13 Facts About Dan Wakefield

Dan Wakefield was an American novelist, journalist, and screenwriter.

Dan Wakefield's novels Going All the Way and Starting Over, were made into feature films with Wakefield writing the screenplay for Going All the Way.

Dan Wakefield's memoir, Returning: A Spiritual Journey, was called by Bill Moyers "one of the most important memoirs of the spirit I have ever read".

Dan Wakefield edited and wrote the Introduction to Kurt Vonnegut Letters.

Dan Wakefield received The Bernard DeVoto Fellowship at The Bread Loaf Writer Conference in 1958, a Nieman Fellowship in Journalism and a Rockefeller Grant in Writing, 1968.

Dan Wakefield was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, where his family lived in the Broad Ripple neighborhood.

Dan Wakefield worked summers during college in The Star sports department and as a general assignment reporter for The Grand Rapids Press.

Dan Wakefield continued to write for The Nation from Israel in 1956, becoming a staff writer for the magazine on his return the same year.

Dan Wakefield published in periodicals such as Dissent, Commonweal, Commentary, New World Writing, Harpers, Esquire, The Atlantic, The Yoga Journal, GQ and TV Guide.

In November 2011, Dan Wakefield returned to Indianapolis to speak on a panel discussion of the work of Vonnegut at the Vonnegut Library and Museum.

Dan Wakefield taught writing at the University of Massachusetts at Boston, Emerson College, Boston University, The University of Illinois Journalism School and The Iowa Writers Workshop.

Dan Wakefield retired as writer in residence at Florida International University, where he received The Faculty Award for Mentorship.

Dan Wakefield died in Miami on March 13,2024, at the age of 91.