Author
Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters
1997
Citation:
As an internationally acclaimed author, you have entertained and captivated multitudes during the past four decades with your broad range of fictional works. A prolific and masterful writer, you have demonstrated your versatility through the publication of more than 30 novels, as well as numerous screenplays and short stories. You have also contributed countless hours to the development of educational and industrial films. Your boundless creative energy has been evident through your lifelong avocation for writing, beginning with the development of a play during your fifth grade year, and continuing through your education as an English and Philosophy major at the University of Detroit. Industrious and meticulous in your work, you often devote substantial energy to research that adds depth and plausibility to your story lines and characters. As a result, many of your books have become bestsellers, including Get Shorty, Maximum Bob, Riding the Rap and Out of Sight. In 1992, the Mystery Writers of America honored you with the Grand Master Award, which is awarded "only to individuals who, by a lifetime of achievement, have proven themselves preeminent in the craft of the mystery and dedicated to the advancement of the genre." Other honors awarded you include the Mystery Writers of America Edgar Allen Poe Award for LaBrava (1983) and the International Association of Crime Writers' North American Hammett Prize for Maximum Bob (1991). In 1977, Hombre was named one of the 25 best western novels of all time by Western Writers of America. In 1978, The Switch was nominated for the Mystery Writers' best original paperback novel award, and in 1981, Split Images was nominated for the Mystery Writers' best novel award. Your preeminence in the genre of western and crime fiction is largely due to your much-acclaimed flair for suspense, originality, humor and dialogue. Your skill in the nuances of verbal communication is widely noted as one of your primary strengths. In recognition of your lifelong achievements as an author and your contribution to the field of modern fiction, the University of Detroit Mercy is pleased to bestow upon you and Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters Degree. Commencement, University of Detroit Mercy, May 10, 1997.