Rick Gustafson

Richard Banks is a novelist, playwright, award-winning short story writer, and occasional background actor (Yellowstone, Landman, and The Madison).

An explorer at heart, Richard trained as a safari guide in Botswana, worked for the UN in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and flew helicopters in Croatia, Macedonia, and Alaska. He spent years as an airline pilot before turning to writing full-time. His home in Texas—affectionately dubbed Base Camp—serves as the launch point for both travels and creative work.

Richard’s short novel, Me & Mickey, was selected as a runner up for the 2025 Faulkner Wisdom Award and the short story excerpt, “Rent Money: A Me and Mickey Story,” won the Zebulon Award from Pikes Peak Writers.

His novel, The Price of Ash, was a finalist for the 2023 Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers Gold Rush Award and for the 2025 Faulkner Wisdom Award.

Richard's short stories received honors from the E.M. Koeppel Short Fiction Contest, the Writers-Editors Network, and the Denver Women’s Press Club. His work also appears in The Nefarious North Anthology.

His full-length Stage play, The Weigh Station, received staged readings at the Questors Theatre Q-Extra in London (July 2024) and with Actors and Writers London (November 2024). He is currently developing several new works, including Over There, Being Ernest (a second rounder at the Austin film Festival), and Painting with Water.

Richard also writes the weekly Substack newsletter That’s My Window on the World, exploring the intersection of curiosity, memory, and the idea of living one good life—with stories that blend travel, reflection, and quiet humor.

Richard Banks holds a Master of Liberal Studies in Global Affairs and a Certificate in Creative Writing from the University of Denver.