Westlakes kindercare: Westlakes KinderCare | Daycare, Preschool & Early Education in West Des Moines, IA

Westlakes KinderCare | Daycare, Preschool & Early Education in West Des Moines, IA

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Westlakes KinderCare

Welcome to Westlakes KinderCare

Welcome to Westlakes KinderCare in West Des Moines, Iowa! Our center sits on University Avenue, east of Des Moines Golf and Country Club. We are passionate about education and creating joyful experiences. Our expert team strives to embrace whole-child development, helping your child grow socially, emotionally, and cognitively. Our mission is that you feel welcomed and part of our KinderCare family the moment you walk through our center doors!

Our classrooms are places to thrive! 
In our safe and healthy classrooms, your child will be engaged in learning experiences that meet them where they are, both socially and academically. With fun daily activities, passionate teachers, and great friends, a lifetime of confidence starts here. Contact the center director to learn more about our child care options and schedule a tour! 

Meet Stacie Cardoza, Our Center Director

Meet Stacie Cardoza! She is the Center Director at Westlakes KinderCare in West Des Moines, IA. Stacie attended Des Moines Area Community College where she earned an Associate Degree. She has been with KinderCare for eight years, and before that she was a teacher and an assistant director. Outside of work, Stacie enjoys watching movies, being outdoors, and spending time with her family. Her favorite quote is, “It’s going to be hard, but hard does not mean impossible.” 

• Westlakes KinderCare Programs
• Our Teachers
• Family Stories
• FAQs

AMERICA’S MOST ACCREDITED

We’re so proud!

Nationally only 10% of daycares are accredited – nearly 100% of our learning centers are. That’s a big difference,
and that means KinderCare kids are getting the very best. Here’s why.

SCHOOL-READY

What Learning Looks Like

Our talented early-childhood teachers set kids down the path toward becoming lifelong learners in a positive, safe, and nurturing environment.

Westlakes KinderCare Programs

Infant Programs (6 weeks-1 year)

Leaving your baby in someone else’s care is a big step. Everyone at our
centers—most importantly, our naturally gifted infant teachers—will work with
you to make sure the transition goes smoothly. When you step into our infant
classroom, you’ll see how much we want your infant to feel safe, loved, and
ready to explore their world.

Toddler Programs (1-2 Years)

Everything in our toddler classroom is designed for little explorers. That’s
because a lot is going on at this age. When your child is wandering all over the
place, that means they’re learning and discovering new things every day. We’ll
help them explore their interests (and find new ones!) as they play and learn.

Discovery Preschool Programs (2-3 Years)

This age is filled with so much wonder and curiosity. That’s why we offer a ton
of books and toys and bring artwork down to kids eye level. Children in
discovery preschool also begin to learn how we all work together in a
classroom. Simple math and science, pretend play, and group play help them
get used to a more structured school setting.

Preschool Programs (3-4 Years)

This age is all about expression, when kids really start to form their own ideas
about what they want to play and how they want to create. Every day in our
preschool classroom, your child will explore science experiments, create
artwork, and play pretend—all the skills needed for their big next step:
kindergarten!

Prekindergarten Programs (4-5 Years)

When you walk into one of our pre-K classrooms, you’ll see artwork and
writing displayed around the room. Labels are everywhere to help kids connect
letters with words. You’ll also see pictures on the walls that reflect the families
in our community. Your child will also deepen their knowledge in language,
math, science, Spanish, and social skills.

School Break Programs (preschool, prekindergarten, and school-age)

Winter break, spring break, summer break—when school’s out (but you still need to work), you
can count on KinderCare to provide a safe and supportive learning environment that’s focused
on fun. We welcome children ages 5–12 during school break times and make sure they have a
sensational, screen-free experience they won’t forget.

Learning Adventures – Enrichment Program

Cooking Academy™ (3-12 Years)

In Cooking Academy, kids learn new recipes from cultures around the world and
develop a healthy relationship with food. They’ll whip up everything from Southwest
rainbow lettuce wraps to pumpkin muffins, building their skills in STEM, communication,
and more along the way. And yes—little chefs get to eat their culinary creations!

Phonics Adventures® (2-4 Years)

Learning how to read is a whole lot of fun at KinderCare! We help kids grow to love
books and words (and get ready for kindergarten) in our Phonics Adventures program.
From discovering the basics of vowels to practicing poetry, kids learn all about letters
and sounds in small-group lessons made just for their age group. (Bonus: Kids who
attend our phonics program are more prepared than their peers for school—and we
have the data to prove it.)

STEM Innovators (3-8 Years)

You’ve probably heard a lot about how important STEM education is for your child, but
what does that really mean? Our STEM Innovators program takes kids’ natural ability to
make sense of the world and applies it to robotics, chemistry, coding, geology, and
more. While your child experiments, they’ll discover how to use technology to do
amazing things!

ABC Music & Me

Our Teachers

We’re the only company in early childhood education to select teachers based on natural talent. Being a great educator isn’t enough though.
KinderCare teachers are also amazing listeners, nurturers, boo-boo fixers, and smile-makers. Put more simply,
we love our teachers and your child will, too.

Meet just a few of our amazing KinderCare teachers!

A KINDERCARE TEACHER WITH

An Artist’s Heart

“My classroom is full of art!” says Mary Annthipie-Bane, an award-winning early childhood educator at KinderCare. Art and creative expression, she says, help children discover who they really are.

We put our best-in-class teachers in a best-in-class workplace. We’re so proud to have been named one of Gallup’s 37 winners of the Great Workplace Award.
When you put great teachers in an engaging center, your children will experience
an amazing place to learn and grow.

Family Stories

Don’t take our word for it. Hear what our families have to say about our amazing center!

• Our family has been at Westlakes KinderCare for over five years now. We couldn’t be happier with the care and education that our children have received. Westlakes KinderCare is truly a learning center. The teachers are educated and have made a lasting impression on our family. They are an extension of our immediate family; we are so blessed to have them in our lives! Anna and Rachel are so accommodating and helpful. They care about us and the well-being of our children. All of the staff are the same way, they love my children and I feel so comfortable and confident leaving them in their care every day. They are amazing! I refer all of my friends because everyone should give their children the opportunity to have an education in this warm and safe environment! Thank you to Anna and the staff for everything that you do!

  P.L.

  – KinderCare Parent

• My younger son started daycare with you guys at about ten weeks old. I was so excited to have him attend the school where his older brother had such success. The ladies in the Infant Classroom were so awesome! I had to pull him out about three weeks later, though, due to unforeseen circumstances at my job. When I was getting close to returning to work, I called Anna and Rachel, and found there were no openings. I was devastated. I put my name on the list and patiently waited and hoped I’d hear back. I looked at another daycare here in West Des Moines, and they seemed like any other average daycare. There were no warm and fuzzies when I visited. KinderCare had been such a stellar experience for us that I just hated the thought of putting him anywhere else. When I got the call that there was an opening, I was overjoyed! The teachers in his new room, Ms. Martha, Ms. Amanda, and Ms. Sydney, have been so sweet and patient with him. He has had a difficult transition from staying home with me to returning to daycare at 15 months old. They genuinely seem excited to see him every morning, and I can see the love and kindness they treat the other kids with as well. They truly love their jobs, and it shows. One morning a few weeks ago, I came in to see Ms. Martha sitting in the bathroom with one of the little ones. She was encouraging them to potty and making silly noises and playing with a light-up toy with them. I was just overwhelmed by a sense of how lucky I am to have these great people to care for my son. I could not be more pleased. It is truly a joy to bring my son to them every morning. From the smiling faces at the front door when we arrive to all the awesome teachers on the way to his room, his great teachers are the cherry on the top. KinderCare is by far the best daycare I have ever used, and, if I have it my way, I’ll always use you guys. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking such good care of my little guys!

  Lindsay H.

  – KinderCare Parent

• It is a great feeling knowing that while I am at work my son is receiving the best care imaginable at the Westlakes KinderCare located on University Avenue in West Des Moines. Right away in the morning, as we walk in the door, we are greeted with warm hellos and bright smiles from the management team; Tracy and Anna are always more than willing to assist me with whatever I may need and are always there to listen. As you walk through the secured access entry system, you hear sounds of laughter and the welcoming voices of the teachers greeting the children and parents as they walk in the classroom. It is certainly evident that the Westlakes KinderCare is not a daycare facility, but a true learning center. In fact, every time I enter our KinderCare, I am reminded of what makes the center so remarkable: the artwork, projects, and pictures of the children doing those learning activities are displayed neatly on each of the classroom walls. I can tell that these educated, tenured teachers are proud and happy to work with my child; their smiling faces and clean, curriculum-filled classrooms say it all. If you are looking for a safe and caring environment that gives your child an educational advantage while you are at work, the Westlakes KinderCare is the place for you!

  J.P. – KinderCare Parent

• “You know what your problem is, don’t you?” my sister rhetorically asked me in August. “You make these people your best friends, and then every year you have to leave your best friends behind. That’s your problem.” It was so matter of fact, it stung. But she was right. I had made my children’s teachers my bestest of friends, then my children left their rooms, and there I was, mourning the loss of my beloveds.

  Everyone has a story. And for those of you who don’t know us, our story began almost six years ago, when we were told our baby boy had a heart defect–a lethal one. Modern medical advances could prolong his life through a series of surgeries, but there would likely be consequences. Saving his heart came at the cost of a few other things. He needed thickened liquids to drink, he barely ate, he needed g-tube feedings, his language and motor skills were behind, his body got tired quickly.  

  …He’s perfect, of course, it’s his body that needs a little help. This was going to be my selling point when I met Anna.

  I stopped by for a tour of KinderCare on a day the power went out, and Anna still had a smile on her face. I had carefully constructed a speech in my head to convey my son’s needs without scaring her into thinking he might die under her roof, while also somehow telling her how amazing he was that investing in him would be worth it. And I had to admit my daughter needed to be hugged for 30 minutes by a teacher at drop off in order for her to feel secure. So not a needy family at all. I’d had lots of other tours at other daycares before. Anna’s face was the only one whose smile didn’t fade when I mentioned a feeding tube; hers the only eyes that stayed focused on mine as I outlined what it would take from his teachers. I fell away from my carefully crafted speech. I revealed details of our lives that were totally unnecessary. I shed a few tears. I took up way more time than her paper planner had lined out for me. And she hugged me in her perfect little well-dressed arms and said they would do whatever it took. And I believed her.

  My son landed in Miss Shannon’s room, and the thing about Miss Shannon is that you always know what she’s thinking–which is beautiful, and perfect for my son. I knew she wasn’t thrilled about the g-tube. I’m not a fan of it myself, either. Forcing him to put on his own shoes as he cries because it’s hard? Not easy, but totally necessary. Encouraging him to eat…every.single.day. Exasperating. Also necessary. Trying to decipher if he really does have to pee or he’s just trying to get out of writing? This requires an advanced medical degree. But she did it. And I think this is how I fell in love with Shannon. Because she was fighting my same battles with my exact same thoughts. And then, she got better than me. She got my son’s friends to help him to eat. She got him to eat things at school that he won’t eat at home. She never let him get away with something other kids wouldn’t get by with. She advocated for him sticking up for himself, for him getting more and more independent. She was always paying attention. She put lotion on his dry hands, calmed him though dry-heaving spells, and managed to see my lovely sweet boy through all that extra work. 

  Now my son has this crazy schedule where he gets off a bus at lunchtime and is at KinderCare in the afternoons. Miss April, Miss Rachel, and Miss Anna all get him off the bus now. I want to be the one to see him get off the bus, but I can’t, so they do such a wonderful job of telling me exactly what he looked like and what he talked about. On his first day, they let him call me at work to talk to me when he got off the bus, and he had so much to say he could barely get the words out. In my absence, these girls still made it meaningful. 

  And then there is my daughter. I prayed when I was pregnant with her that God would somehow see to it that she wouldn’t get overlooked in the chaos that surrounded my son’s needs. And for those who know her, she refuses to get overlooked. Miss April is especially adept at getting her out of her ornery moods when she’s giving you the “drop dead” look that is usually followed by high-pitched yelling. Miss Nicole used to play Frozen songs just for her (and probably every other girl in that class). Those teachers potty trained my daughter, because I was going to wait until she was ten (because who has time for that?), and they just asked one day if they could do it themselves. Yes, please. When Nicole got pregnant, I basically begged her to take my son’s infant things. We didn’t need them anymore, but it was hard for me to part with them. I had such strong emotions attached to everything. His crib was the only piece of furniture we bought before he came home. I didn’t want to have a room for a baby that never got to come home. And Miss Nicole had become like family; I entrusted her with what I held dear. And Miss Payton, well, I asked her some hard questions about her life, her brother, and she sat and talked to me, with tears streaming down our faces, about life, and how beautiful and hard it all is. KinderCare is truly a place that just gets us.

  And I’d like to mention my nephew, because his teachers have always been so supportive of me coming in to see him. My visits are almost always ill-timed, like right in the middle of story time, or the end of nap time, and his teachers have never once acted irritated that I interrupted to give that little slugger a hug. I’m sure that’s annoying, but thanks for faking that it’s not. I remember when my daughter first started and my nephew and her were in the same class, fighting about who got to sit on my lap when I visited, and it was so disruptive to story time, but their teachers just acted like it was so great that I was there. And when people are this kind to you, when they are this invested in your life, you love them.     

  Like when I come in the front door and Anna and Rachel act like they have nothing better or more productive to do than listen to whatever drama I’m telling them about our lives. Or how Mr. Jerome always says “hey hey” to my daughter and points at her, and last week, she pointed back! It was like she and Mr. Jerome had some secret language, and it was so so adorable.  

  So how can I not love them all as my own? They are people that I look forward to seeing at the end of my day. People that I care about so much, it hurts when I don’t see them every day anymore. They are raising my children right next to me. What they do matters…and to my kids’ new sets of teachers, prepare for being my future besties!  

  S.B. – KinderCare Parent

Share Your Story


If you have a story about your experience at KinderCare,

please share your story with us
.

Who Are KinderCare Families?

They hail from hundreds of cities across the country from countless backgrounds, and proudly represent every walk in life. What our families have in common,
though, is the want to give their children the best start in life. We are so proud to be their partner in parenting.

Hear from just a few of our amazing KinderCare families.

A Globe-Trotting Family Finds A

Home in Houston

Four young children, four different passports, two languages, two full-time jobs…oh, and a few triathlons thrown in for good measure.
Meet the globe-trotting Colettas—a family on the go.

Frequently Asked Questions

What accreditations does KinderCare have?

We are your trusted caregiver. Our centers are state-licensed and regularly inspected to make sure everything meets or exceeds standards, including child-to-teacher ratios and safe facilities. Our centers aren’t just licensed—most are accredited, too! Find out more.

Do you offer part-time schedules at Westlakes KinderCare?

Everybody’s schedule is different. We’re happy to offer quality, affordable part-time and full-time childcare. Drop-in care may also be available. Reach out to your Center Director to learn more.

How does naptime work at Westlakes KinderCare?

Our teachers meet every child’s needs during naptime. Our teachers know how to get babies to nap. In fact, they are pros at getting children of any age to nap. Visit our article on “10 Ways We Help Kids Get a Great Daycare Nap” to learn more.

Do you support alternative diets?

We strive to be as inclusive as possible. To that point, we provide a vegetarian option at mealtime, take care to not serve common allergens and can adapt menus based on your child’s food sensitivities. If your child has additional needs, we’ll work with you to figure out a plan.

Are meals included in tuition? Can I choose to send my child with lunch?

We provide nutritious meals and snacks developed by a registered dietician to meet the needs of rapidly growing bodies and minds. If your child has special dietary requirements and you would prefer to bring in their lunch, please make arrangements with the center director.

Does my child need to be potty-trained?

Every child begins toilet learning at a different age. Until your child shows an interest in toilet learning, we’ll provide diaper changes on an as-needed basis. When your child shows an interest, we’ll discuss how to work together to encourage toilet learning.

Daycare, Preschool & Child Care Centers in Westlakes Kindercare, IA

ALL CENTERS
> DAYCARE IN WESTLAKES KINDERCARE, IA

KinderCare has partnered with Westlakes Kindercare families for more than 50 years to provide award-winning early education programs and high-quality childcare in Westlakes Kindercare, IA.

Whether you are looking for a preschool in Westlakes Kindercare, a trusted part-time or full-time daycare provider, or educational before- or after-school programs, KinderCare offers fun and learning at an affordable price.

10 Daycare, Preschool & Child Care Centers in
Westlakes Kindercare,
IA

1. 1. Westlakes KinderCare

   0.0 miles Away:
   6670 University Ave,
   West Des Moines,
   IA
   50266
   Ages:
   6 weeks to 5 years
   Open:6:30 AM to 6:00 PM, M-F

   TUITION & OPENINGS

   (515) 221-0718

2. 2. Country Club KinderCare

   0.9 miles Away:
   7210 Vista Dr,
   West Des Moines,
   IA
   50266
   Ages:
   6 weeks to 5 years
   Open:6:30 AM to 6:00 PM, M-F

   TUITION & OPENINGS

   (515) 222-9685

3. 3.

   Hickman KinderCare

   1.8 miles Away:
   15200 Hickman Rd,
   Clive,
   IA
   50325
   Ages:
   6 weeks to 5 years
   Open:6:30 AM to 6:00 PM, M-F

   TUITION & OPENINGS

   (515) 987-5755

4. 4. West Des Moines KinderCare

   3.1 miles Away:
   865 S 51st Street,
   West Des Moines,
   IA
   50265
   Ages:
   6 weeks to 5 years
   Open:6:30 AM to 6:00 PM, M-F

   TUITION & OPENINGS

   (515) 267-1951

5. 5.

   Waukee KinderCare

   3.2 miles Away:
   1155 SE Kettlestone Blvd,
   Waukee,
   IA
   50263
   Ages:
   6 weeks to 5 years
   Open:6:30 AM to 6:00 PM, M-F

   TUITION & OPENINGS

   (971) 303-6413

6. 6. Johnston KinderCare

   5.7 miles Away:
   8601 Thomas Ave,
   Johnston,
   IA
   50131
   Ages:
   6 weeks to 5 years
   Open:6:30 AM to 6:00 PM, M-F

   TUITION & OPENINGS

   (515) 214-1036

7. 7.

   Grimes KinderCare

   6.9 miles Away:
   1101 NE Gateway Dr.,
   Grimes,
   IA
   50111
   Ages:
   6 weeks to 5 years
   Open:6:30 AM to 6:30 PM, M-F

   TUITION & OPENINGS

   (515) 644-5282

8. 8. Oralabor KinderCare

   12.4 miles Away:
   225 SW Oralabor Road,
   Ankeny,
   IA
   50023
   Ages:
   6 weeks to 5 years
   Open:6:30 AM to 6:00 PM, M-F

   TUITION & OPENINGS

   (515) 963-9095

9. 9.

   Pleasant Hill KinderCare

   14.3 miles Away:
   1425 Copper Creek Dr,
   Pleasant Hill,
   IA
   50327
   Ages:
   6 weeks to 12 years
   Open:6:30 AM to 6:00 PM, M-F

   TUITION & OPENINGS

   (515) 262-3838

10. 10. Ankeny KinderCare

    14.9 miles Away:
    3055 N. Ankeny Blvd,
    Ankeny,
    IA
    50021
    Ages:
    6 weeks to 12 years
    Open:6:30 AM to 6:00 PM, M-F

    TUITION & OPENINGS

    (515) 964-0688

Donald Westlake | Donald Westlake

Author A. Vladimirovich To read 17 min Views 2.4k. Posted by 12.07.2012
Updated 02/27/2022

American writer Donald Westlake is known for several popular series of crime novels with a comic focus.

Contents

1. Donald Westlake. Biography
2. About creativity
3. Articles
4. One in three persons
5. Selected bibliography
6. Alan Marshall pseudonym
7. Phil Crawford series
8. Edwin West pseudonym

900 15 Under the pseudonym Richard Stark (Richard Stark)

9. Parker series
10. Alan Grofield series
11. Tucker Coe alias, Mitchell Tobin series
12. Samuel Holt alias
13. Published under own name
14. Dortmunder series

Donald Westlake. Biography

Donald Edwin Westlake ( Donald Edwin Westlake ) was born July 12, 1933 in Brooklyn. He was educated at Champlain College and the State University of New York at Binghamton. From 1954 to 1956 he served in the US Air Force.

In 1957 he married Nedra Henderson ( Nedra Henderson ). But the marriage lasted less than ten years, so at 19In 67, Westlake marries Sandra Foley ( Sandra Foley ), with whom the writer also lived together for less than ten years. Despite short marriages, Westlake was the father of four children.

Westlake approached the next marriage more seriously, in 1979 he married the writer Abigail Adams (Abigail Adams), who actively helped him in his creative work and even became a co-author of two novels.

After returning from the army, Westlake changed several jobs in six months, after which he quickly decided that he wanted to become a professional writer. Westlake’s first novel came out at 1960, after which he wrote more than 60 novels during his life.

Some of his works were published under his own name, but most under pseudonyms: Richard Stark ( Richard Stark ), Tucker Coe ( Tucker Coe ), Curt Clark ( Curt Clark ) and Timothy J. Culver ( Timothy J .Culver ). Westlake quickly became one of the most prolific writers in popular literature. The American writer was distinguished not only by his versatility, leaving behind works in a variety of genres from science fiction and detective to children’s stories, but also by quality. For example, a crime novel with a comic twist God Save the Mark ( God Save the Mark ) won the Detective Writers Association of America Edgar Award for demonstrating Westlake’s literary excellence.

Interestingly, the writer was well aware of the need for a balance between literature and popularization, as can be seen from his interview, where he thoughtfully talks about his experience and relationship with publishing houses and a literary agency.

About creativity

Combining the twisted suspense of the detective with high-energy elements of comedy, Donald Westlake invented his own form of crime detective, comic incidents ( comic caper ). It was humor that became one of the most important elements in Westlake’s work.

In most of Westlake’s stories, the bumbling heroes face the collapse of their hopes and aspirations and the complete destruction of their daily lives, while at the same time they manage to escape punishment or retribution, and also get rid of dangerous enemies. As a result, despite the complete removal of tension and the absence of danger in the final, a kind of happy ending, the heroes remain with a broken trough . This is a simplistic version that Westlake usually elaborates in exquisite detail by expanding it or rearranging plot twists. For example, the reader is mesmerized by the incredibly complex and daring plans of Dortmunder, the hero of one of the Westlake series, but involuntarily laughs when it all suddenly collapses in the finale. Laughter inevitably appears at the end of Westlake’s stories, as an indispensable element of the subgenre he created.

Westlake’s novels were loved by directors, not only American, but also English and French. Actors adored him even more, because films based on his books made the audience laugh, and at the same time did not humiliate, but exalted the actors. Westlake has also worked in the film industry, the most famous example of his collaboration being the screenplay for the film Grifters ( The Grifters , 1990) based on the novel by Jim Thompson, won an Oscar.

Donald Westlake unique winner of four Edgars, the highest honor of the American Detective Writers Association. He received the first award, as we have already mentioned for the novel in 1967, the second award was given to him for the story Too Many Crooks ( Too Many Crooks , 1989), published in Playboy . The third Edgar was for the screenplay for the film Scammers, and at 19In 1993, the writer became the owner of the title of Grand Master. In addition to these distinctions, Donald Westlake is the recipient of numerous literary awards and prizes.

One in three persons

Preface to Collected Works in three volumes
Greenwich Village in New York is about the same as Soho in London or Montmartre in Paris. Artists and artists, sculptors and sculptors, actors and actresses, their Mistresses and lovers, girlfriends and boyfriends are found here – in a word, all kinds of bohemian and near-bohemian personalities who, like representatives of all bohemians in the world, look very much like one another, but at the same time, of course, they persistently repeat about their boundless originality and originality.

No inhabitant of Greenwich Village knows half the street names of this area, located in the southwest of Manhattan Island, west of Washington Square. The local natives curse their streets, because they all have one-way traffic and always lead not where you need to go, but in the opposite direction.

One of these remarkable streets bears the somewhat frivolous name of Bleecker Street. It is so long and narrow that it seems as if the tangled giblets of a huge city were stretched into a more or less rectum and laid here as a visual aid for studying the mores of the local spiritual class of people of art. To walk along this street, one needs a certain courage and looseness of thought, since artists, actors and lovers with mistresses scurry along it on unsteady legs more often than on firm ones, and the air is filled with the fragrance of numerous drinking establishments. True, you won’t see any drunkards resting on the pavement, or drug addicts groping around, but you will immediately notice the clearest evidence of the vileness of these places – the only store in the whole of New York, and possibly the rest of the world, that sells only and exclusively condoms of the most unthinkable colors and styles.

Now, I hope you have an idea where you are. One gets the impression that Bleecker Street is a street from a fairy tale or some kind of Kafkaesque dream: one cannot believe that it has an end at all. But, come on, there is, and very worthy. There is a three-story house at number 409, one of the two entrances of which is hidden by a simple green door (remember O’Henry’s story of the same name?). Behind this door lurked a rather spacious, comfortable and modest apartment, a kind of quiet abode in the stormy sea of ​​bohemian New York. Since it is a monastery, it means that there are inhabitants in it. Here lives a man who, like every mortal, has a human name, but in addition to it, there are also many other names, a good half of which he himself does not remember.

No, he is not a super spy hiding under a pile of disguises. On the contrary, he has a sweet, open face. This man is sixty-two years old, almost six and a half feet tall, he is stooped, smiling, damn smart, moderately bohemian, brilliantly educated, married by his third marriage, blowing dust off his new wife, Abby Adams, and at the same time still manages to scribbling scripts, books, plays – one after another, one after another, one after another . .. And everyone is different, although, perhaps, equally interesting.

The smiling, round-shouldered man’s name, as far as he can remember, is Donald Edwin Westlake Tucker Coe Richard Stark, and so on and so forth. Very sonorous and lengthy, although he is not at all a Spanish grandee, a Brazilian football player or a Puerto Rican grocery store owner. Only Donald Edwin Westlake is the real name received by a smiling person at birth (and he was born under the constellation Leo in 1933 in the administrative center of the state of New York, the city of Albany), and everything that follows him is Richard Stark, Tucker Coe and there are many other things – only literary pseudonyms.

Understanding what considerations Westlake is guided by when he signs his numerous works is very difficult. He doesn’t really know it himself. This is unknown to the publishers, since on the books published by him under a pseudonym it appears: Donald Westlake, and below, in brackets, is Tucker Coe, or Richard Stark, or something else. Therefore, the concept of a pseudonym as such in relation to Westlake has a purely conventional, if not completely playful, meaning. It is unlikely that the presence of pseudonyms should be explained by the fact that the writer works in different genres, from journalism to science fiction, and signs different works in different ways: within the same genre, he also appears under many names. So, in the study of this issue, we have nothing to start from, and therefore let’s leave our research and be content with the fact that we will consider the bearer of the three names mentioned above to be one in three persons, not similar to one and the other, but, perhaps, equally pretty.

Donald Edwin Westlake and others like him is a very remarkable writer not only for the abundance of awkward pseudonyms. If we start looking for a word that can express its essence, we will not find it, but we will find three words: the only one in the world . This is the only author in the world who received the American Adventures Association Award already for his first novel, Mokrushniki on Allowance . This is the only author in the world who received Oscar for best screenplay, although he has never been a professional screenwriter. (Remember movie Why me? which passed; on our movie screens the spring and summer before last?) Westlake is the only author in the world to have won the Edgar Allan Poe award four times. And finally, Westlake is perhaps the only author in the world (although no one is forbidden to argue with me on this subject) who really deserves his awards, not allowing himself to write worse now, or at least no better, than he wrote in his youth.

Under his own name, Westlake created a total of forty-three books, among which is perhaps one of the most bizarre funny series about the compassionate crook Dortmunder and his friends, as well as a number of books that cannot be called a series, because they are connected only by some secondary characters , but which are devoted to one topic. These are novels about the American mafia, but they are not at all like the serious and boring writings of Mario Puzo or Harold Robbins.

A few years ago, the European mafia, I remember, intended on the life of the famous English writer Graham Greene for allegedly exposing her with his works. However, I am inclined to think that the great British prose writer, unwittingly, did the mafia a favor by describing it as a kind of force, sinister, merciless and irresistibly purposeful. Whom the mafia should have a grudge against is Westlake. Perhaps for the first time since this topic began to be developed, the mafia was subjected to such caustic and ruthless ridicule. In novels Dude on the run , Let the dead sleep , Police officers and thieves included in the proposed meeting, Westlake, in my opinion, quite reasonably argues and proves that, by and large, the mafia, if not completely brainless, then, in anyway, not so scary. According to Westlake, which, I think, it would not be harmful for us to share, three-quarters of the power of the mafia is based not so much on its strength, but on people’s fear of this mysterious gang. If Westlake had not done anything else in literature, this alone – a new look at the mafia – would already be a sufficient merit of the writer before society, especially since modern life in the USA confirms his correctness: a healthy and prosperous society is quite capable of coping with the mafia, and if not completely destroy it, then at least force it to eke out a very miserable existence.

Unfortunately, the international copyright agreements signed by our country did not allow the inclusion of new Westlake novels in the proposed collection: 0051 Holy Beast , Dancing Aztecs , Folding story and many others. However, even in the relatively early works of the writer, those that we managed to present to your judgment, the features of the future (and now – held) classic of American prose are already noticeable. Pay attention at least to such an equal character in his novels as the city of New York. Entire passages, from which a lively and vivid image of this most incredible city on Earth gradually develops, can be memorized and included in any anthologies.

Another testament to Westlake’s mature craftsmanship as a young man is, in my opinion, very pronounced in his ability to create literary works. I’ll try to explain. Usually a detective is reduced to resolving the question of who and why committed a particular crime. This is the main thing in a detective work, but here’s the paradox: this main thing turns out to be negligible, you still need a lot of everything, in order for the work to move from the category of carriage reading to the rank of a truly literary creation. Well, what do I or you, citizens of planet Earth, care about someone who strangles some Aunt Miriam for ten thousand pounds sterling made in a will? Are we cold? Hot? What difference does it make to us who decided the old woman? Well, it’s curious, yes, we’ll look in the carriage, find out the name of the villain and immediately forget him. Literature, on the other hand, presupposes the presence of a certain set of features inherent only to it. In particular, universal values, moral charge and cognition. And here the detective story has huge advantages over any other genre, since it can educate the reader not through moralizing, but through an exciting game. And Westlake managed to use the moral and didactic possibilities of the genre to its fullest.

From what has been said above, a natural conclusion follows by itself: for an adventure work, just like for any other, the image is very important. Remember how we all love Holmes and Watson. But creating an image is difficult. Once I tried to imagine what would happen if, say, Nero Wolfe, this famous brainchild of Rex Stout, was deprived of his portly bodies and the notorious orchids in the attic. And with some surprise I saw that Nero Wolfe would have ceased to exist at the same moment, for this image was kept only on external paraphernalia, through and through artificial and far-fetched. Westlake, on the other hand, was one of the first to find and brilliantly apply a fresh literary device: he forced negative characters to do noble deeds and created a positive anti-hero – not just a negative character who does evil and manages to win the sympathy of readers, but a positive negative hero. Of course, a secret technique helps to write a truly living person, and not just a walking scheme, designed either to commit crimes or to solve them. You don’t feel any hatred for such a hero, or the slobbering compassion that you sometimes feel for the anti-heroes of Chase or the same Mario Puzo. And, most importantly, you are not tempted to grab a knife. That is, the author skillfully avoids all sorts of rubbish, which, as you know, hardens the soul.

A special article is Westlake’s attitude towards his reader. It can be seen that the writer works easily, artistically and at the same time works hard on you. He never gets into the pose of a master, never proves anything, does not impose on you his ideas about ethics and morality. He just friendly invites you to see the obvious: do not kill, do not steal. And – no imperative. You most often read his books with a smile, and at the same time, Westlake never seeks to make you laugh on purpose or deliberately.

This style of writing involuntarily evokes memories of Robert Stevenson, Daniel Defoe, Jonathan Swift, Lewis Carroll, Gilbert Chesterton. In general, it seems to me that Westlake’s philosophy, based more on common sense than on pseudo-psychologism and abstractions, makes him the continuation of the Anglo-Saxon literary tradition, and from this point of view he is probably the least American of all American fiction writers.

The influence of Lewis Carroll on the Westlake language is especially noticeable. There is no direct succession here, but Westlake is also very fond of puns and wordplay. But Carroll must be accompanied by a hundred pages of all kinds of notes and explanations, and Westlake is understandable even without this, provided that the translator feels his way of thinking well.

In general, one can talk about Westlake for a long time and selflessly, but I think that it is better to give the reader the opportunity to form an opinion about the work of this many-sided and many-named worker of the pen.

Andrei Sharov

Selected bibliography

Under the pseudonym Alan Marshall

• All My Lovers (All My Lovers, 1959)
• Hungry Man (Man Hungry, 1959)
• Sally (1959)
• All About Annette, 1960)
• Summer Girls (Virgin’s Summer, 1960)
• The Wife Next Door (The Wife Next Door, 1960)
• A Girl Called Honey (1960), with Lawrence Block, who wrote under the pseudonym Sheldon Lord
• So Willing (1960), with Lawrence Block, who wrote under the pseudonym Sheldon Lord
• Call Me Sinner (1961)
• Passion’s Plaything (1961)
• Off Limits (1961)

The Phil Crawford Series

• Backstage Love (1959)
• All the Girls Were Willing (1960)
• The sin of looting (Sin Prowl, 1963)

Under the pseudonym Edwin West (Edwin West)

• Brother and Sister (Brother and Sister, 1961)
• Campus Doll (Campus Doll, 1961)
• Young and innocent ny (Young and Innocent, 1961)
• Strange Affair (1962)
• Campus Lovers (1963)

Under the pseudonym Richard Stark (Richard Stark)

The Parker series (Parker)

9 0193

Series about Alan Grofield (Grofield)

• The Damsel (1967) 969), in Russian translation – Sacrificial actor
• White crow
• Thrush (The Blackbird, 1969)
• Lemons never lie (Lemons Never Lie, 1971)

Under the pseudonym Take Kou (Tucker Coe), series about Mitchell Tobin )

• Kinds of Love, Kinds of Death (1966)
• Murder Among Children (1967)
• Wax Apple (1970)
• Jade in Aries (A Jade in Aries, 1970)
• Don’t Lie To Me (1972)

Under the pseudonym Samuel Holt (Samuel Holt)

• One of Us Is Wrong, 1986)
• I have a better remedy (I Know A Trick Worth Two Of That, 1986)
• What I told you three times – lies (What I Tell You Three Times is False, 1987)
• Fourth Dimension (The Fourth Dimension is Death, 1989)

published under their own name

9

• Mercenaries Pity Him Afterwards
• Runaway Dove (The Fugitive Pigeon 1965)
• The Busy Body (1966)
• The Spy In The Ointment (1966)
• God Save The Mark (1967)
• Philip (Philip, 1967)
• Who stole Sassi Manoon? (Who Stole Sassi Manoon? 1968)
• Who Owes Me Money (Somebody Owes Me Money, 1969)
• Copy Banners (Up Your Banners, 1969)
• Adios Scheherezade (Adios Scheherezade, 1970)

900 15 I was in the office ( I Gave At The Office, 1971)

• Cops And Robbers (1972)
• Trap! (Gangway! 1973)
• Twice as Much (1975)
• Brothers Keepers (Brothers Keepers, 1975)
• Dancing Aztecs (1976)
• Castle in the Sky (Castle In The Air, 1980)
• Kahawa (1981)
• A Likely Story (1984)
• High Adventure (1985)
• Sacred Monster (1989)
• Humans (Humans, 1992)
• Smoke (Smoke, 1995)
• Ax (The Ax, 1997)
• Hook (The Hook, 2000)
• Put a ban on it (Put A Lid On It, 2002)

900 15 Money to nowhere ( Money For Nothing, 2003)

• Memory (Memory, 2010)
• The Comedy Is Finished (2012)

Dortmunder Series

• Sharp Stone ( The Hot Rock, 1970), in Russian translated – Cursed Emerald
• Bank Shot (Bank Shot, 1972), in Russian translation – Bank that gurgled
• Jimmy the Kid (Jimmy the Kid, 1974)
• Nobody’s Perfect (Nobody’s Perfect, 1977)
• Why should I? (Why Me? 1983)
• Good Behavior (1985)
• Drowned Hopes (Drowned Hopes, 1990)
• Don’t Ask (1993)
• The worst thing that could happen? (What’s The Worst That Could Happen? 1996)
• Bad News (2001)
• The Road to Ruin (2004)
• Watch your back! (Watch Your Back! 2005)
• What’s so funny? (What’s So Funny? 2007)
• Get Real (Get Real, 2009)

Weather in Westlake Village today, weather forecast Westlake Village today, California, USA

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Mon, July 10 today

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