David Heska Wanbli Weiden, an enrolled citizen of the Sicangu Lakota Nation, is the author of Winter Counts (Ecco, 2020), nominated for the Edgar Award, Anthony Award, Barry Award, Macavity Award, Shamus Award, Hammett Prize, and the winner of the Thriller, Lefty, Tillie Olsen, and Spur Awards. The novel was a New York Times Editors' Choice, a main selection of the Book of the Month Club, an Indie Next pick, and named a Best Book of 2020 by NPR, Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, and other magazines. The paperback edition was recently released by Ecco Books and is a July Indie Next pick. Simon & Schuster will release the novel in the United Kingdom, and the novel will be translated into French, German, Turkish, Japanese, and Polish. Weiden lives in Denver, Colorado, with his family.
Mentor Statement
I'm delighted to mentor students in fiction, creative nonfiction and children's (middle-grade) literature. My goal as a faculty mentor is to provide supportive and honest feedback on your work, and I'll assign individualized exercises, articles and readings as well as in-depth critiques on your manuscript. I'll help you develop analytical and critical skills as well as provide concrete techniques for improving your prose. For those who are ready to take the next step, I'll provide advice and counsel on securing a literary agent and handling the publishing process.
