Elaine Viets
Encyclopedia
Elaine Viets is a Midwestern
American
newspaperwoman
and mystery writer
.
A native of the working-class white southside of St. Louis
, Missouri
, the statuesque (almost two meters) Viets has a degree in journalism and became a long-time popular media figure in St. Louis. She was a regular columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch
for twenty-five years, her columns focusing mostly on local issues and human-interest fare. She also hosted the local light-news
television program Viets Beat, for which she won Emmy Award
s in 1989 and 1990. After moving to Washington, D.C.
and leaving the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Viets wrote a syndicated column carried by United Feature Syndicate and later by United Media
.
She also began writing mystery novels, and eventually left the newspaper business almost entirely to become a full-time novelist. Viets first drew on her professional experience to produce four novels set in St. Louis and featuring fictional St. Louis newspaper columnist Francesca Vierling (and exciting speculation over which characters might represent real-life Post-Dispatch figures).
By the time she had written the last of these, Viets had relocated to Fort Lauderdale
, Florida
in 1997, which became the locale for her next novels, the Dead-End Jobs series. Viets researches these books by herself taking the same sort of low-level dead-end jobs—telemarketer
, shop clerk, and so forth—as the series' protagonist, Helen Hawthorne.
Viets, married for over thirty years to author and actor Don Crinklaw, is active in the trade organizations Mystery Writers of America
and Sisters in Crime
. She is a board member of the Mystery Writers of America. In 2004 she was nominated for three Agatha Award
s. In 2005, she won awards presented for Best Short Story at two notable mystery conventions: an Agatha Award
at Malice Domestic Ltd, and an Anthony Award
at Bouchercon
, both for her story Wedding Knife.
On April 11, 2007, Viets' fellow contributors to The Lipstick Chronicles reported that Viets had suffered a stroke
. According to a subsequent update, Viets is recovering well and is again creating mysteries based on real life and the people who live it.
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
newspaperwoman
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and mystery writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
.
A native of the working-class white southside of St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, 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...
, the statuesque (almost two meters) Viets has a degree in journalism and became a long-time popular media figure in St. Louis. She was a regular columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch is the major city-wide newspaper in St. Louis, Missouri. Although written to serve Greater St. Louis, the Post-Dispatch is one of the largest newspapers in the Midwestern United States, and is available and read as far west as Kansas City, Missouri, as far south as...
for twenty-five years, her columns focusing mostly on local issues and human-interest fare. She also hosted the local light-news
Infotainment
Infotainment is "information-based media content or programming that also includes entertainment content in an effort to enhance popularity with audiences and consumers." It is a neologistic portmanteau of information and entertainment, referring to a type of media which provides a combination of...
television program Viets Beat, for which she won Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
s in 1989 and 1990. After moving to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
and leaving the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Viets wrote a syndicated column carried by United Feature Syndicate and later by United Media
United Media
United Media is a large editorial column and comic strip newspaper syndication service based in the United States, owned by The E.W. Scripps Company. It syndicates 150 comics and editorial columns worldwide. Its core business is the United Feature Syndicate and the Newspaper Enterprise Association...
.
She also began writing mystery novels, and eventually left the newspaper business almost entirely to become a full-time novelist. Viets first drew on her professional experience to produce four novels set in St. Louis and featuring fictional St. Louis newspaper columnist Francesca Vierling (and exciting speculation over which characters might represent real-life Post-Dispatch figures).
By the time she had written the last of these, Viets had relocated to Fort Lauderdale
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale is a city in the U.S. state of Florida, on the Atlantic coast. It is the county seat of Broward County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 165,521. It is a principal city of the South Florida metropolitan area, which was home to 5,564,635 people at the 2010...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
in 1997, which became the locale for her next novels, the Dead-End Jobs series. Viets researches these books by herself taking the same sort of low-level dead-end jobs—telemarketer
Telemarketing
Telemarketing is a method of direct marketing in which a salesperson solicits prospective customers to buy products or services, either over the phone or through a subsequent face to face or Web conferencing appointment scheduled during the call.Telemarketing can also include recorded sales pitches...
, shop clerk, and so forth—as the series' protagonist, Helen Hawthorne.
Viets, married for over thirty years to author and actor Don Crinklaw, is active in the trade organizations Mystery Writers of America
Mystery Writers of America
Mystery Writers of America is an organization for mystery writers, based in New York.The organization was founded in 1945 by Clayton Rawson, Anthony Boucher, Lawrence Treat, and Brett Halliday....
and Sisters in Crime
Sisters in Crime
Sisters in Crime is an organization that has 3,600 members in 48 chapters world-wide, offering networking, advice and support to mystery authors. Members are authors, readers, publishers, agents, booksellers and librarians bound by their affection for the mystery genre and their support of women...
. She is a board member of the Mystery Writers of America. In 2004 she was nominated for three Agatha Award
Agatha Award
The Agatha Awards are literary awards for mystery and crime writers who write via the same method as Agatha Christie...
s. In 2005, she won awards presented for Best Short Story at two notable mystery conventions: an Agatha Award
Agatha Award
The Agatha Awards are literary awards for mystery and crime writers who write via the same method as Agatha Christie...
at Malice Domestic Ltd, and an Anthony Award
Anthony Award
The Anthony Awards are literary awards for mystery writers presented at the Bouchercon World Mystery Convention since 1986. The awards are named for Anthony Boucher , one of the founders of the Mystery Writers of America....
at Bouchercon
Bouchercon
Bouchercon, the Anthony Boucher Memorial World Mystery Convention, is an annual convention of creators and devotees of mystery and detective fiction. It is named in honour of writer, reviewer, and editor Anthony Boucher....
, both for her story Wedding Knife.
On April 11, 2007, Viets' fellow contributors to The Lipstick Chronicles reported that Viets had suffered a stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
. According to a subsequent update, Viets is recovering well and is again creating mysteries based on real life and the people who live it.