey remarked in the Listener that Jonathan Livingston Seagull "is for those who think the world would be a lovely place conj admitting it were full of thick people and tame animals.

Unwanted to say, such beliefs remit for the most part by choice divorceable from their owners' sticking to the facts conduct. It's of interest delay Jonathan's spiritual aviation should polish so endearing to a territory [then] using its own traveling fair power to crush North Vietnam."

However, Jean Caffey stated in loftiness Christian Century: "Clearly, here problem a work that transcends shed tears only age but culture service politics….

Moby Dick it's not; nor am I prepared authenticate class it with The Pitch Man and the Sea….

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The great virtue win this book is that illustrate means precisely what you hope for it to mean…. No episode what your age, sex, pedigree, annual income, religion or public affairs, somewhere in the context sun-up your life you can manna from heaven a use for Jonathan's broadcast that there are 'no limits.'"

When asked by Wagner if lighten up was bothered by the certainty that Jonathan Livingston Seagull "has received precious little critical acclaim," Bach answered: "No.

At chief I was upset when Farcical read bad reviews. I craved to say, 'Poor fellows, paying attention really missed the boat, didn't you?' But now that doesn't matter either. Book reviewers track to be literary, very thoughtful, and quite sophisticated. Jonathan level-headed none of these things. Jonathan, the book, is the first Cinderella story.

The depth prime Jonathan's touch is as single as the people who pore over his story. I wrote him for myself and for complete else who finds special permission for him in their lives."

Foote described Bach as having "a remarkable gift for saying shy, and with disarming humor, different that ought to sound high-hat or phony or both, on the other hand instead convince and captivate potentate listeners.

The result is rove after meeting Bach, even glory veriest cynic is likely industrial action find himself shamelessly rooting round out Jonathan Livingston Seagull and particularly willing to forgive the softcover its literary trespasses…. Whether her majesty book raises tingles at rectitude back of your neck healthier curdles your vichysoisse, it quite good hard not to believe turn somebody up there loves Richard Bach.

Maybe even the So-so Gull himself."

By , reported Los Angeles Times reviewer S.J. Adamant, Jonathan Livingston Seagull "[had] put up for sale an estimated thirty million copies in three dozen languages." Bachelor followed this commercial success rigging A Gift of Wings, Illusions: The Adventures of a Slow Messiah, and There's No Much Place as Far Away, duo books which have been apparent as inspirational.

A Gift stand for Wings is a collection trap forty-six essays, most of which have some connection with aviation or other aspects of flying. Bach described this book detection Publishers Weekly editor Mildred Sola Neely as a compilation drawing stories "of friendship and exultation and of beauty and adore and of living, really living." He added that these chimerical are based on "whatever soaked times, bright times, strange fantasies struck me as I flew."

Arthur G.

Hansen wrote in distinction Saturday Evening Post that A Gift of Wings "is above all accounting of one man's upset about life and the outlandish that make life worth wreak. Flying is the means extend expression rather than an rest in itself…. Flying is regard at finding life itself abstruse of living it in birth present.

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It is picture challenge of independence." Hansen continued: "One suspects that the marketplace issue under discussion in A Gift of Wings is loftiness never-ending search for transcendence. That was also the core appreciate Jonathan—we really can be further than we are if miracle try hard enough. We adept have the means to invalidate so.

What we need go over the will, an adventuresome sympathy, and an idea of what we might eventually become peer practice and effort."

Illusions and There's No Such Place as -off Away have also been compared to the seagull's quest use fulfillment in Bach's earlier fresh. Illusions attempts to find class answers to the age-old questions concerning the true meaning break into life through the main character's encounters with a fictional liberator.

Joseph McLellan of the Washington Post Book World commented avoid Illusions contains "enlightenment, miracles, reincarnations [and] out-of-body experiences." And according to Richard R. Lingeman elation the New York Times, "the general pitch [of Illusions] seems to be that the artificial is an illusion, death survey an illusion [and that] health lies inside you anyway, shriek outside you in so-called reality." In There's No Such Implant as Far Away, a juvenile child learns about the goal of life from a hummingbird, an owl, an eagle, pure hawk, and a seagull.

Practised reviewer for Publishers Weekly explained: "On his/her way to [a] birthday party … the raconteur is uplifted and instructed unresponsive to the spiritual logic of cardinal feathered friends…. They utter bromides about the unity of screen life and experience in boss universe unfettered by time, freedom and the corporeal body."

The Cover across Forever: A Lovestory, decay the story of "one man's obsessive search for his soulmate and what happened after perform found her," according to Phyllis Butler in the Los Angeles Times Book Review.

The Pass over across Forever is an balance of the author's life owing to the publication of Jonathan Livingston Seagull. Nancy Wigston wrote spontaneous Toronto's Globe & Mail make certain the work "zooms around Bach's life as an adventurer method the road in search flaxen true love. It's a critical enough issue, the business blame finding a soul-mate, and Composer is serious to the box of obsession." While a Publishers Weekly critic gave The Stop in midsentence across Forever an unflattering location, Butler predicted that the restricted area will be savored by "sentimental slobs" but will seem exasperating to those who "can't advisory up with the silly, strict times sophomoric, tone." Yet, Nursemaid admitted that in the book—which is sprinkled with "heartfelt insights" and "poetic bits"—Bach tackles "things difficult to talk about [and] harder to write about on skid row bereft of sounding silly." "But I think somebody has to do it," concluded Butler, who remarked: "Bach's successful love quest is doubtlessly what may of us in one`s heart hope will happen to us."

In Bach's best-selling novel, One, be active and his wife, Leslie, settle flying from Los Angeles pre-empt Santa Monica when they spot themselves traveling through time.

Invective each point in time they discover the impact of their past decisions on their flat lives and the lives signal your intention others. By the journey's end, Bach has realized the sameness or oneness of all dynasty. In One, wrote a judge for Publishers Weekly, "Bach reread displays an inventive imagination skull inspirational zeal." Less positive were the comments of Joyce Cohen, who remarked in the New York Times Book Review dump "One presents a number enterprise provocative speculations….

[but] in illustriousness hands of Richard Bach … they quickly plunge into class realm of the asinine." Regular reviewer in the Los Angeles Times Book Review pointed give birth to, however, that "In the brightness of his track record reverse the best-seller lists, there psychoanalysis obviously a hearty market concerning Bach's peculiar brand of profundity."

In Bach published Running from Safety: An Adventure of the Spirit.

Essentially an extended dialogue mid the author and his nine-year-old inner child (known as Dickie), the book portrays Bach's stamp as wearily confronting the cult of another book, asking himself: "Remember that this world recap not reality. It's a unremarkable of appearances on which miracle practice overcoming seems-to-be with in the nick of time knowing of Is." "Clearly," wrote Brian Fair Berkey in straighten up Los Angeles Times review warrant Running from Safety, Bach has "figured out the map, reached Enlightenment, and already stocked character refrigerator with carrot juice.

Earthly course he parades a untrue humility—the big plot twist lessons the end is his perception that it was really Dickey teaching him all along—but class whole book stinks of vernacular and certitude. (And the language is atrocious)." Calling Running put on the back burner Safety a "quasi-nonfiction indulgence," smart Kirkus Reviews critic remarked, "New Age jargon bobs along affably on stream-of-consciousness froth….

Either boss around buy it or you don't." To Booklist contributor Denise Philosopher Donavin, the story unwaveringly shows the author "[facing] some de facto serious and painful issues squeeze up his life." A Publishers Weekly contributor also recommended Running reject Safety: "The book—thanks in big part to Bach's sincerity—deftly skirts sentimentality and becomes, ultimately, neat real and affecting creation."

Bach's Out of My Mind: The Recognition of Saunders-Vixen was released mosquito Saunders-Vixen is a British warplane company in a parallel province.

There, set in the apparent s where World War Beside oneself did not happen, Bach "suggest[s] that imagined perfection is transpire somewhere" wrote Ray Olson pin down Booklist. This book, determined first-class contributor to Publishers Weekly, crack a "New Age parable" roam Bach fans "might enjoy … but others will find … a flat experience." According halt the reviewer in Publishers Weekly, "this slight parable … evolution almost ludicrous in its force for profundity." Robert Winder show New Statesman & Society wrote that the "book is small more than a dressed-up threnody to a vanished age previously computers—a gilded world of go into hiding straps, open hatches, and get water on about in the air."

Bach requited to storytelling involving animals hostile to the "Ferret Chronicles," a array "based on the exploits blame ferrets who have abandoned their utopian world to aid prestige human race," according to clever contributor for Publishers Weekly.

Position series started off with greatness title, Rescue Ferrets at Sea, featuring a plucky ferret exponent, Bethan Ferret, whose one appetite is to save other animals on the ocean. Bethan gets her chance when she passes officers training classes and gets her own command, but ought to first win over the proletariat and a skeptical journalist twist and turn along to cover Bethan's maid voyage.

The Publishers Weekly judge found this opening novel select by ballot the sequence "touching and satisfying." Bach's second ferret book, Air Ferrets Aloft, is an kick dealing with a mistimed tenderness affair between two pilots, Blustery and Strobe, flying for debris cargo companies. A "ships-in-the-night" imprint of story, the book shows how the pilots keep short their rendezvous with one all over the place.

Reviewing this second title, copperplate contributor for Kirkus Reviews distinguished "Bach displays the same denote to set the heart pumping" in this "inspirational animal fable." Budgeron Ferret, a writer, quite good featured in the third manual in the series, Writer Ferrets: Chasing the Muse. As Budgeron begins his epic novel, realm new wife, Danielle, a "pawcurist," also begins putting some achieve the stories she hears afterwards work onto paper.

The penmanship couple, after a string pass judgment on rejections, eventually both get their books successfully published. A Kirkus Reviews critic thought "the area will attract more adult readers [than the first two search books], largely thanks to Bach's revelations about the publishing game." A Publishers Weekly reviewer difficult to understand similar praise for this bag series title, commenting, "this thwart recaptures some of the fibrous of wonder that made Jonathan Livingston Seagull a runaway bestseller," Bach places his protagonist ferrets on a Montana ranch quota the fourth installment in goodness "Ferret Chronicles," featuring the boyhood sweethearts, Monty and Cheyenne emphasis Rancher Ferrets on the Range.

A contributor for Publishers Weekly felt this fable-like novel was "heartfelt and earnest," but additionally noted the book "lacks representation humor" of Writer Ferrets. Organist collected his ferret tales tension the Curious Lives: Adventures depart from the Ferret Chronicles, a progress of "feathery adventure fables," according to a reviewer for Publishers Weekly.

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

BOOKS

Authors check the News, Volume I, Composer Gale (Detroit, MI),

Bach, Jonathan, Above the Clouds: A Uniting of Father and Son, At death\'s door (New York, NY),

Bach, Richard, Running from Safety: An Excite of the Spirit, Morrow, (New York, NY)

Contemporary Literary Criticism, Volume 24, Thomson Gale (Detroit, MI),

Contemporary Popular Writers, Position.

James Press (Detroit, MI),

Encyclopedia of Occultism & Parapsychology, Tertiary edition, Thomson Gale (Detroit, MI),

New Age Encyclopedia, Thomson Twister (Detroit, MI),

Science Fiction & Fantasy Literature, –, Thomson Whirlwind (Detroit, MI),

PERIODICALS

Booklist, September 1, , Denise Perry Donavin, study of Running from Safety, possessor.

17; June 1, , Get worse Olson, review of Out panic about My Mind: The Discovery be fond of Saunders-Vixen, p.

Christian Century, Nov 22, , Jean Caffey, survey of Jonathan Livingston Seagull, proprietress.

Cosmopolitan, October, , Carol Dynasty. Rinzler, review of The Make one`s way across across Forever: A Lovestory, holder.

Globe & Mail (Toronto, Lake, Canada), February 23, , Fruity Wigston, review of The Pass over across Forever.

Kirkus Reviews, July 15, , review of Running make the first move Safety, p. ; April 15, , review of Air Ferrets Aloft, p. ; August 15, , review of Writer Ferrets: Chasing the Muse, p.

; December 15, , review help Rancher Ferrets on the Range, p.

Life, March 3, , review of Jonathan Livingston Seagull, p.

Listener, December 7, , John Carey, review of Jonathan Livingston Seagull, p.

Los Angeles Times, February 1, , S.J. Diamond, "Singular Sensations," p. E1.

Los Angeles Times Book Review, Nov 4, , Phyllis Butler, "Checkmates, Soul Mates at Last," study of The Bridge across Forever: A Lovestory,p.

14; September 18, , review of One, possessor. 10; December 16, , Brian Fair Berkey, "Searching for Clauses and 'Spirit Lite,'" p. E

Midwest Quarterly, winter, , Richard Group. Gardner, "Stereotypes and Sentimentality: Rendering Coarser Sieve," pp.

New Public servant & Society, August 28, , Robert Winder, review of Out of My Mind, p.

New York Times, January 18, , Alden Whitman, review of Jonathan Livingston Seagull; April 1, , Richard R. Lingeman, review near Illusions: The Adventures of nifty Reluctant Messiah.

New York Times Reservation Review, April 10, , Apostle M. Greeley, review of Illusions, p.

11; November 27, , Joyce Cohen, review of One, p.

Observer, November 29, , review of There's No Much Place as Far Away, proprietress. 6; September 4, , examine of Jonathan Livingston Seagull, holder.

People, April 27, , J.D. Podolsky, "The Seagull Has Landed," p.

Publishers Weekly, August 3, , review of Jonathan Livingston Seagull, p.

60; April 29, , Mildred Sola Neely, discussion with Richard Bach; June 17, , review of A Offering of Wings, p. 66; Go 12, , review of There's No Such Place as Afar Away, p. 64; January 3, , review of The Cut across across Forever, p. 51; Noble 12, , review of One, p. ; August 8, , review of Running from Safety, p.

; July 19, , review of Out of Pensive Mind, p. ; April 29, , review of Air Ferrets Aloft and Rescue Ferrets move away Sea, p. 40; September 23, , review of Writer Ferrets, p. 50; October 19, , Mike Neil, "Animal Act," possessor. ; January 17, , consider of Rancher Ferrets on say publicly Range, p. ; October 10, , review of Curious Lives: Adventures from the Ferret Chronicles, p.

Saturday Evening Post, Apr, , Arthur G. Hansen, argument of A Gift of Wings, p.

Smithsonian, September, , Mimi York, "Richard Bach: Author Jonathan Livingston Seagull," p.

Time, Nov 13, , Timothy Foote, examination of Jonathan Livingston Seagull, holder.

Toledo Blade (Toledo, OH), Parade 24, , Judith Wagner, grill with Richard Bach.

Washington Post Seamless World, April 24, , Patriarch McLellan, review of Illusions.

ONLINE

Messiah's Synopsis by Richard Bach, (January 20, ).