| David Housewright | |
| Birth Date: | 7 February 1955 |
| Birth Place: | Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Occupation: | Novelist, freelance writer |
| Genre: | Crime fiction, mystery fiction |
| Alma Mater: | University of St. Thomas |
| Notableworks: | Penance, Practice To Deceive, Jelly's Gold, Curse of the Jade Lily |
David Housewright (born February 7, 1955) is an Edgar Award-winning author of crime fiction[1] and past President of the Private Eye Writers of America[2] best known for his Holland Taylor and Rushmore McKenzie detective novels as well as other tales of murder and mayhem in the Midwest. Housewright won the Edgar from the Mystery Writers of America as well as a nomination from the PWA for his first novel "Penance." He has also earned three Minnesota Book Awards.[3] Most of his novels take place in and around the greater St. Paul and Minneapolis area of Minnesota, USA[4] and have been favorably compared to Raymond Chandler, Ross MacDonald[5] and Robert B. Parker.[6]
Housewright was born and raised in Saint Paul, Minnesota. He is the son of Eugene Housewright, Sr., a businessman, and Patricia Langevin Housewright. He attended Cretin High School, where he was editor of the school newspaper until he was fired for printing an editorial opposing the Vietnam War. “I attended an all-boys Catholic military school during the height of Vietnam war. Of course they fired me. You would have fired me, too,” Housewright told the Wild River Review.[7] He earned a degree in Journalism from the University of St. Thomas. He now lives with his wife, writer and theater critic Renee Marie Valois, in Roseville, Minnesota.
Housewright’s first book, Penance (1995), which introduced detective Holland Taylor,[8] won the 1996 Edgar Award for Best First Novel from the Mystery Writers of America and was short listed for a Shamus Award from the Private Eye Writers of America.[9] The second book in the series, Practice to Deceive (1997)[10] won the 1998 Minnesota Book Award and was optioned for the movies. In 2004, he introduced unlicensed P.I. Rushmore McKenzie with A Hard Ticket Home. The sixth novel in the series, Jelly’s Gold (2009) also won the Minnesota Book Award, as did Curse of the Jade Lily (2013). Tin City (2004), The Taking of Libbie, SD (2010) and Stealing the Countess (2017) were also nominated for the same prize. In 2012, Housewright released two stand-alone novels – The Devil and the Diva (written with Renee Valois) – a 2013 Minnesota Book Award nominee – and a young adult crime novel entitled Finders Keepers. He was elected President of the Private Eye Writers of America in June, 2014. That same year the Minnesota Historical Society and The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library added Housewright's name and face to Minnesota Writers on the Map,[11] joining accomplished writers Sinclair Lewis, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Maud Hart Lovelace, Laura Ingalls Wilder, August Wilson, Louise Erdrich, William Kent Krueger and Charles M. Schulz.
Before starting a career as a novelist, Housewright worked as a copywriter and creative director for Twin Cities advertising agencies such as Kamstra Communications, DBK&O, Blaisdell & Westlie and his own shop Gerber-Housewright, as well as Andersen Windows. His clients included Federal Express, 3M, Hormel Foods, Tony's Pizza, Jim Beam, the California Institute of Technology, Champion Batteries, and Partnership for a Drug-Free America. His work has been cited for a number of industry awards including the CLIO, One Show, Communication Arts, The Show, Silver Microphone, Telly, Olivers, Pro-Comm, ACE, IABC, ARC, ECHO, and NAMA and has been featured in ADWEEK, Archive and ADS magazines.[12]
Housewright honed his research, interviewing, writing and editing skills while working as a news and sports reporter for the Owatonna People’s Press (summer internship), Minneapolis Tribune, Albert Lea (MN) Evening Tribune and the Grand Forks (ND) Herald. His articles have also appeared in publications such as Format Magazine, ADWEEK, Crimespree Magazine and The History Channel Magazine..[13]
Housewright’s success as a novelist led to an invitation to teach a course on the Modern American Mystery Novel at the University of Minnesota. He frequently works as a writing instructor for the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota where he teaches a course on novel writing.[14]