Donald E. Westlake | |
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 Westlake at home in the 1980s | |
| Born | Donald Edwin Westlake July 12, 1933 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | December 31, 2008 (aged 75) Mexico |
| Pen name | John B. Allan, Judson Jack Carmichael, Curt Clark, Timothy J. Culver, J. Morgan Cunningham, Richard Stark, Edwin West, among others |
| Occupation | Novelist |
| Genre | crime fiction |
| Notable works | Parker series, John Dortmunder series, God Save the Mark, screenplay for The Grifters |
| Notable awards | Edgar Awards for Best Novel (1968), Best Short Story (1990) and Best Motion Picture Screenplay (1991) Mystery Writers of America Grand Master (1993) |
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Donald Edwin Westlake (July 12, 1933 – December 31, 2008) was an American writer with more than one hundred novels and non-fiction books to his credit. He specialized in crime fiction, especially comic capers, with an occasional foray into science fiction and other genres. Westlake created two professional criminal characters who each starred in a long-running series: the relentless, hardboiled Parker (published under the pen name Richard Stark), and John Dortmunder, who featured in a more humorous series.[1]
He was a three-time Edgar Award winner and, alongside Joe Gores and William L. DeAndrea, was one of few writers to win Edgars in three different categories (1968, Best Novel, God Save the Mark; 1990, Best Short Story, "Too Many Crooks"; 1991, Best Motion Picture Screenplay, The Grifters). In 1993, the Mystery Writers of America named Westlake a Grand Master, the highest honor bestowed by the society.[2]
- ^ Lee, Jennifer 8 (2009-01-01). "Donald E. Westlake, Mystery Writer, Is Dead at 75 (Published 2009)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-10-17.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Times Staff (2009-01-02). "Mystery author Donald E. Westlake dies at 75". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2020-10-17.