Michael W. Punke (born December 7, 1964) is an American author, attorney, academic, and policy analyst. He is a former Deputy
United States Trade Representative
The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) is an agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government responsible for developing and promoting Trade policy of the United States, American trade ...
and
U.S. Ambassador to the
World Trade Organization
The World Trade Organization (WTO) is an intergovernmental organization that regulates and facilitates international trade. With effective cooperation
in the United Nations System, governments use the organization to establish, revise, and e ...
in
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...
. In 2017, he became vice president for public policy at
Amazon Web Services
Amazon Web Services, Inc. (AWS) is a subsidiary of Amazon.com, Amazon that provides Software as a service, on-demand cloud computing computing platform, platforms and Application programming interface, APIs to individuals, companies, and gover ...
.
As an author, Punke is best known for writing ''
The Revenant: A Novel of Revenge'' (2002), which was adapted into film as ''
The Revenant'' (2015), directed by
Alejandro González Iñárritu
Alejandro González Iñárritu (; American Spanish: ; credited since 2016 as Alejandro G. Iñárritu; born 15 August 1963) is a Mexican filmmaker and screenwriter. He is primarily known for making modern psychological drama films about the hum ...
, with a screenplay by Iñárritu and
Mark L. Smith, and starring
Leonardo DiCaprio and
Tom Hardy.
Early life and education
Punke was born and raised in
Torrington, Wyoming
Torrington is a city in, and the county seat of, Goshen County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 6,501 at the 2010 census.
It is the home of Eastern Wyoming College, and is the surrounding region's center of commercial activity. With ...
, the son of Marilyn and Butch Punke, a high school biology teacher. He has a younger brother, Tim, and a sister, Amy. They engaged in various outdoor activities in the wilderness like fishing, hunting, hiking, shooting, and mountain biking.
When he was a teenager, he also spent at least three summers working at the
Fort Laramie National Historic Site
Fort Laramie (founded as Fort William and known for a while as Fort John) was a significant 19th-century trading-post, diplomatic site, and military installation located at the confluence of the Laramie and the North Platte rivers. They joined ...
as a "living history interpreter." He was also a debate team champion in high school, which he graduated early from to attend the
University of Massachusetts Amherst
The University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass Amherst, UMass) is a public research university in Amherst, Massachusetts and the sole public land-grant university in Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Founded in 1863 as an agricultural college, it ...
, later transferring to
George Washington University
, mottoeng = "God is Our Trust"
, established =
, type = Private federally chartered research university
, academic_affiliations =
, endowment = $2.8 billion (2022)
, preside ...
, where he graduated with a degree in
International Affairs
International relations (IR), sometimes referred to as international studies and international affairs, is the scientific study of interactions between sovereign states. In a broader sense, it concerns all activities between states—such as ...
from the
Elliott School of International Affairs
The Elliott School of International Affairs (known as the Elliott School or ESIA) is the professional school of international relations, foreign policy, and international development of the George Washington University, in Washington, D.C. It i ...
.
He later attended and received his
Juris Doctor
The Juris Doctor (J.D. or JD), also known as Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D., JD, D.Jur., or DJur), is a graduate-entry professional degree in law
and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. The J.D. is the standard degree obtained to practice law ...
degree from
Cornell Law School
Cornell Law School is the law school of Cornell University, a private Ivy League university in Ithaca, New York. One of the five Ivy League law schools, it offers four law degree programs, JD, LLM, MSLS and JSD, along with several dual-deg ...
, where he focused on trade law, and was elected to become editor-in-chief of the ''
Cornell International Law Journal
The ''Cornell International Law Journal'' is one of the oldest international law journals in the United States. It was founded in 1967 by members of the Cornell Society of International Law at Cornell Law School. The Journal is published four time ...
''.
Career
Upon graduation from Cornell Law in the 90s, Punke worked as a government staffer for Senator
Max Baucus
Maxwell Sieben Baucus ( Enke; born December 11, 1941) is an American politician who served as a United States senator from Montana from 1978 to 2014. A member of the Democratic Party, he was a U.S. senator for over 35 years, making him the longe ...
(D-
Montana
Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbi ...
),
who was later ambassador to China. Specifically, from 1991–92, Punke served as international trade counsel to Baucus, who was also then chairman of the
Senate Finance Committee
The United States Senate Committee on Finance (or, less formally, Senate Finance Committee) is a standing committee of the United States Senate. The Committee concerns itself with matters relating to taxation and other revenue measures generall ...
's International Trade Subcommittee.
Punke also met his wife Traci while working for Baucus.
During 1993–95, Punke then served at the
White House
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...
as director for international economic affairs and was jointly appointed to the
National Economic Council and the
National Security Council
A national security council (NSC) is usually an executive branch governmental body responsible for coordinating policy on national security issues and advising chief executives on matters related to national security. An NSC is often headed by a na ...
.
Work at the Office of the United States Trade Representative
In 1995–96, Punke became a Senior Policy Advisor at the
Office of the United States Trade Representative
The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) is an agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government responsible for developing and promoting Trade policy of the United States, American trade ...
(the USTR), where he advised them on issues ranging from intellectual property (IP) law to trade to agricultural law.
Punke has also worked on international trade issues from the private sector, including as a partner at the Washington, D.C., office of
Mayer, Brown, Rowe, & Maw. From 2003 to 2009, Punke consulted on public policy issues out of Missoula, Montana.
In 2009, President
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
selected Punke to serve as the Deputy United States Trade Representative and U.S. Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the
World Trade Organization
The World Trade Organization (WTO) is an intergovernmental organization that regulates and facilitates international trade. With effective cooperation
in the United Nations System, governments use the organization to establish, revise, and e ...
(WTO) in
Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...
.
Obama's selection of Punke for this position was also confirmed by the U.S. Senate in 2011.
Private sector work
Punke has been a partner at the law firm of
Mayer Brown
Mayer Brown is a global white-shoe law firm, headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, United States. It has offices in 27 cities across the Americas, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, with its largest offices being in Chicago, Washington, D.C., New Y ...
, resident in the
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
office and working on various matters involving international trade law. In the years of 2003 to 2009, Punke served as a consultant on various public policy matters and was also based in
Missoula, Montana
Missoula ( ; fla, label=Salish language, Séliš, Nłʔay, lit=Place of the Small Bull Trout, script=Latn; kut, Tuhuⱡnana, script=Latn) is a city in the U.S. state of Montana; it is the county seat of Missoula County, Montana, Missoula Cou ...
. In February 2017, Punke joined Amazon Web Services as Vice President for Global Public Policy.
Writing
''The Revenant: A Novel of Revenge''
Punke is the author of ''
The Revenant: A Novel of Revenge'', which was published by
Carroll & Graf
Carroll & Graf Publishers was an American publishing company based in New York City, New York, known for publishing a wide range of fiction and non-fiction by both new and established authors, as well as issuing reprints of previously hard-t ...
in 2002.
Punke allegedly came up with the idea to write the novel while on an airplane, after reading a couple of lines in a history book about real-life frontier fur trapper
Hugh Glass
Hugh Glass ( 1783 – 1833) was an American frontiersman, fur trapper, trader, hunter and explorer. He is best known for his story of survival and forgiveness after being left for dead by companions when he was mauled by a grizzly bear.
No rec ...
.
Punke was also working at the law firm of
Mayer Brown
Mayer Brown is a global white-shoe law firm, headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, United States. It has offices in 27 cities across the Americas, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, with its largest offices being in Chicago, Washington, D.C., New Y ...
at the time when he started the book (1997), so he would go to the office as early as 5:00 AM before anyone else got there to write pages for roughly three hours, and then do his job for eight to ten hours.
The book took a total of four years to complete and according to his brother Tim, Punke actually caught pneumonia at least four times during the writing process.
Punke also performed extensive research on Glass, which included setting up and testing real hunting traps.
The book was published in 2002 to little fanfare, although Punke was able to sell movie rights to it.
Once he discovered the novel, Director
Alejandro G. Iñárritu fought for it to be made into a movie, where other directors such as
Park Chan-Wook
Park Chan-wook ( ; born 23 August 1963) is a South Korean film director, screenwriter, producer, and former film critic. He is considered as one of the most prominent filmmakers of South Korean cinema as well as world cinema in 21st century. H ...
and producers such as
Megan Ellison
Margaret Elizabeth Ellison (born January 31, 1986) is an American film producer and entrepreneur. She is the founder of Annapurna Pictures, established in 2011. She produced the films ''Zero Dark Thirty'' (2012), '' Her'' (2013), '' American Hu ...
were also attached.
After Punke relocated with his wife Traci and their two children to
Missoula, Montana
Missoula ( ; fla, label=Salish language, Séliš, Nłʔay, lit=Place of the Small Bull Trout, script=Latn; kut, Tuhuⱡnana, script=Latn) is a city in the U.S. state of Montana; it is the county seat of Missoula County, Montana, Missoula Cou ...
, where he worked part-time as a policy consultant and an adjunct professor at the
University of Montana
The University of Montana (UM) is a public research university in Missoula, Montana. UM is a flagship institution of the Montana University System and its second largest campus. UM reported 10,962 undergraduate and graduate students in the fal ...
, he finished two screenplays as well as two non-fiction books, one about the fight to save the
Buffalo – ''Last Stand'' (2007) – and the other about a
mining disaster that occurred in
North Butte, Montana
Butte ( ) is a consolidated city-county and the county seat of Silver Bow County, Montana, United States. In 1977, the city and county governments consolidated to form the sole entity of Butte-Silver Bow. The city covers , and, according to the ...
– ''Fire and Brimstone: The North Butte Mining Disaster of 1917'' (2013).
During his time as ambassador to the WTO, Punke was permitted to receive royalties from sales of his books, though he was prohibited from promoting them in any way, due to ethics policies preventing federal officials from self-enrichment. As his tenure coincided with the 2015 release of 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 ''The Revenant'', he did not attend any public or promotional events related to the film. Instead, family members represented and spoke for him during that time.
''Fire and Brimstone: The North Butte Mining Disaster of 1917''
In 2006, Punke published a non-fiction book, via
Hachette Books
Hachette Books, formerly Hyperion Books, is a general-interest book imprint of the Perseus Books Group, which is a division of Hachette Book Group and ultimately a part of Lagardère Group. Established in 1990, Hachette publishes general-intere ...
, that covered a mining disaster that occurred in North Butte, Montana during 1917. The book was a finalist for the Mountains and Plains Booksellers Award. A reprint edition was also published in 2007. The book has received favorable reviews from
Publishers Weekly
''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of B ...
,
Booklist
''Booklist'' is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. ''Booklist''s primary audience consists of libraries, educators, and booksellers. The magazine is av ...
,
Kirkus Reviews
''Kirkus Reviews'' (or ''Kirkus Media'') is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus (1893–1980). The magazine is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fic ...
and other sources.
''Last Stand''
Harper Collins
HarperCollins Publishers LLC is one of the Big Five English-language publishing companies, alongside Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, Hachette, and Macmillan. The company is headquartered in New York City and is a subsidiary of News Corp ...
published Punke's non-fiction book about saving the
Buffalo – ''Last Stand'' – in 2007.
The subtitle of the book is "George Bird Grinnell, the Battle to Save the Buffalo, and the Birth of the New West."
Other writing work
Punke also wrote the introduction to a contemporary reprint of
Mari Sandoz
Mari Susette Sandoz (May 11, 1896 – March 10, 1966) was a Nebraska novelist, biographer, lecturer, and teacher. She became one of the West's foremost writers, and wrote extensively about pioneer life and the Plains Indians.Bristow, David ...
's 1954 book, ''The Buffalo Hunters: The Story of the Hide Men''.
Punke was also the historical correspondent for ''Montana Quarterly'' magazine.
Bibliography
Fiction
*''
The Revenant: A Novel of Revenge'' (2002)
*''Ridgeline'' (2021)
Non-fiction
*
Fire and Brimstone: The North Butte Mining Disaster of 1917' (2006),
*''Last Stand'' (2007)
References
External links
Michael Punke at Harper CollinsMichael Punke's Books at GoodReadsMaxim Magazine Profile of Michael Punke*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Punke, Michael
1964 births
20th-century American lawyers
21st-century American lawyers
21st-century American male writers
21st-century American non-fiction writers
21st-century American novelists
American Western (genre) novelists
American diplomats
American male non-fiction writers
American male novelists
Cornell Law School alumni
Elliott School of International Affairs alumni
Living people
Montana Democrats
Montana lawyers
Permanent Representatives to the World Trade Organization
Recess appointments
Writers from Missoula, Montana
Obama administration personnel