Donald E. Westlake facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Donald E. Westlake
Westlake at home in the 1980s
Born	Donald Edwin Westlake (1933-07-12)July 12, 1933 New York City, U.S.
Died	December 31, 2008(2008-12-31) (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 (born July 12, 1933 – died December 31, 2008) was a famous American writer. He wrote over one hundred novels and non-fiction books. He was best known for his crime fiction stories, especially funny ones called "comic capers." He also wrote some science fiction and other types of books.

Westlake created two popular characters who were both criminals. One was a tough character named Parker. Westlake wrote these stories using the pen name Richard Stark. The other character was John Dortmunder, who starred in a more humorous series of books.

Donald Westlake won the Edgar Award three times. This is a very important award for mystery writers. He won for Best Novel in 1968, Best Short Story in 1990, and Best Movie Screenplay in 1991. In 1993, the Mystery Writers of America gave him their highest honor, calling him a Grand Master.

About Donald Westlake's Life

Donald Westlake was born in Brooklyn, New York. His parents were Lillian and Albert Westlake. He grew up in Albany, New York.

He loved writing from a young age. After many rejections, he sold his first short story in 1954. He kept selling stories while attending college in New York. He also spent two years serving in the United States Air Force.

In 1959, Westlake moved to New York City. He first worked for a company that helps writers. By 1960, he was writing full-time. His first novel, The Mercenaries, came out in 1960. For the next 48 years, he wrote many novels and short stories. He used his own name and several other names.

He was married three times. His last wife was Abigail Westlake, who was also a writer. They moved from New York City to Ancram in 1990.

Donald Westlake passed away on December 31, 2008. He had a heart attack while on vacation in Mexico. He was on his way to a New Year's Eve dinner.

Movies and TV Shows Based on His Books

Many of Donald Westlake's novels have been turned into movies. Here are some examples:

• Point Blank (1967) was based on The Hunter. Lee Marvin played the Parker character.
• The Hot Rock (1972) starred Robert Redford.
• Cops and Robbers (1973) was also a movie.
• The Outfit (1973) featured Robert Duvall as the Parker character.
• Payback (1999) was another film based on The Hunter. Mel Gibson played the main role.
• What's the Worst That Could Happen? (2001) starred Martin Lawrence as the Dortmunder character.
• Parker (2013) was based on Flashfire. Jason Statham played Parker.

The novel Jimmy the Kid was made into a movie three times. One version in the U.S. in 1982 starred Gary Coleman.

His novel Two Much! was also adapted twice. One movie was Two Much (1995), starring Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith.

Westlake's novel Memory, published after he died, is being made into a film called The Actor.

Westlake as a Screenwriter

Donald Westlake also wrote screenplays for movies. His script for the 1990 film The Grifters was nominated for an Academy Award. This film was based on a novel by Jim Thompson.

He also wrote the story for the film The Stepfather (1987). This movie was so popular that it led to two sequels and a remake.

In 1987, Westlake wrote a TV pilot called Fatal Confession. This was for the TV series Father Dowling Mysteries. He even appeared in one episode of the show!

Westlake wrote an early version of the James Bond film The World Is Not Enough (1999). This script was not used, but he later turned it into a novel called Forever and a Death, which was published in 2017.

Recently, in 2022, it was announced that Robert Downey, Jr. and Shane Black are working on new movies and TV shows for Amazon Studios. These will be based on Westlake's Parker series.

Donald Westlake's Books

Donald Westlake wrote many books under his own name and other names. Here are some of his most well-known works:

Novels

• The Mercenaries (1960)
• The Hunter (1962) - First book with the character Parker, written as Richard Stark.
• God Save the Mark (1967) - Won an Edgar Award for Best Novel.
• The Hot Rock (1970) - Introduced the character John Dortmunder.
• Bank Shot (1972)
• Jimmy the Kid (1974)
• Why Me? (1983)
• Drowned Hopes (1990)
• What's the Worst That Could Happen? (1996)
• The Ax (1997)
• Flashfire (2000) - A Parker novel.
• Bad News (2001)
• Memory (2010) - Published after he died.

Short Story Collections

• The Curious Facts Preceding My Execution (1968)
• Thieves' Dozen (2004) - A collection of stories about Dortmunder.

Non-fiction Books

• Under an English Heaven (1972)

His Legacy and Influence

Many writers and fans of crime stories consider Donald Westlake a master of his craft.

Famous author Stephen King named a villain in his novel The Dark Half "George Stark" to honor Richard Stark (Westlake's pen name). King even called Westlake to ask for permission! King's own pen name, "Richard Bachman," was also partly inspired by Richard Stark.

Writer Duane Swierczynski named his son Parker. This was to honor both Westlake's Parker character and Spider-Man's secret identity, Peter Parker.

See also

In Spanish: Donald E. Westlake para niños