Dennis Lehane facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dennis Lehane
Lehane in 2010
Born	(1965-08-04) August 4, 1965 (age 59) Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Occupation	Novelist, screenwriter
Alma mater	Eckerd College Florida International University
Genre	Crime fiction, mystery fiction
Spouse	Chisa Lehane
Children	2

Dennis Lehane was born on August 4, 1965. He is an American author and a writer for movies and TV shows. He has written many books, including mystery stories.

Some of his books have been made into famous movies. These include Mystic River (2003), Shutter Island (2010), and Gone Baby Gone (2007). His short story "Animal Rescue" also became the movie The Drop (2014).

About Dennis Lehane

His Early Life and Family

Dennis Lehane grew up in Dorchester, a neighborhood in Boston, Massachusetts. He lived in Boston for most of his life. Many of his books are set in this area. He now lives in southern California.

He is the youngest of five children. His father worked for Sears & Roebuck. His mother worked in a school cafeteria in Boston. Both of his parents came from Ireland.

Dennis Lehane is married to Chisa Lehane. He has two children. His brother, Gerry Lehane, is an actor in New York.

His Education and Learning

Lehane went to Boston College High School. He then studied at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida. This is where he found his love for writing. He also went to Florida International University in Miami, Florida for creative writing.

He has even appeared as himself in the TV show Castle a few times.

Dennis Lehane's Career

Writing Books

Lehane's first book was A Drink Before the War (1994). This book introduced his detective characters, Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro. It won an award for best first detective novel.

His book Gone, Baby, Gone was made into a movie in 2007. Ben Affleck directed it. Lehane liked the movie a lot. He usually does not write the movie scripts for his own books. He says he doesn't want to "operate on my own child."

Lehane at a book signing in February 2009

Another famous book, Mystic River, became a movie in 2003. Clint Eastwood directed it. Lehane even had a small part in the movie. The book won several awards, including the Anthony Award.

Lehane wrote a play called Coronado. It was based on his short story Until Gwen. This story was chosen for "The Best American Short Stories" in 2005.

He spent many years writing his historical novel, The Given Day. This book starts in 1918. It talks about the 1919 Boston Police Strike. Lehane said this strike changed many things. The book was published in October 2008.

His book Shutter Island was made into a movie in 2010. Martin Scorsese directed it, and Leonardo DiCaprio starred in it. Lehane was an executive producer for the movie.

In 2010, Lehane wrote Moonlight Mile. This was his sixth book about Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro. He also published World Gone By in 2015.

His book Small Mercies (2023) was highly praised.

Teaching Writing

Lehane at Barnes & Noble Union Square, New York City, August 15, 2006

Dennis Lehane has taught writing at several colleges. He taught fiction writing at Pine Manor College. He also taught advanced fiction writing at Harvard University.

In 2005, Eckerd College gave him an honorary degree. He also became a trustee there. He teaches as a writer-in-residence at Eckerd. He helps lead the Writers in Paradise conference each January.

Working in Film and TV

Lehane wrote and directed an independent film called Neighborhoods in the 1990s. It was set in Boston's working-class areas.

He joined the writing team for the HBO TV show The Wire in 2004. He wrote episodes like "Dead Soldiers" and "Refugees." He even had a small acting role in one episode. Lehane and the writing team won awards for their work on The Wire.

In 2012, Lehane joined the writing team for HBO's Boardwalk Empire. He helped with the story for the fourth season. He also wrote at least one episode.

Lehane wrote his first movie script, The Drop. It was based on his own short story "Animal Rescue." The movie came out in 2014. It starred Tom Hardy and Noomi Rapace.

Dennis Lehane's Works

Film and TV Projects

• Mystic River (2003) - based on his novel
• The Wire (2002 TV series) - writer for several episodes
  • Episode 3.03 "Dead Soldiers" (2004)
  • Episode 3.11 "Middle Ground" (2004) - actor
  • Episode 4.04 "Refugees" (2006)
  • Episode 5.08 "Clarifications" (2008)
• Gone Baby Gone (2007) - based on his novel
• Shutter Island (2010) - based on his novel; executive producer
• Castle (2009) - actor, as himself
  • Episode 3.21 "The Dead Pool" (2011)
• Boardwalk Empire (2013 TV series) - writer; creative consultant
  • Episode 4.02 "Resignation" (2013)
• The Drop (2014) - screenwriter, based on his short story
• Live by Night (2016) - based on his novel
• Mr. Mercedes (2017 TV series) - writer; consulting producer
  • Episode 1.04 "Gods Who Fall" (2017)
  • Episode 1.06 "People in the Rain" (2017)
  • Episode 1.07 "Willow Lake" (2017)
  • Episode 1.10 "Jibber-Jibber Chicken Dinner" (2017)
  • Episode 2.01 "Missed You" (2018)
  • Episode 2.07 "Fell On Black Days" (2018)
  • Episode 2.09 "Walk Like a Man" (2018)
• The Outsider (2020 miniseries) - writer
  • Episode 1.07 "In the Pines, In the Pines" (2020)
  • Episode 1.09 "Tigers and Bears" (2020)
• Black Bird (2022 miniseries) - developer and writer
• Smoke (2025 miniseries) - developer and writer

Awards and Recognitions

Dennis Lehane has also received other honors. In 2009, he received the Joseph E. Connor Award. He was made an honorary member of the Phi Alpha Tau fraternity. He also gave the commencement speech at Emmanuel College in 2009. He received an honorary degree from them. In 2015, he was included in "Best American Mystery Stories."

Books Based on His Work

• Novel The Drop (2014), which is a book version of the film The Drop

Movies and TV Shows Based on His Books

• Mystic River (2003), directed by Clint Eastwood, based on his novel Mystic River
• Gone Baby Gone (2007), directed by Ben Affleck, based on his novel Gone, Baby, Gone
• Shutter Island (2010), directed by Martin Scorsese, based on his novel Shutter Island
• The Drop (2014), directed by Michaël R. Roskam, based on his short story "Animal Rescue"
• Live by Night (2016), directed by Ben Affleck, based on his novel Live by Night
• Gone Baby Gone (2018), an unreleased TV movie, based on his novel Gone, Baby, Gone

See also

In Spanish: Dennis Lehane para niños