October 11, 2024

Alright dear reader…if you are a crime fiction aficionado, today is your kind of day.  Today we tip our fedoras to one of the truly coolest American writers, Elmore Leonard.  Born on October 11, 1925, Leonard wasn’t just any writer – he was the godfather of gritty crime novels, a master of dialogue, and a storyteller who knew exactly how to keep his readers on the edge of their seats.

I’ve always been a big fan of “Get Shorty” (both the book and the movie).  It’s follow-up, “Be Cool” was also well done.  “Rum Punch” was turned into “Jackie Brown” by Quentin Tarantino (also of which I am a big fan).  Leonard gave us so many really iconic stories: “Mr. Majestyk,” “3:10 to Yuma.”  His novella “Fire in the Hole,” was turned into FX’s “Justified.”  Apparently the success of that, along with encouragement from actor Timothy Olyphant, Elmore wrote his 45th novel, Raylan.

Leonard had an amazing knack for crafting truly authentic-sounding dialogue which shows the various flaws and charms of his characters.  He writes about rogues and anti-heroes, which tends to be right up my strasse. 

So happy birthday and cheers to Elmore Leonard!

N.P.: “Can’t Play Dead” – The Heavy

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