Paul Annixter
Paul Annixter, born Howard Allison Sturtzel on June 25, 1894, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, was an American author known for his nature-themed literature, particularly aimed at young readers. He experienced a challenging childhood after losing his father at a young age, which led him to work various jobs to support his family. His love for nature and storytelling blossomed while living on a timber claim in northern Minnesota, and he later pursued his education at Fargo College and North Dakota Agricultural College. Annixter's literary career took off after he married Jane Levington Comfort in 1920, with whom he collaborated on numerous works.
Among his most notable achievements is the novel "Swiftwater," set in 1940s Maine, which explores the themes of environmental preservation and the coming-of-age of a young boy named Bucky. The book depicts the challenges faced by the Calloway family as they strive to protect their land from commercial development, ultimately leading to the establishment of a bird sanctuary. "Swiftwater" was later adapted into a Disney film titled "Those Calloways." Throughout his career, Annixter wrote extensively about wildlife and nature, producing numerous stories featuring animals and their behaviors, reflecting his deep appreciation for the natural world. He passed away in November 1985, leaving behind a legacy of literature that celebrates the environment and the human experience.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Paul Annixter
Writer
- Born: June 25, 1894
- Birthplace: Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Died: November 1, 1985
Biography
Paul Annixter was born Howard Allison Sturtzel in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on June 25, 1894. His parents were Edward John and Carrie E. (Pirkiss) Sturtzel. His father died when he was nine, leaving him with his mother and a paralyzed grandmother. Annixter worked as a paper boy, bellhop, and candy salesman to earn some needed money. At the age of sixteen he began riding the rails across the United States.
He later attended Fargo College and North Dakota Agricultural College (now North Dakota State University). He began writing in earnest after he and his mother moved to northern Minnesota to work on a timber claim. Annixter got to know novelist and essayist Will Levington and his daughter, Jane Levington Comfort. Comfort and Annixter married on February 18, 1920, and the couple settled in Southern California. After 1954, Annixter and his wife, writing under the name Jane Annixter, frequently collaborated on numerous nature books for young readers.
Annixter’s interest in nature influenced his choice of subjects. He wrote many works centered on the outdoors, often with animals playing key roles. Perhaps his best-known work was the novel Swiftwater, a story set in Maine in the 1940’s. Annixter’s characters in the novel, the father Cam Calloway and his fifteen-year-old son, Bucky, trap animals in the Maine woods. The townspeople regard Cam as reclusive and eccentric. The Calloways live close to nature and display respect and awe for the environment and landscape. In the face of commercial pressures to develop the property into a hunting lodge, Bucky fulfills a dream shared with his father by establishing a bird sanctuary to protect wild geese from the encroachments of hunters. Bucky must face the threats of the wilderness and the schemes of commercial developers. Swiftwater is a novel in which the adolescent protagonist matures, faces responsibility, and achieves a goal. In 1965 the novel was adapted to a movie entitled Those Calloways, starring Brian Keith and Brandon de Wilde and produced by Walt Disney.
Annixter’s writing is marked by close attention to the details of nature, a sensitivity to the traits of human beings, and a keen ear for the sounds of regional speech. He has written numerous nature stories for young people, including Puck of the Dusk, the story of a bat, and nearly five hundred young adult short stories. Many of his stories, as well as those written with his wife, describe the behavior of bats, grizzly bears, monkeys, rats, and other animals in fictionalized settings.
Annixter died in November, 1985.