Born in Baltimore, Maryland, to engineer father Sidney Hausman and mother Dorothy "Little" Hausman, Gerald grew up in New Jersey and Massachusetts before moving to New Mexico for college. Along with brother, Sid Hausman, a songwriter, entertainer and artist, Hausman attended New Mexico Highlands University in Las Vegas, New Mexico, where he obtained his B.A. in English Literature.
After graduation, Hausman married Loretta "Lorry" Wright and moved to Lenox, Massachusetts, where he taught creative writing and English at the Windsor Mountain School. He also founded, with his wife Lorry and David Silverstein, The Bookstore Press, which published some of the first paperback books for children. These included such authors as Ruth Krauss, Maurice Sendak, Crockett Johnson, Aram Saroyan and Paul Metcalf. In 1977, Gerald and Lorry moved to Tesuque, New Mexico, where they lived for seventeen years, raising two daughters, Hannah and Mariah.
During this time, Hausman worked as poetry teacher, editor, publisher and English teacher at Santa Fe Preparatory School in nearby Santa Fe, going on to found the Blue Harbour School of Creative Writing on the former estate of playwright Noël Coward in Port Maria, Jamaica. He has also served as poet-in-residence at Central Connecticut State College. In addition, he worked as a poet in the schools in the city of Pittsfield, Massachusetts.
Hausman's most recent works include The Boy From Nine Miles: The Early Life of Bob Marley, illustrated by daughter Mariah Fox and co-authored with Cedella Marley, the daughter of late musician Bob Marley; The Image Taker: The Selected Stories and Photographs of Edward S. Curtis with a foreword by Joe Medicine Crow; and Timeswimmer, the story of a young Jamaican boy who befriends an ancient storytelling sea turtle named Odysseus. Rastafarian Children of Solomon: The Legacy of the Kebra Nagast and the Path to Peace and Understanding. The Otter, the Spotted Frog and the Great Flood: A Creek Indian Story. The Forbidden Ride. Island Dreams: Selected Poems.
Hausman has performed readings and storytellings throughout the United States and Europe, and is known for his lively and engaging style. He has also been a presenter for National Public Radio, History Channel, Haunted History: Caribbean, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Miami Book Fair International and American Library Association.
In 1994, Gerald and Lorry moved to Bokeelia, Florida, on Pine Island, where they currently work and reside.
Union College Poetry Prize, 1965 for Quebec PoemsAmerican Folklore Society, Aesop Accolade Award (Children's Section), 1995 for Duppy Talk: West Indian Tales of Mystery and MagicNotable Social Studies Book for Young people designation, Children's Book Council (CBC)/ National Council for the Social Studies, 1996, and 1999, for Doctor Bird: Three Lookin' Up Tales from JamaicaPick of the Lists Selection, the American Booksellers Association (ABA), 1999, for Dogs of Myth: Tales from Around the WorldBank Street College of Education Best Book Selection, 2000, for Tom Cringle: Battle on the High Seas and Cats of Myth: Tales from around the WorldParents' Choice Award Silver Medal for NonFiction, designation, 2003New York Public Library Best Book for the Teen Age designation, 2004 for Escape from Botany BayNational Council for the Social Studies/Children's Book Council, Best Book Designation, 2007, for A Mind With WingsMidwest Book Awards Children's Picture Books, Illustration: Graphic, and Total Book Design, USA Today Best Books Award, Foreword IndieFab Book of the Year in Picture Books, Early Reader, 2013, for "The Otter, The Spotted Frog and the Great Flood: A Creek Indian Story."The Shivurrus Plant of Mopant, Giligia Press, 1968New Marlboro Stage, Giligia Press, 1968New Marlboro Stage, Bookstore Press, 1971Circle Meadow, Bookstore Press, 1972The Boy with the Sun Tree Bow, Berkshire Traveller, 1973Beth: The Little Girl of Pine Knoll, Bookstore Press, 1974Sitting on the Blue-Eyed Bear: Navajo Myths & Legends, Lawrence Hill, 1975Night Herding Song, Copper Canyon Press, 1979The Day the White Whales Came to Bangor, Cobblesmith Books, 1979No Witness, Stackpole Books, 1980Runners, Sunstone Press, 1984Meditations with Animals, Bear & Co., 1986Meditations with the Navajo, Bear & Co., 1989Stargazer, Lotus Press, 1989Turtle Dream, Mariposa, 1991Turtle Island Alphabet, St. Martin’s Press, 1992The Gift of the Gila Monster, Simon & Schuster, 1993Ghost Walk, Mariposa, 1993Tunkashila, St. Martin’s Press, 1993Turtle Island ABC, HarperCollins, 1994Duppy Talk, Simon & Schuster, 1994The Sun Horse, Lotus Press, 1995Coyote Walks on Two Legs, Philomel, 1995How Chipmunk Got Tiny Feet, HarperCollins, 1995Doctor Moledinky’s Castle, Simon & Schuster, 1995Prayer to the Great Mystery, St. Martin’s Press, 1995Eagle Boy, HarperCollins, 1996Night Flight, Philomel, 1996The Kebra Nagast, St. Martin’s Press, 1997The Story of Blue Elk, Clarion, 1998Doctor Bird, Philomel, 1998The Coyote Bead, Hampton Roads, 1999Tom Cringle (Book One), illustrated by Tad Hills, Simon & Schuster, 2000Tom Cringle (Book Two), illustrated by Tad Hills, Simon & Schuster, 2001Castaways: Stories of Survival, Greenwillow, 2003Ghost Walk: Native American Tales of the Spirit, Irie Books, 2005Duppy Talk: West Indian Tales of Mystery & Magic, Irie Books, 2007How Chipmunk Got Tiny Feet, Irie Books, 2008Doctor Bird: Three lookin’ Up Tales from Jamaica, Irie Books, 2008Time Swimmer, Macmillan Caribbean, 2009The Image Taker: The Selected Stories and Photographs of Edward S. Curtis, World Wisdom, 2009Mermaids, Manatees and Bimini Blind Snakes: My Life on a Barrier Island, Irie Books, 2012Rastafarian Children of Solomon: The Legacy of the Kebra Nagast and the Path to Peace and Understanding, Bear & Co./Inner Traditions, 2013The Otter, the Spotted Frog & The Great Flood: A Creek Indian Story, Wisdom Tales Press, 2013Island Dreams: Selected Poems, Longhouse Publishers, 2015The American Storybag: A Collection of Tales, Stay Thirsty Media, 2010Escape From Botany Bay: The True Story of Mary Bryant, Irie Books, 2011Wilderness: The Story of Mountain Men John Colter and Hugh Glass, Irie Books, 2011All Is Beautiful All Around Me: Navajo Ways and Ceremonial Stories, Irie Books, 2011The Mythology of Cats: Feline Legend and Lore Through the Ages, Irie Books, 2011The Mythology of Dogs: Canine Legend and Lore Through the Ages, Irie Books, 2011The Forbidden Ride: An Icelandic Love Story, Stay Thirsty Media, 2014The Berkshire Anthology (with David Silverstein), Bookstore Press, 1972Wilderness (with Roger Zelazny), Tor Books, 1994African American Alphabet (with Kelvin Rodriques), St. Martin’s Press, 1996The Jacob Ladder (with Uton Hinds), Orchard Books, 2001The Boy From Nine Miles, (with Cedella Marley), Hampton Roads, 200256 Thoughts From 56 Hope Road, (with Cedella Marley), Tuff Gong Books, 2002The Jacob Ladder (with Uton Hinds), Scholastic paperback, 200360 Visions (with Cedella Marley), Tuff Gong Books, 2005Three Little Birds (with Cedella Marley), Tuff Gong Books, 2006By Gerald and Loretta Hausman
The Pancake Book, Persea Books, 1975The Yogurt Book, Persea Books, 1976The Mythology of Dogs, St. Martin's Press, 1997The Mythology of Dogs, Griffin paperback, 1998The Mythology of Cats, St. Martin’s Press, 1998The Mythology of Cats, Berkeley paperback, 2000Dogs of Myth: Tales from Around the World (Illustrated by Barry Moser), Simon & Schuster, 1999Cats of Myth, Simon & Schuster, 2000The Metaphysical Cat, Hampton Roads, 2001The Mythology of Horses, Three Rivers/Random House, 2003Escape From Botany Bay, Orchard/Scholastic, 2003Napoleon and Josephine, Orchard/Scholastic, 2004Horses of Myth, E.P. Dutton, 2005Henry David Thoreau, Shambhala/Random House, 2006The Healing Horse, Houghton Mifflin, 2006Stargazer (audio), Sunset, 1991Turtle Island Alphabet (audio), Sunset, 1992Navajo Nights (audio), Sunset, 1993Native American Animal Stories (audio), Sunset, 1993The Turquoise Horse (audio), Irie Books, 2006Drum Talk (audio), Speaking Volumes, 2010Ghost Walk (audio), Speaking Volumes, 2010Native American Animal Stories (audio), Speaking Volumes, 2010Navajo Nights (audio), Speaking Volumes, 2010Stargazer (audio), Speaking Volumes, 2010The Turquoise Horse (audio), Speaking Volumes, 2010Wilderness (audio), Speaking Volumes, 2013
