Terrible terrible news. He, along with Robert Ludlum, was my favorite author. :(
Jordan
----- Start Original Message -----
Sent: Thu, 01 Jan 2009 22:09:52 -0000
From: "foxbrick" <foxbrick@yahoo.com>
To: rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com
Subject: RARA-AVIS: Donald E. Westlake, Mystery Writer, Is Dead at 75 (NYT obituary)
> January 2, 2009
> Donald E. Westlake, Mystery Writer, Is Dead at 75
> By JENNIFER 8. LEE
>
> Donald E. Westlake, a prolific, award-winning mystery novelist who
> pounded out more than 100 books and five screenplays on manual
> typewriters during his half-century career, died Wednesday night. He
> was 75.
>
> Mr. Westlake collapsed, apparently from a heart attack, as he headed
> out to New Year's Eve dinner while on vacation in San Tancho,
> Mexico, said his wife, Abigail Westlake.
>
> Mr. Westlake, considered one of the most successful and versatile
> mystery writers in the United States, has earned three Edgar Awards,
> an Academy Award nomination for screenplay writing, and the elite
> title of Grand Master from the Mystery Writers of America in 1993.
>
> Since his first novel, "The Mercenaries," was published by Random
> House in 1960, Mr. Westlake has written under his own name and
> several pseudonyms, including Richard Stark, Tucker Coe, Samuel Holt
> and Edwin West. Despite the diversity of names, one shared feature
> was that almost all his books were set in New York City, where he
> was born.
>
> He used many names in part to combat skepticism over his rapid rate
> of writing books, which at some points reached four a year.
>
> "In the beginning, people didn't want to publish more than one book
> a year by the same author," said Susan Richman, his publicist at
> Grand Central Publishing, his current publisher. In the later half
> of his career, Mr. Westlake had narrowed himself to his own name and
> Richard Stark, author of a dark series about a one-name criminal
> named Parker.
>
> The full panoply of all his books was a spectacle to behold, his
> friends said. "We were in his library, this beautiful library
> surrounded by hundreds and hundreds of titles, and I realize that
> every single book was written by Donald Westlake, English language
> and foreign language editions," said Laurence Kirschbaum, his agent.
>
> Mr. Westlake's cinematic style of storytelling, along with his
> carefully crafted plots and crisp dialogue, translated well to the
> screen. More than 15 of his books were made into movies, some
> multiple times. In addition, he himself wrote a number of
> screenplays, including "The Grifters," which was nominated for an
> Academy Award in 1991.
>
> Donald Edwin Westlake was born to Lillian and Albert Westlake on
> July 12, 1933, in Brooklyn, but raised in Yonkers and Albany. He
> attended a number of colleges in New York State, but did not
> graduate from any of them. He married his current wife, Abigail, in
> 1979, and the couple made their home in Gallatin, N.Y. He was
> previously married to Nedra Henderson and Sandra Kalb. He is
> survived by his wife; his four sons by his previous marriage, Sean
> Westlake, Steven Westlake, Paul Westlake, Tod Westlake; two step-
> daughters, Adrienne Adams and Katherine Adams; a step-son, Patrick
> Adams; his sister, Virginia; and four grandchildren.
>
> He was writing all the way till he passed away. His next novel, "Get
> Real," is scheduled to be released in April 2009.
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> RARA-AVIS home page: http://www.miskatonic.org/rara-avis/
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>
>
>
>
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