Avery
Avery asked Lois Lowry:

I heard that the man on the cover of The Giver is not a model but someone you met who inspired the character of the Giver. Is this true? If so who was he and where did you meet him? Do you know what his life was like? What about him inspired you to create the Giver? Lastly, did you already have the idea for the plot before you met him or did the novel's premise stem from meeting him? Thank you!

Lois Lowry He was a painter named Carl Nelson. I was sent to write an article about him, and to photograph him. I saved some of the photos and some time later wrote THE GIVER and used one for the cover. By then he had died, sadly.
Lois Lowry
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