- Born
- Birth nameSusan Eloise Hinton
- S.E. Hinton was born on July 22, 1948 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA. She is a writer and actress, known for The Outsiders (1983), Rumble Fish (1983) and The Outsiders (1990). She has been married to David E. Inhofe since September 26, 1970. They have one child.
- SpouseDavid E. Inhofe(September 26, 1970 - present) (1 child)
- Sets her novels in Tulsa, Oklahoma
- Wrote "The Outsiders" at age 15, inspired after a friend was beaten up on his way home from the movies. The mother of one of her friends read the manuscript and contacted an agent based in New York. Viking signed her up for a small advance and the book was published when she was 19. Hinton's first royalty check was $10, and the book nearly went out of print. But librarians and teachers made it a best seller, and a landmark.
- "The Outsiders" was first printed in 1967 and has never been out of print. It's second only to "Charlotte's Web" as the most popular children's book.
- Used only her initials instead of her full name, Susan Eloise, because the publishers felt that reviewers would automatically dismiss the book "The Outsiders" because a girl had written it.
- "The Outsiders" has sold more than 13 million copies and still sells more than 500,000 a year.
- Her four most popular books have been made into films and feature actors associated with the 1980s Brat Pack, The Outsiders (1983) (Rob Lowe, Tom Cruise, C. Thomas Howell, Patrick Swayze, Emilio Estevez, Matt Dillon, Ralph Macchio, Diane Lane); Rumble Fish (1983) (Matt Dillon and Diane Lane), Tex (1982) (Matt Dillon and Emilio Estevez); That Was Then... This Is Now (1985), (Emilio Estevez, who also wrote the movie).
- If you want to be a writer, I have two pieces of advice. One is to be a reader. I think that's one of the most important parts of learning to write. The other piece of advice is `Just do it!' Don't think about it, don't agonize, sit down and write.
- (on the cast of The Outsiders (1983)): I was a mother to all of them, and I wouldn't take any guff from any of them. If one of them acted up, I'd crack the whip and say, 'I'm going to cut your lines.' They were these goofy teenage boys, no adult guidance, no nothing. They wore me out.
- (on why she quit teaching) I could write and help a lot of kids, or teach and help a few, and go nuts.
- (on her son becoming a teenager) It was so strange because the three of us were so compatible, going to restaurants and falling out of our chairs, laughing. When he became a teenager, I was dumbfounded by the hostility. It was like someone shut off the light switch. I was really hurt. You had to walk on tippy-toes.
- [on _The Outsiders (1983)] I have so many incredible memories of that time, it was just magical to see everything come together. And we had had a lot of fun (probably too much) on set with the boys, many who were just getting their acting careers started. And yes, I am in contact with all of the actors and Francis Ford Coppola. Tim Hunter, and Tim Zinnemann, the director and the producer of Tex (1982), are still some of my best friends. [2016]
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