Library ‘Friends’ to host visit by author David Housewright

The Douglas County Friends and Foundation will host a special author event during National Friends of Libraries Week.

The event is Tuesday, October 18 at 7 p.m. in the library meeting room. It features David Housewright, a mystery writer from Minneapolis.

ABOUT

THE AUTHOR

Housewright wrote his first book, Swinging Danger, at age 10. It was a tale of a boy who builds a rope swing despite his parents’ objections, falls off as they predicted and breaks his wrist.

For his 12th birthday, his parents gave him a printing press, and he began his own newspaper, Neighborhood News, which he sold door-to-door for a dime.

He later served as editor of his high school newspaper. Two months after graduating, Housewright was hired by the Minneapolis Tribune. He started as a “copy boy” in the sports department and rose to staff correspondent.

He obtained a journalism degree from the University of St. Thomas and became a news reporter for the Albert Lea Evening Tribune.

It was there that he met Holland Laak, the Freeborn County sheriff – the namesake of the protagonist in Housewright’s first book series.

After another brief stint as a sports reporter for the Grand Forks Herald, he left journalism and moved into advertising, working for several Twin City agencies.

He eventually became creative director and part-owner of his own shop, Gerber/Housewright in St. Paul.

It was at that time that Housewright wrote his second novel, Penance.

He then sold the advertising agency and became a free-lance writer.

Five months later, he received the Edgar Award for Best First Novel of 1996 from the Mystery Writers of America. His novel, Pracice to Deceive, won the 1998 Minnesota Book Award.

He currently has penned 17 novels and has published short stories in a number of publications and anthologies.

He lives in the Twin Cities area with his wife, freelancer Renee Valois, and occasionally teaches at the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis.

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