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Donald E. Westlake

ドナルド・E・ウェストレイク

Donald E. Westlake

Pen Names: Richard Stark（Primary pseudonym used for the Parker novels; colder, leaner style）, John B. Allan（One-off pseudonym used for a 1961 biography）, Alan Marshall（Used for a number of paperback soft‑porn titles; the name was sometimes shared among authors）, Tucker Coe（Pseudonym used for the Mitch Tobin mystery novels）, Samuel Holt（Used for a short Sam Holt mystery series in the 1980s）, Judson Jack Carmichael（Pseudonym used for a 2002 mystery novel; some editions use his real name）, Edwin West（Used in the early 1960s for several paperback novels）, Curt Clark（Used for a 1967 science fiction novel and some short fiction）, Don Holliday（Pseudonym used on collaborative soft‑core novels）, John Dexter（Used as a house name by Nightstand Books; one Westlake novel appeared under this credit）, Timothy J. Culver（Pseudonym used for the 1970 thriller Ex Officio）, J. Morgan Cunningham（Used for a humorous novel credited to this name）, Ben Christopher（One‑off pseudonym used for a 1960 magazine story）, James Blue（One‑off pseudonym (reportedly the name of his cat)）, P. N. Castor（Used for a short story co‑authored with Dave Foley）, Barbara Wilson（Used as a co‑author name with Laurence Janifer）

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1933-07-12 （Brooklyn, New York City, U.S.）
Died
2008-12-31 （Mexico (on vacation)） age 75
Nationality
United States
Languages
English
Residence History
Albany, New York (raised) → New York City (base of writing career) → Ancram, New York (moved in 1990) → Mexico (place of death while on vacation)

Career

Occupations
Novelist, Screenwriter, Short story writer
Active Years
1954-2008
Influenced By
Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler
Influenced
Stephen King, Duane Swierczynski, Darwyn Cooke
Nominations
Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay (nominated for The Grifters), 1991

Education

Champlain College (Plattsburgh)
Period: 1950年代（在籍）
Country: United States
Attended a post‑WWII G.I. Bill college later defunct.
Binghamton University
Period: 1950年代（在籍）
Country: United States
Attended while beginning to sell short stories.

Awards

Edgar Award — Best Novel
1968
Work: God Save the Mark
Category: Best Novel
Organization: Mystery Writers of America
Result: Winner
Edgar Award — Best Short Story
1990
Work: Too Many Crooks
Category: Best Short Story
Organization: Mystery Writers of America
Result: Winner
Edgar Award — Best Motion Picture Screenplay
1991
Work: The Grifters (screenplay)
Category: Best Motion Picture Screenplay
Organization: Mystery Writers of America
Result: Winner
MWA Grand Master
1993
Organization: Mystery Writers of America
Result: Winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Parker series (as Richard Stark)

1962 Crime fiction / Hardboiled

A series about the relentless professional thief Parker. Published under Richard Stark with a colder, leaner prose style.

Heist planning and failureProfessional criminal ethicsRevenge and betrayal
Adaptations
  • [Film] Point Blank (film, adaptation of The Hunter) / John Boorman (1967)
  • [Film] Payback (1999 film) / Brian Helgeland (1999)
  • [Film] Parker (2013 film) / Taylor Hackford (2013)

John Dortmunder series

1970 Crime comedy (caper)

A humorous series about unlucky thief John Dortmunder and his crew; heists often go awry in comic ways.

Failed heistsFriendship and camaraderieUrban settings (NYC)
Adaptations
  • [Film] The Hot Rock (1972 film) / Peter Yates (1972)
  • [Film] Bank Shot (film adaptation) (1974)

God Save the Mark

1967 Crime fiction

A novel set in the city about crime and its consequences; noted for intricate plotting and awarded the Edgar Award.

Crime plottingMoral collapse

Memory

2010 Crime / Drama

Written early in his career and published posthumously; explores memory and how past actions shape the protagonist's fate.

MemoryRegretSelf‑reinvention
Adaptations
  • [Film] The Actor (2025 film) / Duke Johnson (2025)

Bibliography

  • The Hunter (Parker novel)
  • God Save the Mark
  • The Hot Rock
  • Jimmy the Kid
  • The Ax
  • Memory

Adaptations

  • Point Blank (based on The Hunter, 1967)
  • The Hot Rock (1972)
  • The Grifters (screenplay by Westlake, 1990)
  • Payback (1999, remake of The Hunter)
  • Le Couperet (adaptation of The Ax, 2005)
  • Parker (2013)
  • Play Dirty (2025)
  • The Actor (2025)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Ingenious, tightly plotted narrativesHumorous caper fictionAs Richard Stark: spare, cold, economical prose
Recurring Motifs
Heists and botched plansNew York City as settingInterpersonal dynamics and betrayal among crews

Health

  • Myocardial infarction (heart attack)
    2008-12-31
    Died of a heart attack while on vacation in Mexico

Legacy

Donald E. Westlake is regarded as one of the major crime fiction writers of the late 20th century. He was praised for ingenious plotting and blending humor with crime, and for the cold hardboiled work under Richard Stark. His works have been widely adapted and he influenced many later writers.

Museums

  • Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center (collection) United States

Academic Societies

  • Mystery Writers of America (MWA)

Archives

  • Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center (Boston University)
  • University of Chicago Press reissues of Richard Stark titles

In Popular Culture

  • Stephen King named a character 'George Stark' in homage to Richard Stark
  • Parker and Dortmunder reached popular culture via multiple film adaptations

Quotes

  • Stark strips his sentences down to the necessary information.
    Source: New York Times Book Review (article quoting Westlake) (2001)

Trivia

  • He endured about 200 rejections before selling his first short story.
  • Under Richard Stark he wrote numerous novels featuring the cold, implacable thief Parker.
  • He influenced writers such as Stephen King, who asked Westlake for permission to use a name in homage.
  • He was nominated for an Academy Award for his screenplay for The Grifters.
  • Used many pseudonyms across genres, sometimes sharing house names.