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Nebraska Authors

David Wiltse

Born 1940 Lincoln, NE (USA)

Wiltse, a very successful writer of crime and mystery thrillers, began his career as a playwright, and has written more than 50 scripts for television. His prize-winning plays have been produced in New York, London, Tokyo, South Africa and Sweden. He says he began to write for television to better support his family. Wiltse's novel Heartland is set in his hometown of Falls City, Nebraska. He studied with Wilbur Gaffney at UNL.

His many awards include the Drama Desk Award (1972) for most promising playwright and an Edgar Allen Poe Award for the television script for Revenge of the Stepford Wives.

See also Alex Kava, Don Winslow

Places Lived

Lincoln, NE
Falls City, NE
Weston, CT

Author Of

  • Play/Screenplay
  • Fiction

Keywords

Theatrical Plays; Television Scripts; Mystery-Thriller Novels; Crime Novels; Nebraska Locales

Education

Bachelor of Arts Degree, 1963, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE

Occupation

Author
Screenwriter

Places Worked

Wrote TV situation comedy series 'Lady's Man'
Contributing editor for Tennis magazine
United States Army, 1963-1966

Honors

His play Suggs was produced at Lincoln Center in NYC and won him the Drama Desk Award as 'Most Promising Playwright' of 1972.
Awarded Nebraska Society of New York's Sower Award in 1985
Edgar Allen Poe Award from Mystery Writers of America, 1981, for a teleplay, "Revenge of the Stepford Wives"
Has had two novels selected as Most Notable Books of the Year by the New York Times Book Review

Bibliography

Suggs. 1972.
The Wedding Guest. 1982.
The Serpent. 1983.
Fifth Angel. 1985.
Home Again. 1986.
A Grand Romance: a play. 1988.
Prayer for the Dead. 1991.
Close to the Bone. 1992.
The Edge of Sleep. 1993.
Into the Fire. 1994.
Bone Deep. 1995.
Blow Away. 1996.
Sedition. 2008.

Plays:

Triangles for Two.
Crazy Horse and Three Stars.
Temporary Help.
Hatchetman.
Cadance Lesson.
A Grand Romance.
Doubles.
Heartland. 2001.
Hangman's Knot. 2002.

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David Wiltse
david-wiltse

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(e.g. Author is buried in Fremont, not in David City / Also wrote for the Daily Nebraskan during her time as a student)