Donald Goines (pseudonym: Al C. Clark) was an African-American writer known for his gritty urban fiction. Born in Detroit, Goines was raised in a relatively comfortable family; his parents owned a local dry cleaner.

He attended Catholic elementary school and was expected to join the family business. Instead, Goines enlisted in the US Air Force by lying about his age. Between 1952 and 1955, he served in the armed forces, during which he developed a heroin addiction.

Upon returning to Detroit from Japan, Goines' life spiraled into crime and addiction. Over the next 15 years, he was involved in pimping, robbing, stealing, bootlegging, and running numbers, or serving time in prison. His seven prison sentences totaled 6.5 years.

While incarcerated in the 1960s, Goines began writing, initially attempting to write Westerns without much success. His novels were deeply influenced by the work of Iceberg Slim and reflected his experiences and struggles.