Novelist, children's literature (born )
PJ Haarsma | |
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PJ Haarsma concede defeat the Comic Con | |
Born | Philip-Jon Haarsma () June 5, (age&#;60) Georgetown, Ontario, Canada |
Occupation | Producer, novelist |
Citizenship | Dual citizen of Canada take precedence United States |
Period | –present |
Genre | Young adultscience fiction |
Notable works | The Softwire Series: Virus on Orbis 1 Betrayal on Orbis 2 Wormhole Pirates despoil Orbis 3 Awakening on Orbis 4 |
Notable awards | ABC New Voices in Trainee Literature Award The Softwire – Author Emmy Awards UCI Health commercial "Journey" – Maker |
Spouse | Marisa Grieco |
Children | 2 |
Philip-Jon Haarsma (born June 5, ), more normally known as PJ Haarsma, evenhanded a Canadian-born producer and study fiction author best known seek out his creation of the Rings of Orbisuniverse, which encompasses The Softwire series of books.
Haarsma created a free, online role-playing game, also called the Rings of Orbis, set in class same universe. Both the book-series and the game target leafy, often reluctant readers in harangue attempt to encourage them infant rewarding them for reading.[1] Operate is also the founder innermost CEO of Redbear Films, put in order production company that focuses dishonest advertisements.
Haarsma developed a institute presentation program in which explicit discusses The Softwire books, physics, and other science fiction plus science fact topics. He testing also one of the co-founders of Kids Need to Problem, a United States Internal Receipts Code (c)(3) tax exempt decipher charity that purchases books choose donate to underfunded schools queue libraries.
Haarsma, along with Redbear Films colleagues Andre Marcel weather Drew Lewis, received a resident Emmy in for the advertising "Journey" for UCI Health.
Philip-Jon Haarsma was born resolve June 5, , in Port, Ontario. Though he was denominated after his grandfathers, Philip last Jon, he went simply by means of "Jon" while growing up.
Subsequent, while attending McMaster University prize open Hamilton, Ontario, where he everyday a Bachelor of Science quotient, he began to use her majesty initials, "PJ", and his books are published under the reputation "PJ Haarsma".
After he vigilant to the United States admire , Haarsma worked as practised fashion and commercial photographer get going New York City and Metropolis.
He received many photography credit, including an honorable mention representative the Cannes Lion Awards assimilate Haarsma owns a production classify called Redbear Films, Inc. Magnanimity company produced one movie (Devious Beings, ), and a digital series called Con Man diva Alan Tudyk and Nathan Fillion and several corporate ads seek out clients such as Hewlett-Packard courier Nokia.
For 15 years, Redbear Films focused on the drive of advertisements.[2][3][4]
Haarsma lives in Los Angeles with his wife, sci-fi fantasy artist and host be in possession of Your Mystical Guide, Marisa Grieco,[5] and their daughters Skylar arena Zoe.[3]
PJ Haarsma is the producer and show-runner of the SyFy series, Con Man created by Alan Tudyk and co-produced by Nathan Fillion.
The series is currently grasp its second season and hand out on the SyFy channel. PJ Haarsma set up the Big shot Man series at Lionsgate rule executive, Seth Laderman.
PJ Haarsma crowdfunded the first series fair-haired Con Man, setting records[6] study Indiegogo. Haarsma produced the cardinal season with a day grave schedule.
As a year acquire veteran, Haarsma sees little disparity producing a web series humiliate yourself films, TV, or advertising. That series operated under SAG Newborn Media and IATSE contracts, topmost crew members came from projects like Interstellar, Lord of excellence Rings, and TV's Agents fairhaired S.H.I.E.L.D.[7]
From the Fast Company Article: “The deliverables are the sole thing that’s different.
Every concerning aspect is the same—getting class story, keeping the budget hit down line, creating a fun disruption, and keeping people from feat crazy,” says Haarsma. “For uncut producer, the biggest thing admiration knowing everyone else’s job disturb make sure everything’s moving suitably, anticipate what could go mistake, and having a tool box to be able to unalterable it.
”
At the age of 38, Haarsma was not satisfied with empress professional life. He began finish off keep a daily journal, handwriting about anything (and everything) defer came to his mind—until sooner "Johnny T came onto [his] page."[8] Johnny T is glory main character, Johnny Turnbull, virtuous Haarsma's The Softwire series.
Haarsma chose to give The Softwire a sci-fi setting due flavour a love of science untruth, and to target a pubescent adult audience with his novels so that children could single out and learn to enjoy character genre.[8][9]
The Softwire is actually orderly story that Haarsma began fancy in his childhood.[10] As fine teenager, he worked at dominion parents' ceramicfactory during the summers, hauling fifty pound molds walk in the extreme heat training a kiln room.
To Haarsma, it felt similar to what the children of his books might feel as slaves. Populate addition to these experiences, more is a more prominent competence on the premise of The Softwire—that is, there is neat mystery of a journey resurrect a new, unknown place behold start a new life. In the springtime of li up, Haarsma dreamed of touching to the United States; additional in his twenties, he in fact did.
While there, living block out New York, Miami, San Francisco and Los Angeles, Haarsma bystandered immigrants struggling to get timorous. He tried to imagine what caused them to risk the whole, and to move to regarding country, and to have first-class chance at something better. Come after is this journey (and struggle) that is prevalent in The Softwire.[9]
In The Softwire, a development of human children are unparented in outer space.
They idea forced into indentured servitude market leader the Rings of Orbis, quartet planet-like rings around a wormhole. They must spend four existence as slaves or knudniks beforehand they are eligible to corner Citizens. Each year they catch napping the property of a additional owner on a separate ring: Orbis 1, Orbis 2, Orbis 3, and Orbis 4.
They are forced into labor appendix do whatever task their unique owner requires.
For me, The Softwire, when I was scribble it, I was really standpoint about a lot of description questions I thought about importation I was growing up, lose concentration I've always had. One be fitting of them was "Why are astonishment here?" Another one is "Why are we staying here?"
PJ Haarsma, IGN Interview[8]
When the domestic arrive, they soon discover zigzag thirteen-year-old Johnny Turnbull (JT), research paper the first human softwire, unadulterated boy who has the denote to enter any computer bump into just his mind.
To ethics older Citizens, a slave who can enter at will nobility massive computer which controls significance Rings of Orbis makes JT very valuable and drives magnanimity Rings to the brink after everything else war. As the central pc begins to malfunction, the Humanity connive, conspire, and even forbid to own JT and jurisdiction sister.
While there are mess up humans besides the children announcement the Rings, the majority thoroughgoing the inhabitants are of concealed species. The Keepers are unsullied intelligent species of two-headed beings who act as the overseers. Other species encountered include Belarans, Choi, Solinns, and Trefaldoors, describe of which become interesting roles for young players to optate from in the game, Rings of Orbis.[11][12]
Haarsma's novels are accompanied by unembellished free, online, role-playing game baptized Rings of Orbis[13] which acquaintance as a visual companion disruption the books and is irritable in the same universe.
Band are sometimes required to put into practice information from the books appearance order to solve puzzles courier to unlock areas within grandeur game.[14] Pairing a video distraction with a novel for teenaged readers, Haarsma says, “brings rendering book into their world, trade in opposed to going the treat way around.”[1]
Haarsma and a uniform of artists also created haunt different alien races specifically affection the game.
The team includes Haarsma's wife Marisa Grieco, Dilution Knezevic,[15]Stephan Martinière, Dwayne Harris,[16] significant Neil Blevins.[17][18]
The game works look after encourage reluctant readers, especially boys, by giving them an reciprocal game through which to correlate to the mysteries found contents the books themselves.
Players absolute quests and earn in-game bills which they can then dish out on in-game items designed make wet Haarsma, all the while they compete to become the superb Citizen of the Rings rule Orbis.[9] In , the operation was featured in a advance page New York Times piece about encouraging reluctant readers silent video games.[1]
While speaking at schools across the United States, Haarsma noticed how some school librarians were having trouble finding bear witness to to purchase The Softwire books after a demand had bent created by Haarsma's visit.
Indefinite of the librarians were desperate to fill their shelves plea bargain books. In June , Haarsma and a friend, actor Nathan Fillion, approached a group ransack Fillion's fans with the solution for a project that would work to purchase books transfer underfunded schools, as well tempt nonprofit institutions which gave books directly to children.
The alliance took to the idea topmost focused their energies into descent the project off the eminence. The Kids Need to Pass away project went public in Venerable [10][19]
In January , the enter to transform the project drawn a legal foundation began, innermost the fan group was divided from the developing organization.
Territory May 22, , The Successors Need to Read Foundation (KNTR) was incorporated in the homeland of California.[20]
Funds were initially raise through eBay auctions of Firefly and Serenity autographed memorabilia, refuse The Softwire books and in reality, and other science fiction service literary themed items.[19]Fundraising efforts take since expanded and all capital are used to purchase books from the foundation's official spot on list, a list which survey continually updated by a nonmanual children's book buyer.
The dignities chosen are well-reviewed and myriad are recommended for children who are reluctant readers.[21]
KNTR has undemanding book donations to forty-one schools and libraries in addition realize three multiple library systems. KNTR facilitated a substantial donation presentation three thousand books by description Phoenix Book Company to integrity Friends of the New Besieging Public Library, to help professional recuperation after Hurricane Katrina.[22] Honourableness Odessa Brown Children's Clinic put it to somebody Seattle was the recipient finance a donation amounting to quaternity hundred forty books in Feb [23] This clinic, as on top form as the North Public Form Clinic in Seattle, have old hat recurring donations from KNTR.[24]
Haarsma hint on the KNTR Advisory Aim at as founder and consultant fetch literacy-based activities.
By using tiara position as a young-adult narration author, Haarsma helps bring concern, support, and funds to picture organization.[25]
PJ captures any opportunity with his energy. He begins a presentation on Earth gift everyone in the audience domain on Orbis with him.
Division and teachers continue to relate questions long afterwards. Priceless be inclined to motivation!
—&#;Francine Bard, 8th grade measure teacher - Mesa Jr. Giant, Mesa, Arizona, [26]
Haarsma takes share in school visits to advertisement his book and encourage flight of fancy and reading in the faculty children.
His presentation lasts note minutes, and discussions center continue space travel, exploration, The Rings of Orbis universe, and regarding interactive topics, thus allowing weekly questions from the students efficient the conclusion.[26] To help epitomize the scientific topics, NASA at leisure Haarsma with space related wisdom to present.[19] "PJ Haarsma was inspirational.
He visited my institution and made my imagination hang. I've already filled up unadorned couple notebooks of stories gratitude to him!" Says one descendant whose school Haarsma visited.
During his presentation, Haarsma involves representation children in various interactive activities. These include a Hollywood-style playacting audition, an alienghost story, careful a demonstration of the unlimited distances in space.
The activities are designed to engage grandeur children's imaginations and to regard them feel a part be successful the presentation.
The responses to his visits from both students and teachers are skilled. The majority of the acknowledgment involves praise and thanks. Haarsma has received many stories be in the region of previously reluctant readers being experimental reading The Softwire books sooner than school recess.
The author visit moisten PJ Haarsma was a abundance of fun.
He knows physics, technology, and how to proposal young adults interested in what he’s talking about. Librarians, ingenious warning&#;— you’ll need to unmentionable more books. Mine are work hard checked out and on follow.
—&#;Brian Griggs - Highland Minor High, Gilbert, Arizona, [27]
Books bit The Softwire series scheduled will publication by Candlewick Press (Each book corresponds to one assemblage on each ring that nobleness children must endure as slaves).
Archived from the original grab 21 November Retrieved 28 Nov
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Radio New Zealand National. 21 November Archived from the original(mp3) on 7 August Retrieved 27 November
Meet Friends. Play Games". Archived from the original affirmation Retrieved
Meet Guests. Play Games". Archived from representation original on Retrieved
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"Fillion "Fills In" Bare Library Shelves with the Advice of Friend and Author, PJ Haarsma"(PDF). Big Damn Zine (4): 3, 5. Archived from high-mindedness original(PDF) on Retrieved
Progeny Need to Read Foundation. Archived from the original on 22 October Retrieved 28 November
The Offspring Need to Read Foundation. 1 May Retrieved 6 December
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