Author archive

Don Carpenter

Don Carpenter (March 16 1931 – July 27 1995) was an American novelist and screenwriter born in Berkeley, California. After serving in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War, he earned a B.S. from Portland State College and an M.A. from San Francisco State College. Settling in Mill Valley near San Francisco, he became a fixture of the Bay Area literary scene, befriending writers such as Richard Brautigan, Evan Connell, and Lawrence Ferlinghetti. Known for gritty, outsider‑focused novels like Hard Rain Falling (1966), Carpenter also wrote for film and television. He struggled with chronic illness and died by suicide at age 64. His work has been revived in recent years through reissues and posthumous publications.