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David Guterson

デイヴィッド・グターソン

Deividdo Gutāson

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1956-05-04 （Seattle, Washington, United States）
Nationality
United States
Languages
English
Residence History
Seattle (birthplace) → Bainbridge Island, Puget Sound, Washington, United States

Career

Occupations
Writer, Poet, Journalist, Essayist, Teacher
Active Years
1989-
Affiliations
Field's End
Memberships
Guggenheim Fellow

Education

University of Washington
English Literature / Department of English
Degree: 学士
Country: United States
University of Washington
Creative Writing / Creative Writing Program
Degree: 修士（MFA）
Country: United States
Holds an MFA in Creative Writing

Awards

Pen/Faulkner Award
1995
Work: Snow Falling on Cedars
Organization: Pen/Faulkner Foundation
Result: 受賞
Martin Beck Award
1996
Work: Snow Falling on Cedars
Organization: Swedish Crime Writers' Academy
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Martin Beck Award 1 appearances
  1. Edition 26 (1996) award
    Work: Snow Falling on Cedars

    On the isolated San Piedro Island off Washington State, the death of a fisherman brings Japanese American Kabuo Miyamoto to trial for murder. As the hearing unfolds, memories of wartime incarceration, disputes over land, and a youthful love affair expose the prejudice and silences that linger on the island.

    The murder trial leads readers into the wounds that war and prejudice have left in the lives of the islanders.

    649 pages
    racial prejudiceJapanese American incarcerationcourtroom dramamemory and the pastlove and loss

Works

Major Works

The Country Ahead of Us, the Country Behind: Stories

1989 Short story collection

A debut short story collection set in the Pacific Northwest, focusing on landscape and interpersonal relationships.

place and memoryfamilycommunity

Family Matters: Why Homeschooling Makes Sense

1992 Essays / Non-fiction

A collection of essays on homeschooling, family life, and education.

educationfamily

Snow Falling on Cedars

1994 Novel

Set in the postwar Pacific Northwest, the novel centers on the trial of a Japanese-American fisherman accused of murder, exploring race, memory, and justice.

racismmemoryjusticenature and landscape
Adaptations
  • [Film] Snow Falling on Cedars / Scott Hicks (1999)
Translations
  • Snow Falling on Cedars

The Drowned Son

1996 Novella / Novel

A work dealing with family and loss.

lossfamily

East of the Mountains

1999 Novel

A quiet novel about the end of life and renewal, following a protagonist who confronts his past on a journey.

agingrenewalnature

Our Lady of the Forest

2003 Novel

A story that explores nature, faith, and family.

naturefaithfamily

The Other

2008 Novel

A novel about relationships and hidden secrets.

secretsrelationships

Ed King

2011 Novel

A novel concerning family history and hometown ties.

family historyhometown

Bibliography

  • The Country Ahead of Us, the Country Behind: Stories (1989)
  • Family Matters: Why Homeschooling Makes Sense (1992)
  • Snow Falling on Cedars (1994)
  • The Drowned Son (1996)
  • East of the Mountains (1999)
  • Our Lady of the Forest (2003)
  • The Other (2008)
  • Ed King (2011)

Adaptations

  • Snow Falling on Cedars (film, 1999)

Translations of Works

  • Snow Falling on Cedars (Japanese translation)
  • East of the Mountains (Japanese translation)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
lyrical prose with evocative landscape descriptionquiet, introspective narration
Recurring Motifs
nature/landscapememoryfamilyjustice and morality

Legacy

Guterson achieved international success with Snow Falling on Cedars and is praised for portraying the Pacific Northwest's landscapes and human dramas. Film adaptation and multiple awards broadened his recognition.

Academic Societies

  • Guggenheim Fellowship

In Popular Culture

  • Adapted as the film Snow Falling on Cedars (1999)

Trivia

  • Before becoming a full-time writer he worked as a teacher for 12 years.
  • Snow Falling on Cedars was a worldwide bestseller, selling millions of copies.
  • He is one of the founders of Field's End, an organization for writers.