Dennis Must

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Dennis Patrick Must (May 4, 1934 – June 18, 2024) was an American writer of literary fiction and plays, and a longtime educator. He was born in New Castle, Pennsylvania, and graduated from Washington & Jefferson College in 1956. He studied at Princeton Theological Seminary and wrote plays at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and New York University.

Must drew on his mill town upbringing after the Great Depression for his stories. He taught high school in Pittsburgh and in New York City, where he inspired many students to pursue books and the arts. In the 1960s and 1970s, he wrote, directed, and co-produced off-off-Broadway plays with John Hawkins.

In the 1990s he returned to writing, producing five novels, three short‑story collections, and many pieces in journals and anthologies. Some of his books featured monoprints by Russ Spitkovsky. His work is known for lyricism, vivid imagery, and a strong sense of place. He received several prestigious awards during his career. He died at age 90 at his home in Salem, Massachusetts.