And this, no doubt, will be welcome news for his fans, who hope that he'll grow beyond cult status finally:
Author of TOMATO RED and THE DEATH OF SWEET MISTER, Daniel Woodrell's new novel WINTER'S BONE which follows a sixteen year-old girl on a journey to find her outlaw father who has skipped bail and who she must find in order to save their Ozark home, to Pat Strachan at Little, Brown in a two-book deal, by Ellen Levine at Trident Media Group (NA)Never mind that it's just the thing for me to grab one of his novels out of my ever-growing TBR pile....
This was beyond welcome news to hear a while back. Woodrell should have flown past cult status with The Death of Sweet Mister, if not before. Whichever one you pull out of that TBR pile, you'll enjoy greatly.
Posted by: Dan Wickett | September 21, 2004 at 07:25 PM
You can't go wrong with any of Daniel's books. I hope his career explodes off this...
Posted by: Jason Starr | September 22, 2004 at 12:05 AM
I've been waiting for his career to explode since UNDER THE BRIGHT LIGHTS and THE ONES YOU DO. He is, quite simply, one of the best writers of "crime novels" today. He's been poised to break out with his "country noir" books like GIVE US A KISS and TOMATO RED but, for whatever reason, it just hasn't happened...
Posted by: Lee Goldberg | September 22, 2004 at 12:27 AM
I agree. Woodrell is a writer who hasn't received his due.
Completely irrelevant: Is anyone but a broken-down old English teacher like me bothered by the dangling modifier?
Posted by: Bill Crider | September 22, 2004 at 09:45 AM
I thought for sure Sweet Mister would be the one that broke him (though for my money, Give Us A Kiss is his absolute best) but I guess the American buying public wasn't ready for a novel that ends with a touching love scene between tubby son and whacked out mother...
I have to say that Woodrell is one author that I might geek out over if I met him, which, of course, would ensure that he would sign my books to "Tom."
Posted by: Tod Goldberg | September 22, 2004 at 04:34 PM
Not only is Woodrell a great writer, but he also has very interesting thoughts on writing and the industry in general (google "Daniel Woodrell" "Interview" and wander down to the link for Interview Archive).
With all the crap the American public watches on television, you'd think for sure they'd be ready for that touching love scene!
Posted by: Dan Wickett | September 22, 2004 at 07:02 PM
Interestingly, Dan, it appears the novel he spoke to you about -- based on his time in Guam during the 1970s -- isn't what the novel ended up being after all, unless it's the other part of the deal, or unless that one is already farmed out, or, as happens, he got 100 pages in and realized, "Oh, shit." Thanks for pointing out the interview.
Posted by: Tod Goldberg | September 23, 2004 at 02:02 AM
Tod,
He had the first two chapters published in New Letters but is not currently working on it as far as I know. The last time I asked him about it was probably three or four months ago and hewas well into the new title Sarah mentions and had shelved the other, I believe sadly due to a lack of initial interest from the publishing world. Too bad as those first two chapters had whet my appetite already.
Posted by: Dan Wickett | September 23, 2004 at 07:59 AM
Woodrell is one of the best around, end of story. Him, Bruen & James Sallis ... truly great writers.
Tomato Red ... forgetaboutit ... magically dark.
Posted by: Charlie Stella | September 23, 2004 at 11:39 AM
This is great news. THE DEATH OF SWEET MISTER was just heartbreaking and should be required reading for anyone thinking of doing the noir thing. Hopefully this new one will pull him out of the cult ghetto and into everyone's consciousness. Because, as Charlie said, he is a truly great writer, and certainly deserves the kind of recognition that Bruen and Sallis get.
Posted by: Ray | September 23, 2004 at 03:34 PM