Michael Lennox Blake (July 5, 1945 – May 2, 2015) was an American author, best known for the

film adaptation A film adaptation is the transfer of a work or story, in whole or in part, to a feature film. Although often considered a type of derivative work, film adaptation has been conceptualized recently by academic scholars such as Robert Stam as a dial ...

of his novel ''

Dances with Wolves ''Dances with Wolves'' is a 1990 American epic western film starring, directed, and produced by Kevin Costner in his feature directorial debut. It is a film adaptation of the 1988 novel ''Dances with Wolves'' by Michael Blake that tells the s ...

'', for which he won an

Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay The Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay is the Academy Award for the best screenplay adapted from previously established material. The most frequently adapted media are novels, but other adapted narrative formats include stage plays, musica ...

Biography

Early in his life, Blake's family lived in Texas, before moving to Southern California, where they moved frequently. He began writing when he was stationed at

Walker Air Force Base Walker Air Force Base is a closed United States Air Force base located three miles (5 km) south of the central business district of Roswell, New Mexico. It was opened in 1941 as an Army Air Corps flying school and was active during World ...

, where he wrote for the base newspaper. He studied journalism at the

University of New Mexico The University of New Mexico (UNM; es, Universidad de Nuevo México) is a public research university in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Founded in 1889, it is the state's flagship academic institution and the largest by enrollment, with over 25,400 ...

, and later studied at a film school in

Berkeley, California Berkeley ( ) is a city on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay in northern Alameda County, California, United States. It is named after the 18th-century Irish bishop and philosopher George Berkeley. It borders the cities of Oakland and Emer ...

. He also attended

Eastern New Mexico University Eastern New Mexico University (ENMU or Eastern) is a public university with a main campus in Portales, New Mexico, and two associate degree-granting branches, one at Ruidoso and one at Roswell. ENMU is New Mexico's largest regional comprehensi ...

in Portales. In the late 1970s, he moved to Los Angeles; during the 1980s, only one of his screenplays was produced, called ''

Stacy's Knights ''Stacy's Knights'' is a 1983 American film directed by Jim Wilson (producer), Jim Wilson. The film is also known as ''Double Down'', ''The Touch'' (American video title), ''Winning Streak'' (British video title). Plot summary Stacy (Andra Mi ...

''. The movie starred

Kevin Costner Kevin Michael Costner (born January 18, 1955) is an American actor, producer, film director and musician. He has received various accolades, including two Academy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and two Screen Actor ...

, who later encouraged him to continue to write, and introduced him to key figures in the Hollywood Industry. ''Dances with Wolves'' was the result; Kevin Costner then asked him to write a screenplay for the

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

based on the novel. He went on to do humanitarian work, and continued to write. Michael Blake had three brothers, James A. Webb, David Webb and Dan Webb, former principal of

John Muir High School John Muir High School is a four-year comprehensive secondary school in Pasadena, California, United States and is a part of the Pasadena Unified School District. The school is named after preservationist John Muir. History In 1926 the Pasadena ...

in Pasadena, California. He died on May 2, 2015, after a long illness in

Tucson, Arizona , "(at the) base of the black ill , nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town" , image_map = , mapsize = 260px , map_caption = Interactive map ...

Works

Screenplays

* ''

'' (1983) * ''

'' (1990) * ''Winding Stair'' (1998) also directed * ''The One'' (in development) * ''The Holy Road'' (in development) * ''Winnetou'' (in development)

Novels

* ''

'' (1988) Fawcett Gold Medal * ''Airman Mortensen'' (1991) Seven Wolves Publishing * ''Marching to Valhalla'' (1996)

Villard Books Villard, also known as Villard Books, is a publishing imprint of Random House, one of the largest publishing companies in the world, owned by Bertelsmann since 1998 and grouped in Penguin Random House since 2013. It was founded in 1983. Villard beg ...

* ''The Holy Road'' (2001) Villard Books * ''Dances with Wolves, 20th Anniversary'' (2011 eBook) ZOVA Books * '' The Holy Road'' (2011) ZOVA Books * ''Into the Stars'' (2011) ZOVA Books

Non-fiction

* ''Like a Running Dog'' (2002) Autobiography * ''Indian Yell'' (2006) * ''Twelve the King'' (2009)

Awards

Academy Award for Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay) The Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay is the Academy Award for the best screenplay adapted from previously established material. The most frequently adapted media are novels, but other adapted narrative formats include stage plays, musica ...

Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay The Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay – Motion Picture is a Golden Globe Award given by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Winners and nominees 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s See also * Acad ...

Writers Guild of America Award The Writers Guild of America Awards is an award for film, television, and radio writing including both fiction and non-fiction categories given by the Writers Guild of America, East and Writers Guild of America West since 1949. Eligibility Th ...

for Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium *

Spur Award Spur Awards are literary prizes awarded annually by the Western Writers of America (WWA). The purpose of the Spur Awards is to honor writers for distinguished writing about the American West. The Spur awards began in 1953, the same year the WWA wa ...

for Best Motion Picture * Cancervive Victory Award * Eleanor Roosevelt Award for work with minorities and the environment *

Animal Protection Institute The Animal Protection Institute (API) was a national, nonprofit animal advocacy organization based in Sacramento, California that in 2007, as part of its affiliation with the Born Free Foundation, was renamed Born Free USA. Founded in 1968, API's ...

’s Humanitarian of the Year *

Air Force Sergeants Association The Air Force Sergeants Association (AFSA) is a non-profit organization representing the professional and personal interests of nearly 111,000 active, retired and veteran total enlisted members of the United States Air Force and their families. ...

’s Americanism Award (1992) * Amanda Blake Award * American Library Association's Library Hero Award * Environmental Media Award * Golden Quill

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Blake, Michael 20th-century American novelists 20th-century American male writers 1945 births 2015 deaths People from Portales, New Mexico Writers from New Mexico Novelists from North Carolina Eastern New Mexico University alumni Writers Guild of America Award winners University of New Mexico alumni American male screenwriters 21st-century American novelists Best Screenplay Golden Globe winners Best Adapted Screenplay Academy Award winners American male novelists 21st-century American male writers People from Fort Bragg, North Carolina Screenwriters from North Carolina Screenwriters from New Mexico