Background

Daniel was born in 1950 in New York, United States.

Education

Daniel studied under John Mavreas at the North Shore Conservatory in Winnetka, Illinois, and James Yoghourtjian at the Wisconsin College Conservatory.

He studied at University of Iowa Writers Workshop and received MFA Writing in 1992.

Career

Hecht began playing classical guitar in 1965. After studying music theory and composition at the University of Wisconsin, he played acoustic 6 and 12 string guitar and published three records: "Guitar" (1973), "Fireheart-Fireriver" (1977), released on Dragon's Egg Records, and "Willow" (1980), released on Windham Hill. “Willow” was also released in Europe, and Hecht’s individual compositions appear on compilation albums and videos. He performed over 300 concerts throughout the United States, Europe, and China, both solo and with other musicians including Alex de Grassi, Michael Hedges, George Winston, Jonathan Winter, and John Fahey.

Hecht published his first book, Skull Session, in 1998. Library Review critic Elsa Pendleton called the book “a marvelous mix of modem Gothic horror and romance.” A Publishers Weekly reviewer noted that after Hecht’s fifteen-year musical career, “he has brought welcome artistry and elegance to his new field.”

Hecht is also an organizational development consultant active in the arts, environmental technology, and social services. He served as board president of the Pyralisk Arts Center, in Montpelier, Vermont, from 1990 to 2003; he then served as executive director of Vermont Environmental Consortium (VEC), a statewide association of environmental science and technology firms, educational institutions, public agencies, and non-profit organizations based at Norwich University.

As director of VEC, he was commissioned by the Vermont Agency of Agriculture to produce "The Farm Energy Handbook".

Hecht has taught literature and writing courses at the University of Iowa, Community College of Vermont, and Johnson State College. Since 2010, he has been a faculty member in the Professional Writing Program at Champlain College, in Burlington, Vermont, teaching Advanced Fiction Writing, Grant Writing, and Creative Writing.

Achievements

• Daniel Hecht is known primarily as the author of seven novels: Skull Session (1997), The Babel Effect (2000), Puppets (2001); the Cree Black series which includes City of Masks (2002), Land of Echoes (2004), and Bones of the Barbary Coast (2006); and On Brassard's Farm (2018). His novels have been published in 12 languages and 75 editions throughout the world, including best-sellers in the United States, England, Holland, and Israel.
  
  In addition to his activities in the arts, he works as an organizational development consultant, project manager, and grants administrator for environmental and social services initiatives.

Works

More photos

• book

  • On Brassard's Farm: A Novel
  • City of Masks
  • The Babel Effect
  • Puppets
  • Bones of the Barbary Coast: A Cree Black Novel

Personality

Quotes from others about the person

• "Former musician Daniel Hecht has brought a welcome artistry to his new field ... He is a writer for those who demand texture, intriguing information, and a provocative thesis along with their thrills." - Publishers Weekly

Connections

teacher:

John Mavreas

teacher:

James Yoghourtjian

References

• The New Age Music Guide: Profiles and Recordings of 500 Top New Age Musicians
• Contemporary Authors, Vol. 181