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Pete Dexter

ピート・デクスター

Pīto Dekusutā

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1943-07-22 （Pontiac, Michigan, U.S.）
Nationality
United States
Languages
English
Residence History
Whidbey Island, Washington, U.S. → Vermillion, South Dakota, U.S.

Career

Occupations
Novelist, Screenwriter, Newspaper columnist
Active Years
1960-
Affiliations
University of South Dakota (Writer in Residence)

Education

University of South Dakota
Degree: 学士
Period: 〜1969
Year of Graduation: 1969
Country: United States
Awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters and Literature by the university in 2010
University of South Dakota (honorary)
Degree: 名誉文学博士
Period: 2010
Year of Graduation: 2010
Country: United States
Honorary degree conferred

Awards

National Book Award (Fiction)
1988
Work: Paris Trout
Category: フィクション
Organization: National Book Foundation
Result: Winner
PEN Center USA Literary Award (1996)
1996
Work: The Paperboy
Organization: PEN Center USA
Result: Winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

God's Pocket

1983 Fiction

A novel set in a working-class Philadelphia neighborhood exploring violence, revenge and community conflict.

violencecommunityrevenge
Adaptations
  • [Film] God's Pocket / John Slattery (2014)

Deadwood

1986 Fiction

A novel containing Western elements that portrays moral ambiguity and violence among its characters.

westernviolencemoral ambiguity

Paris Trout

1988 Fiction

A novel about racism and violence that examines the darker sides of humanity in the American South. Winner of the 1988 National Book Award (Fiction).

racismviolenceSouthern society
Adaptations
  • [Television/Film (screenplay)] Paris Trout (1991)

Brotherly Love

1991 Fiction

A story about family and community relationships entangled with love and resentment.

familycommunityemotional conflict

The Paperboy

1995 Fiction

A Southern-set tale of crime and passion. Adapted into a 2012 film.

crimepassionthe South
Adaptations
  • [Film] The Paperboy / Lee Daniels (2012)

Train

2003 Fiction

A work depicting turning points in life through portrayals of ordinary people.

life turning pointshuman drama

Spooner

2009 Fiction

A novel that incorporates elements reflecting the aftermath of the 1981 assault he experienced.

effects of violencerecoveryrelationships

Paper Trails

2007 Nonfiction (Essays/Collected Columns)

A compilation of columns he wrote for the Philadelphia Daily News and The Sacramento Bee from the 1970s to the 1990s.

columnsmemoiristic essays

Bibliography

  • God's Pocket (1983)
  • Deadwood (1986)
  • Paris Trout (1988)
  • Brotherly Love (1991)
  • The Paperboy (1995)
  • Train (2003)
  • Paper Trails (2007)
  • Spooner (2009)

Adaptations

  • God's Pocket (2014 film)
  • The Paperboy (2012 film)
  • Paris Trout (1991 screenplay)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
gritty realismdark humordetailed character-driven prose
Recurring Motifs
violencesmall-town social dynamicsmoral ambiguity

Health

  • traumatic brain injury
    1981-
    Suffered traumatic brain injury, broken back and pelvis, and severe dental damage as a result of a 1981 assault; these injuries affected his life and writing thereafter.

Legacy

Considered an important contemporary American novelist, noted for sharp regional depiction and treatment of violence and moral issues. Winner of the National Book Award for Paris Trout; several works have been adapted for film.

Academic Societies

  • University of South Dakota creative writing program

In Popular Culture

  • Known more widely through film adaptations of The Paperboy and God's Pocket

Quotes

  • You have to be hurt to see anything at all.
    Source: Interview (2013) (2013)

Trivia

  • He was severely beaten in Philadelphia's Devil's Pocket in 1981, suffering serious injuries.
  • Won the PEN Center USA Literary Award in 1996 for The Paperboy.
  • Received an honorary Doctor of Letters and Literature from the University of South Dakota in 2010.