Daniel Woodrell
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Daniel Woodrell (born March 4, 1953) is an American novelist and short story writer, who has written nine novels, most of them set in the
Missouri Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...
Ozarks The Ozarks, also known as the Ozark Mountains, Ozark Highlands or Ozark Plateau, is a physiographic region in the U.S. states of Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and the extreme southeastern corner of Kansas. The Ozarks cover a significant port ...
, and one collection of short stories. Woodrell coined the phrase "country noir" to describe his 1996 novel ''Give Us a Kiss''. Reviewers have frequently since used the term to categorize his writing.


Early life and education

Woodrell was born in
Springfield, Missouri Springfield is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County. The city's population was 169,176 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Springfield metropolitan area, which had an esti ...
, (for birth date and location) in the southwestern corner of the state. He grew up in Missouri and dropped out of high school to join the
Marines Marines, or naval infantry, are typically a military force trained to operate in littoral zones in support of naval operations. Historically, tasks undertaken by marines have included helping maintain discipline and order aboard the ship (refl ...
. Later he earned a BA from the
University of Kansas The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, and several satellite campuses, research and educational centers, medical centers, and classes across the state of Kansas. T ...
and an MFA from the
Iowa Writers' Workshop The Iowa Writers' Workshop, at the University of Iowa, is a celebrated graduate-level creative writing program in the United States. The writer Lan Samantha Chang is its director. Graduates earn a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in Creative ...
. The University of Missouri Kansas City awarded an honorary doctorate to Daniel Woodrell on December 17, 2016.


Marriage and family

He lives in
West Plains, Missouri West Plains is a city in, and the county seat of Howell County, Missouri, United States. The population was 12,184 at the 2020 census. History The history of West Plains can be traced back to 1832, when settler Josiah Howell (after whom Howell ...
, in the Ozarks and is married to the novelist Katie Estill.


Career

Woodrell has set most of his eight novels in the Missouri Ozarks, a landscape which he knew from childhood. He has created novels based on crime, a style he termed "country noir", a phrase which has been adopted by commentators on his work. However, William Boyle, an avowed fan and fellow author of literary crime fiction, put Woodrell's work in broader context: "this Woodrell guy’s got double of everything. Language, plot, dialogue, sense of place, energy, tension...He’s interested in the whole of humanity through the lens of his place." In addition to finding readers for his fiction, Woodrell has had three novels adapted for films. Woodrell's second novel, ''Woe to Live On'' (1987), was adapted for the 1999 film '' Ride with the Devil'', directed by
Ang Lee Ang Lee (; born October 23, 1954) is a Taiwanese filmmaker. Born in Pingtung County of southern Taiwan, Lee was educated in Taiwan and later in the United States. During his filmmaking career, he has received international critical and popula ...
. ''Winter's Bone'' (2006) was adapted by writer and director Debra Granik for a film of the same title, released commercially in June 2010 after winning two awards at the
Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival (formerly Utah/US Film Festival, then US Film and Video Festival) is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with more than 46,6 ...
, including the Grand Jury Prize for a dramatic film. Several critics called it one of the best films of the year and an American classic, and it received four
Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
nominations, including
Best Picture This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...
. ''Tomato Red'' (1998) was adapted for a 2017 feature film by Irish writer and director
Juanita Wilson Juanita Wilson is an Irish director and writer from Dublin. Her short film ''The Door'' received an Irish Film and Television Award (IFTA) in 2009 and an Academy Award nomination in 2010. Her debut feature film ''As If I Am Not There'' received ...
. This was released in Ireland in March 2017 and went on to be nominated for four awards at that year's
Irish Film & Television Awards The IFTA Film & Drama Awards are awards given by the Irish Film & Television Academy for Irish television and film, the awards began in 1999. The ceremonies recognise Irish creative talent working in film, drama, and television, and winners receiv ...
, including Best Film. Its US debut took place on April 23, 2017 at the
Newport Beach International Film Festival The Newport Beach Film Festival (NBFF) is an annual film festival in Newport Beach, California, typically held in late April. In 2022, it was announced that the festival have permanently changed its date to be held in October, as the festival be ...
. While filming a segment for '' Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations'', Woodrell was filmed breaking his shoulder in a boat fishing accident.


Honors

* 1999
PEN A pen is a common writing instrument that applies ink to a surface, usually paper, for writing or drawing. Early pens such as reed pens, quill pens, dip pens and ruling pens held a small amount of ink on a nib or in a small void or cavity wh ...
USA award for Fiction for his novel ''Tomato Red'' (1998). * 2000 He was longlisted for the
International Dublin Literary Award The International Dublin Literary Award ( ga, Duais Liteartha Idirnáisiúnta Bhaile Átha Chliath), established as the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award in 1996, is presented each year for a novel written or translated into English. ...
for ''Tomato Red''. * 2008 - His short story "Uncle", originally published in ''A Hell of a Woman: An Anthology of Female Noir'' (2007), was nominated for a 2008
Edgar Award The Edgar Allan Poe Awards, popularly called the Edgars, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America, based in New York City. Named after American writer Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849), a pioneer in the genre, the awards honor the bes ...
. * 2010 Sundance Film Festival award for top dramatic film for adaptation of his novel ''Winter's Bone'' (published in 2006)


Bibliography

* ''Under the Bright Lights'' (Henry Holt, 1986) * ''Woe to Live On'' (Henry Holt, 1987) * ''Muscle for the Wing'' (Henry Holt, 1988) * ''The Ones You Do'' (Henry Holt, 1992) * ''Give Us a Kiss: A Country Noir'' (Henry Holt, 1996) * ''Tomato Red'' (Henry Holt, 1998) * ''The Death of Sweet Mister'' (Putnam, 2001) * ''Winter's Bone'' (Little, Brown, 2006) * ''The Bayou Trilogy'' (Mulholland Books, 2011) (an omnibus volume collecting ''Under the Bright Lights'', ''Muscle for the Wing'', and ''The Ones You Do'') * ''The Outlaw Album'' (Little, Brown, 2011) * ''The Maid's Version'' (Little, Brown, 2013)


Filmography

* '' Ride with the Devil'' (adapted from novel ''Woe to Live On'') (1999) * ''
Winter's Bone ''Winter's Bone'' is a 2010 American coming-of-age mystery drama film directed by Debra Granik. It was adapted by Granik and Anne Rosellini from the 2006 novel of the same name by Daniel Woodrell. The film stars Jennifer Lawrence as a povert ...
'' (adapted from novel) (2010) * ''
Tomato Red ''Tomato Red'' (also known as ''Tomato Red: Blood Money'') is a 2017 Irish-Canadian crime film written and directed by Juanita Wilson and starring Jake Weary and Julia Garner. It is based on the novel of the same name by Daniel Woodrell. Plot ...
'' (adapted from novel) (2017)


References


External links

*
Daniel Woodrell, "Night Stand"
in ''
Esquire Esquire (, ; abbreviated Esq.) is usually a courtesy title. In the United Kingdom, ''esquire'' historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentlema ...
'', June 2008 {{DEFAULTSORT:Woodrell, Daniel 1953 births Living people 20th-century American novelists 21st-century American novelists American crime fiction writers American male novelists Iowa Writers' Workshop alumni Writers from Springfield, Missouri University of Kansas alumni People from West Plains, Missouri 20th-century American male writers 21st-century American male writers Novelists from Missouri