Half-Past Tomorrow

by Ruth Christoffer Carlsen

After an injury to his head, a junior-high boy discovers he has the frustrating, frightening, and dangerous ability to read tomorrow's newspaper.

161 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1973

About the author

She was born in Milwaukee, WI, on February 21, 1918 to Carl Severin and Lydia Diefenthaler Christoffer. Ruth grew up in Chicago, Mason City, and Minneapolis. She graduated from the University of Minnesota in journalism with honors and after graduation was appointed assistance to the Dean of Women and a year of post-graduate studies. She married G. Robert Carlsen on April 5, 1941 in Minneapolis, MN. They moved with their growing family to Boulder, CO, Austin, TX and Iowa City. She and her husband, Bob, were residents of Iowa City since 1958. Bob was a professor of English and Education at the University of Iowa. He died on December 13, 2003.

A noted author of eight children’s books, Ruth was included in the Iowa Writers Walk. She also assisted her husband and was an editor for one of his 8 volume highschool literature anthologies published by McGraw Hill. She was a member of Delta Gamma Sorority, P.E.O. Chapter E, Athens Book Club, National PEN WOMEN, and the Unitarian Universalist Society.

Survivors include her two sons, Christopher Carlsen and his wife Ioanna of Santa Fe, NM , and Peter Carlsen and his wife Sylvia Frank of St. Paul, MN; two daughters, Kristin Rowley of Santa Fe, and Jane Meidlinger and her husband Dr. John Meidlinger of Grand Island, NE; eight grandchildren: Clea, Tasio, Wim, Kristoffer, Robin, Michaela, Peter and Talia; and 4 great grandchildren: Michael, Finn, Kate and Atticus. Ruth was preceded in death by her husband, her brother Forton, and her sister Mildred Vogel. She is survived by her sister Alpha Mae Day.