At a young age David Wight experienced the total absence of his mother due to a severe illness and long-term hospitalization, followed in later adolescence by his father’s sudden death. The feelings of loss, sadness, and isolation generated by life events such as these and the ways one copes with the resulting inner turmoil have remained important areas of interest to David throughout the years. How people deal with their inner struggles and loss is the primary focus of his writing.

David is the author of the coming-of-age novel Crossing Nevada (2017) and co-author of the memoir Return to Ithaca: Surviving a Son’s Suicide (2021), co-written with his wife Susan Wight. He has worked as a professional writer for nonprofit and public agencies for more than 35 years. Since 1987, he has written foundation and government grant proposals, raising millions in funding supporting education programs and mental health services for low-income children, youth, and families. David created, edited and produced Division Report, the statewide mental health newsletter for the Nevada Division of Mental Health. He also co-authored the government publication, Work Stress and Physical Fitness Levels of Park Rangers of Yosemite National Park (1980). Further, he has written feature articles, including for publications such as the Golden State Warriors Playbook Magazine. A 5th-generation native of Northern California, David has a life-long love for the West, especially the Great Basin and Sonoran Desert. He currently lives in Goodyear, Arizona with his wife Susan.