Daniel Woodrell

Biography

Daniel Woodrell (March 4, 1953 – November 28, 2025) was an American novelist and short story writer, who penned nine novels, most set in the Missouri Ozarks, and one collection of short stories. Woodrell coined the phrase 'country noir' to describe his 1996 novel Give Us a Kiss. Reviewers have frequently since used the term to categorize his writing.

Three of his novels have been adapted to film: Ride with the Devil (1999, based on Woe to Live On); Winter's Bone (2010); and Tomato Red (2017).

Woodrell died of pancreatic cancer in West Plains on November 28, 2025, at the age of 72.