Daniel Woodrell
Encyclopedia
Daniel Woodrell is an American
writer of fiction. He has written eight novels, most of them set in the Missouri
Ozarks
. 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.
, in the southwestern corner of the state. He grew up in Missouri and dropped out of high school to join the Marines. Later he earned a BA
from the University of Kansas
and an MFA
from the Iowa Writers' Workshop
.
in the Ozarks, and is married to the novelist Katie Estill.
In addition to finding readers for his fiction, Woodrell has had two 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
.
The more recent 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
, 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 nominations, including Best Picture
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
writer of fiction. He has written eight novels, most of them set in the Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
Ozarks
The Ozarks
The Ozarks are a physiographic and geologic highland region of the central United States. It covers much of the southern half of Missouri and an extensive portion of northwestern and north central Arkansas...
. Woodrell coined the phrase "country noir
Hardboiled
Hardboiled crime fiction is a literary style, most commonly associated with detective stories, distinguished by the unsentimental portrayal of violence and sex. The style was pioneered by Carroll John Daly in the mid-1920s, popularized by Dashiell Hammett over the course of the decade, and refined...
" 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, MissouriSpringfield, Missouri
Springfield is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County. According to the 2010 census data, the population was 159,498, an increase of 5.2% since the 2000 census. The Springfield Metropolitan Area, population 436,712, includes the counties of...
, in the southwestern corner of the state. He grew up in Missouri and dropped out of high school to join the Marines. Later he earned a BA
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
from the University of Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
and an MFA
Master of Fine Arts
A Master of Fine Arts is a graduate degree typically requiring 2–3 years of postgraduate study beyond the bachelor's degree , although the term of study will vary by country or by university. The MFA is usually awarded in visual arts, creative writing, filmmaking, dance, or theatre/performing arts...
from the Iowa Writers' Workshop
Iowa Writers' Workshop
The Program in Creative Writing, more commonly known as the Iowa Writers' Workshop, at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa, is a highly regarded graduate-level creative writing program in the United States...
.
Marriage and family
He lives in West Plains, MissouriWest Plains, Missouri
West Plains is a city in Howell County, Missouri, United States. The population was 10,866 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Howell County. The West Plains Micropolitan Statistical Area consists of Howell County.-Geography:...
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.In addition to finding readers for his fiction, Woodrell has had two 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
Ang Lee is a Taiwanese film director. Lee has directed a diverse set of films such as Eat Drink Man Woman , Sense and Sensibility , Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon , Hulk , and Brokeback Mountain , for which he won an Academy...
.
The more recent Winter's Bone (2006) was adapted by writer and director Debra Granik
Debra Granik
Debra Granik is an American independent film director. She has won a series of awards at the Sundance Film Festival, including Best Short in 1998 for Snake Feed , the Dramatic Directing Award in 2004 for her first feature-length film, Down to the Bone Debra Granik (born February 6, 1963) is an...
for a film of the same title
Winter's Bone
Winter's Bone is a 2010 American independent drama film, an adaptation of Daniel Woodrell's 2006 novel of the same name. The film was written and directed by Debra Granik and stars Jennifer Lawrence...
, released commercially in June 2010 after winning two awards at the Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
, 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 nominations, including Best Picture
Academy Award for Best Picture
The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to artists working in the motion picture industry. The Best Picture category is the only category in which every member of the Academy is eligible not only...
.
Honors
- 1999 PENPEN Center USAPEN Center USA, founded in 1943, is one of two PEN centers in the United States and 145 centers in the world. It was incorporated as a non-profit organization in 1981...
USA award for Fiction for his novel, Tomato Red (1998). - 2000 He was longlisted for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary AwardInternational IMPAC Dublin Literary AwardThe International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award is an international literary award for a work of fiction, jointly sponsored by the city of Dublin, Ireland and the company IMPAC. At €100,000 it is one of the richest literary prizes in the world...
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 AwardEdgar AwardThe Edgar Allan Poe Awards , named after Edgar Allan Poe, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America...
. - 2010 Sundance Film Festival award for top dramatic film for adaptation of his novel Winter's Bone (published in 2006)
Filmography
- Ride with the Devil (adapted from novel Woe to Live On) (1999)
- Winter's BoneWinter's BoneWinter's Bone is a 2010 American independent drama film, an adaptation of Daniel Woodrell's 2006 novel of the same name. The film was written and directed by Debra Granik and stars Jennifer Lawrence...
(adapted from novel) (2010)
External links
- Daniel Woodrell, "Night Stand", in EsquireEsquire (magazine)Esquire is a men's magazine, published in the U.S. by the Hearst Corporation. Founded in 1932, it flourished during the Great Depression under the guidance of founder and editor Arnold Gingrich.-History:...
, June 2008