David Hale Smith

David Hale Smith is a Dallas literary agent and editor whose work connects contemporary crime writing with the geography of North Texas. Dallas Noir, published by Akashic Books in 2013, gathers sixteen original stories set across the city and its surrounding communities. Smith organized the anthology into sections titled Cowboys, Rangers, and Mavericks, giving neighborhoods from Oak Cliff and Deep Ellum to Plano and Cleburne distinct places within its literary map. Contributors include Ben Fountain, Kathleen Kent, Harry Hunsicker, Matt Bondurant, Merritt Tierce, and J. Suzanne Frank. Smith has represented crime and suspense writers since the 1990s, and that professional background shaped his selection of voices for the collection. Dallas Noir belongs to Akashic’s long-running city anthology series, but its local authors and precise settings make it specifically his editorial portrait of Dallas. The book is therefore best understood as an edited multi-author collection rather than a novel written solely by Smith.