The setting is in the wide open spaces of montana on the ranch of jeanette coulter, a tough widow who knows everything about cattle ranching. A life not afraid in a hardscrabble mining town like his coal miner father, october sky author homer hickam says his values to trust in god but rely on oneself. Homers latest work, in the bestselling josh thurlow series, is entitled the ambassadors son, a story that brings in some big names kennedy, roosevelt, nixon, michener and that appears to be going to the big screen. Ii but when i was on book tour, most of the questions that came my way. Rocket boys was also nominated by the national book critics circle as best biography of 1998. From rocket boys to october sky gives lots of behindthescenes stories both onset and off. It is really the story of a boy and where he grew up, said hickam about the nonfiction memoir. Homer s family is an important element in the story. Homer hickam i always give a little talk before i sign. A novel and millions of other books are available for instant access. Hickams pivotal moment was shared by millions across the globe.
This book is the semifictionalized autobiography of one teenager caught up in the postsputnik avalanche of events, former nasa engineer homer hickam, and how he came to terms with the contradictions between his fascination with this new cutting edge of science and the utter dependence of himself, his family, and virtually everyone he knows on. Rocket boys by homer hickam overdrive rakuten overdrive. Discover book depositorys huge selection of homer hickam books online. Homer hickam, spent sunday afternoon visiting with fans and signing copies of his latest work, carrying albert. Along the way they get carrying albert home by homer hickam is a seriously funny book that will take you on one wild adventure. Were hosting authors from all over the country, including bestsellers homer hickam and jenny lawson for discussion panels, presentations and book signings, said ashley chappell, one of the.
Now, in this noholdsbarred joyride of a thriller, he straps us into the cockpit of the space shuttle columbia as a renegade rocket man hijacks the shuttleand blasts off on a machspeed. Sep 19, 20 homer hickam you probably know the name from october sky, the movie based on his memoir, rocket boys. Tickets now available for rocket city lit fest, featuring. Homer hickam at marshall center after his retirement, hickam began publishing both fiction and nonfiction books.
Rocket boysoctober sky festival soars into beckley. Homer hickams latest sci fi novel vietnam veterans of america. He has also authored the military history bestseller torpedo junction, along with several other popular historical and science fiction novels. Homer hickam s memoir october sky is the story of homer and his love for rocketry during the space race. Homer hickam is the author of many books including the acclaimed memoir rocket boys that was made into the film october sky. Nasa from rocket boy to nasa engineer homer hickam. How does a 54yearold man get inside the brain of a 14yearold boy. We assign a color and icon like this one to each theme, making it easy to track which themes apply to each quote below.
Ive had people turn up to book signings with knives, with guns. Crater, crescent, and his latest, crater trueblood and the lunar rescue company thomas nelson, 322 pp. Told with the warmth and downhome charm that made rocket boys a beloved bestseller, homer hickams rollicking tale is ultimately a testament to that strange and marvelous emotion we inadequately call. Carrying albert home tells the sweet, funny and sometimes heartbreaking tale of a young couple and their special pet on a crazy 1,000 mile journey. Homer hickam is being awarded the audie murphy patriotism award at. Before the first frame of film was exposed, i was involved with the writing of the screenplay. Allow yourself to be susceptible to the universe when you write a.
Cowboys and dinosaurs sound like an odd combination, but homer hickam pulls it off in his new novel. Litcharts makes it easy to find quotes by chapter, character, and theme. Homer hickam has 29 books on goodreads with 52545 ratings. Homer hickam the younger homer hickam grew up hearing tall tales about his mothers alligator, albert. Carrying albert home by homer hickam is the story of a classic love triangle.
This book, carrying albert home, is about homers parents taking a pet alligator back to florida. Oct 15, 2012 homer hickam is a former nasa, a new york times bestselling author, a vietnam war veteran, a small town hero, and a project talent participant from big creek high school in war, west virginia. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Rocket boys, october sky homer hickam collectspace. Hickam was the keynote speaker at west virginia universitys commencement in may and the new york times called him. He signed his new book and any 3 other books of his. Homer hickams memoir october sky is the story of homer and his love for rocketry during the space race. Many a memoir has but one story to tell the authors own. Hickam was the keynote speaker at west virginia universitys commencement in may and the new york times called him the most requested graduation speaker in the country.
His first book, torpedo junction 1998, focused on u. His 1998 memoir rocket boys also published as october sky was a new york times best seller and was the basis for the 1999 film october sky. Explore book signings quotes by authors including trisha yearwood, judy blume, and david sedaris at brainyquote. The somewhat true story of a man, his wife, and her alligator. Hickam s body of written work also includes several additional bestselling memoirs and. A respected amateur historian, scuba expedition leader, and military veteran, he continues to write using his personal experience. In case you dont know who he is, homer was a poor west virginia miners son who worked his way up to being. Homers family is an important element in the story. Told with the warmth and downhome charm that made rocket boys a beloved bestseller, homer hickam s rollicking novel is truly a testament to that strange and marvelous emotion we call love. Elsie hickam loved albert more than just about anything in the whole world, but elsies new husband, homer, finally issues an ultimatum. Homer hickam and his rubber alligator hold book signing. Hickams body of written work also includes several additional bestselling memoirs and.
Rocket boys the book began in 1994 when hickam received a desperate call from an editor at smithsonian air and space. Sep 24, 2015 this book, carrying albert home, is about homers parents taking a pet alligator back to florida. He was a great speaker really promoting his new series. His memoir, rocket boys, is an account of his youth spent designing and launching rockets with his friends in his hometown of coalwood, west virginia. Homer hickam was born in coalwood, west virginia in february 1943. Big fish meets the notebook in this emotionally evocative story about a man, a woman, and an alligator that is a moving tribute to love, from the new york times bestselling author of the awardwinning memoir rocket boysthe basis of the movie october sky elsie lavender and homer hickam the father of the author were high school classmates in the west virginia coalfields, graduating just. We would like to show you a description here but the site wont allow us. Hickam will join us in the comments section below for a live chat from 11. Homer hickam is a former nasa engineer, a new york times bestselling author. Fans of all ages from across the usa to attend 2016. A memoir, the story of his life in the little town. A few hours and 2,000 words later, hickam had submitted what amounted to the germ of a book. Homer hickam, the author of acclaimed memoir rocket boys, and the recipient of vvas excellence in the arts award, also has written many other books, including his helium3 a trilogy of science fiction novels.
Tomorrow, my new book sky of stone is going to be available in bookstores all across the nation. I always give a little talk before i sign books and ask for questions. X, rocket boys title x edit your search rocket boys. Jan 06, 2006 a life not afraid in a hardscrabble mining town like his coal miner father, october sky author homer hickam says his values to trust in god but rely on oneself come from deep underground. Appearances for speech requests by homer, please contact mike dandrea of the greater talent network. Enjoyed this book so much, i bought rocket boys and the october skies dvd, and more books by homer hickam jr. Some of the rocketboys venture to dallas, texas to meet their name sake, mr. Sep 05, 20 how does a 54yearold man get inside the brain of a 14yearold boy. Everything that happened before october 5, 1957 and everything that happened afterward. But hickam is also the author of several other books, crossing many genres and. One of the featured guests, homer hickam, is the bestselling author of several books, including the no. Homer hickam is the author of the new york times bestseller rocket boys, which was made into the acclaimed movie october sky. Im a fan of meeting readers face to face, at reader events, where were able to sit down and take some time to talk. Too often, at regular book signings, i meet readers who have traveled six or eight hours to see me, and im unable to spend more than a few short minutes chatting with them as i sign books.
Rocket boysoctober sky festival soars into beckley october. Rocket boys author homer hickam is back with new book wreg. Yes, you read that right, they are transporting an alligator. Ive loved traveling around the country and meeting people at book signings. Homer hickam above, the bestselling author best known for his 1998 memoir, rocket boys, which deals with his life growing up in a small west virginia coal town in the fifties, will receive the vietnam veterans of america excellence in the arts award at the saturday night aug. Rocket boys quotes from litcharts the creators of sparknotes.
Homer hickam is a former nasa, a new york times bestselling author, a vietnam war veteran, a small town hero, and a project talent participant from big creek high school in war, west virginia. Carrying albert home is the funny, sweet, and sometimes tragic tale of a young couple and a special alligator on a crazy 1,000mile adventure. Hickam was at the book store signing his new book, carrying albert home. May 01, 2008 some of the rocketboys venture to dallas, texas to meet their name sake, mr. Rocket boys, the homer hickam autobiography that became the movie october sky, is the book the library has chosen for the program.
Come ready with your questions, or bring them to one of his book signings in alabama this week. Homer hickams latest sci fi novel vietnam veterans of. The author of torpedo junction, a military history book of the month club selection, as well as numerous articles for such publications as smithsonian air and space and american history illustrated, he is a nasa payload training manager for the international space program. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last. Homer hickam made an interesting comment on fox this morning late february 2008. Homer hickam books list of books by author homer hickam. Filmgoers will find the tale brought to the screen in the universal studios new release, october sky. In 1998, delacorte press published hickams second book, rocket boys. Homer hickam you probably know the name from october sky, the movie based on his memoir, rocket boys.
It received so much acclaim and interest, he was asked to write a book detailing the whole story. My comment when i saw the first draft im going to have to go up to west virginia and apologize to everyone in the state. Except theres a difference to this menage a trois, a rather large, scaly one. It was selected by the new york times as one of its great books of 1998 and was an alternate bookofthemonth. Throughout october, the library will sponsor book discussions, films and activities for all ages all focused around the reading of the book. He graduated from big creek high school in 1960 and from the virginia polytechnic institute virginia tech in 1964 with a bs degree in industrial engineering. He enjoys interacting with folks in the book signing line and hearing stories. The dinosaur hunter, a great action packed novel with a little paleontology to learn too. Take a virtual tour of two recently excavated homes in pompeii who was. His second, rocket boys, grew out of an article entitled the big creek missile.
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