Tulsa native S.E.Hinton, once got a ‘D’ in creative writing while in school. Now she is one of the celebrity authors. Her book The Outsiders tells a story of neighborhood gangs and their rivals. The book features a narrator Ponyboy curtis. The best selling novel talks about the clash between the socs and greasers gangs. The Tulsa native is now a cult figure.

Several years back, she was a teen author writing mostly on chic literature. Her famous book was released when she was 16 years old.

Now, at 59 she is a ‘dry-witted’ sad woman. Her work mostly concentrates on inner city gang rivalries and about fitting in. The plot of The outsiders is a well blend of characters.

The characters are not heroes. They are just regular people like you and me who talk about gangs and violence. The book talks about what it takes to be a member of a particular gang.

If you have seen the movie The Gangs of New York, I’m sure you will like this book. The setting of the book fits the plot as well.

A 40th anniversary edition has recently been published. During the interview, Hinton talked about the other aspects of writing the book that made her famous.

This book is a reflection of where she lives — Tulsa. Tulsa always had a gang problem. Oil companies encouraged the gangs in the area. I think almost all authors write stories that are based on people and the area they live in.

The first royalty check for Hinton was $10. The book was about to go out of print. However, the librarians and teachers saved the day by making it the best seller.

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