Walter Gunn is an American author, sculptor, designer, publisher, and arts entrepreneur whose life and work have been devoted to the intersection of creativity, culture, and human resilience. Raised in orphanages, boys’ homes, and periods of homelessness, he emerged from institutional beginnings to build a five-decade career in the arts as a studio craftsman, gallery owner, magazine publisher, artist representative, and founder/director of an internationally recognized concert hall.

Over the course of his career, Gunn founded multiple arts ventures and became known for championing artists, musicians, and community-based cultural projects. His experiences within the worlds of music, visual art, and performance deeply inform his fiction, which often explores themes of identity, institutional power, intellectual self-determination, and transformation.

As a writer, Gunn has authored hundreds of short stories and several novels. His short fiction includes the award-winning “Erasing Young Robert,” recipient of the 2023 ServiceScape Short Story Award. His historical novel Doretta reflects his lifelong fascination with music history, craftsmanship, immigration, and the hidden intellectual lives of women navigating restrictive eras.

Now fully devoted to writing, Gunn is developing a broad body of literary work that includes historical fiction, literary fiction, speculative fiction, memoir, and cultural commentary. He lives in Missouri.