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 (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...
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, and Oklahoma, as well as a small area in the southeastern corner of Kansas. The Ozarks cover ...
, 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 List of cities in Missouri, third most populous city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County, Missouri, Greene County. The city's population was 169,176 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 censu ...
,
[ (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 military personnel generally trained to operate on both land and sea, with a particular focus on amphibious warfare. Historically, the main tasks undertaken by marines have included Raid (military), raiding ashor ...
. 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. Two branch campuses are in the Kansas City metropolitan area on the Kansas side: the university's medical school and hospital ...
and an
MFA from the
Iowa Writers' Workshop
The Iowa Writers' Workshop, at the University of Iowa, is a graduate-level creative writing program. At 89 years, it is the oldest writing program offering a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in the United States. Its acceptance rate is between 2 ...
.
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 List of cities in Missouri, city in and the County seat#United States, county seat of Howell County, Missouri, Howell County, Missouri, United States. The population was 12,184 at the 2020 census.
History
The history of West Pl ...
, in the Ozarks and is married to the novelist
Katie Estill.
Career
Woodrell has set most of his novels in the Missouri
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, and Oklahoma, as well as a small area in the southeastern corner of Kansas. The Ozarks cover ...
, a landscape he knew from childhood. He has created novels based on crime, a style he termed "
country noir", a phrase adopted by commentators on his work. However,
William Michael 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. His films are known for their emotional charge and exploration of repressed, hidden emotions. During his career, he has received international critical and popular acclaim and List o ...
.
''Winter's Bone'' (2006) was adapted by writer and director
Debra Granik for a
film of the same title, and released commercially in June 2010 after winning two awards at the
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with 423,234 combined in-person and online viewership in 2023.
The festival has acted ...
, 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, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...
nominations, including
Best Picture.
''Tomato Red'' (1998) was adapted for a
2017 feature film by Irish writer and director
Juanita Wilson. 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, including Best Film. Its US debut took place on April 23, 2017, at the
Newport Beach 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 had permanently changed its date to be held in October, as the festival bega ...
.
While filming a segment for ''
Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations'', Woodrell was filmed breaking his shoulder in a boat fishing accident.
Honors
Bibliography
Books
* ''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 Outlaw Album'' (Little, Brown, 2011)
* ''The Maid's Version'' (Little, Brown, 2013)
Omnibus
* ''The Bayou Trilogy'' (Mulholland Books, 2011) (collects ''Under the Bright Lights'', ''Muscle for the Wing'', and ''The Ones You Do'')
Filmography
* ''
Ride with the Devil'' (adapted from novel ''Woe to Live On'') (1999)
* ''
Winter's Bone'' (adapted from novel) (2010)
* ''
Tomato Red'' (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 gentleman ...
'', 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
Southern noir writers