David Guterson American writer, poet, journalist Date of Birth: 04.05.1956 Country: USA

Biography of David Guterson

David Guterson, an American writer, poet, and journalist, was born in 1956 in Seattle, Washington. His father, Murray Guterson, was a well-known and respected criminal defense attorney. In an interview, Guterson shared a piece of advice given to him by his wise father: "Before you start thinking about getting paid for your work, think about what truly interests you."

Guterson attended schools in his home state and later became a student at the University of Washington, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature and a Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing. Interestingly, he funded his education with a Guggenheim Fellowship.

During his studies, Guterson was mentored by the renowned American writer Charles Johnson. After spending around 12 years writing as an amateur, Guterson worked as a teacher before deciding to pursue writing professionally. He published his first stories while still a teacher, which appeared in small publications. Later, he also published essays in magazines such as Esquire, Sports Illustrated, and Harper's Magazine.

In 1989, Guterson published his first book, a collection of stories titled "The Country Ahead of Us, the Country Behind: Stories," which depicted the lives of people in the Pacific Northwest. His second book, "Family Matters: Why Homeschooling Makes Sense," was published in 1992.

Guterson's most successful and popular book is his novel "Snow Falling on Cedars," published in 1994. It sold almost 5 million copies and won him the PEN/Faulkner Award in 1995. The novel tells the story of the inhabitants of a small island living in their own closed-off world. When a local fisherman is found dead, a Japanese man becomes the prime suspect, and the peaceful town becomes the setting for a trial. Despite the lack of evidence against the Japanese man, the townspeople prefer to assign blame and restore peace. A journalist intervenes in the trial and manages to achieve justice, despite the fact that the defendant's wife was once his first love. "Snow Falling on Cedars" was hailed as "impeccably written" and captivated readers with its harmonious storytelling and genre-defying nature. In 1999, the novel was adapted into a film titled "Snow Falling on Cedars," directed by Scott Hicks. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Cinematography.

Continuing his work, Guterson published "The Drowned Son" in 1996, followed by the novel "East of the Mountains" in 1999 and "Our Lady of the Forest" in 2003. In 2008, he released "The Other," and in 2010, his novel "Ed King" was published. "Ed King" presents a bold modern version of the myth of Oedipus, revolving around an adopted boy who grows up to become powerful. The novel includes a controversial love scene between the protagonist and his mother.

In 2011, Guterson received a notable award, or rather, anti-award, for "Ed King." He was awarded the Bad Sex in Fiction Award for the "worst description of sex in a literary work." His depiction of the love scene between the mother and son was deemed unsuccessful. Interestingly, Guterson did not attend the award ceremony, and his publisher accepted the award on his behalf. He wittily commented on the award, stating that he was not surprised because Oedipus "practically invented bad sex."

Guterson is married and has four children. He resides on Bainbridge Island in Puget Sound. In addition to his literary and creative endeavors, Guterson is also one of the founders of the writing organization "Field's End."