Daniel Stanford Woodrell (March 4, 1953 – November 28, 2025) was an American novelist and short story writer who wrote nine novels, most of them set in the Missouri The Ozarks, and one collection of short stories. Woodrell coined the phrase "country noir" to describe his 1996 novel Give Us a Kiss.[ (For one example of "country noir" used in a later review.)]
Early life and education
Woodrell was born in Springfield, Missouri,
[ (for birth date and location)] in the southwestern corner of the state. He grew up in Missouri and dropped out of high school to join the Marines. Later he earned a BA from the University of Kansas and an MFA from the Iowa Writers' Workshop.
The University of Missouri–Kansas City awarded an honorary doctorate to Daniel Woodrell on December 17, 2016.
Career
Woodrell has set most of his novels in the Missouri
Ozarks, a landscape he knew from childhood. He has created novels based on crime, a style he termed "
country noir", a phrase adopted by commentators on his work. However, William Michael Boyle, an avowed fan and fellow author of literary crime fiction, put Woodrell's work in broader context: "this Woodrell guy's got double of everything. Language, plot, dialogue, sense of place, energy, tension...He's interested in the whole of humanity through the lens of his place."
In addition to finding readers for his fiction, Woodrell has had three novels adapted for films.
Woodrell's second novel, Woe to Live On (1987), was adapted for the 1999 film Ride with the Devil, directed by Ang Lee.
Winter's Bone (2006) was adapted by writer and director Debra Granik for a film of the same title, and released commercially in June 2010 after winning two awards at the Sundance Film Festival, including the Grand Jury Prize for a dramatic film.
Tomato Red (1998) was adapted for a Tomato Red by Irish writer and director Juanita Wilson. This was released in Ireland in March 2017 and went on to be nominated for four awards at that year's Irish Film & Television Awards, including Best Film. Its US debut took place on April 23, 2017, at the Newport Beach Film Festival.
While filming a segment for , Woodrell was filmed breaking his shoulder in a fishing boat accident.
Personal life and death
Woodrell lived in West Plains, Missouri, and was married to the novelist
Katie Estill.
Woodrell died of pancreatic cancer in West Plains, on November 28, 2025, at the age of 72.
Honors
Bibliography
Books
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Under the Bright Lights (Henry Holt, 1986)
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Woe to Live On (Henry Holt, 1987)
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Muscle for the Wing (Henry Holt, 1988)
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The Ones You Do (Henry Holt, 1992)
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(Henry Holt, 1996)
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Tomato Red (Henry Holt, 1998)
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The Death of Sweet Mister (Putnam, 2001)
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Winter's Bone (Little, Brown, 2006)
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The Outlaw Album (Little, Brown, 2011)
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The Maid's Version (Little, Brown, 2013)
Omnibus
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The Bayou Trilogy (Mulholland Books, 2011) (collects Under the Bright Lights, Muscle for the Wing, and The Ones You Do)
Filmography
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Ride with the Devil (adapted from novel Woe to Live On) (1999)
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Winter's Bone (adapted from novel) (2010)
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Tomato Red (adapted from novel) (2017)
External links
