In Memoriam: Elmore Leonard

I'm sad to learn that one of the greatest crime novelists of our generation - perhaps the greatest - has died.  Elmore Leonard was 87 years old.  First published in 1951, he had a long career crowned with immense success, producing dozens of novels, numerous screenplays and novelizations of screenplays, and some short stories.  He was working on his 46th novel until he suffered a stroke earlier this month.

I'm somewhat at a loss to find words adequate to pay tribute to him.  He was a writer without peer in his ability to sketch a scene with minimal description, leaving the reader's imagination to 'fill in the blanks'.  His detective stories are spare, hard, clean-cut.  His earlier Westerns are masterpieces of that genre, too.  I can't be sure, but it's possible that more of his books have been filmed than any other contemporary author's works.  I'm not a prolific filmgoer, but nevertheless I've enjoyed many of them - '3.10 to Yuma', 'Last Stand at Saber River', 'Mr. Majestyk', 'Get Shorty', 'Jackie Brown', and others.

Here's a 2006 interview with Mr. Leonard in which he discusses how he began writing, and his style.  It's good advice for all aspiring writers (including yours truly!).

There are many other video clips by and featuring Mr. Leonard on YouTube.  They make for hours of interesting viewing.

Mr. Leonard had an enormous impact on the detective and crime genres.  Today we remember former greats in that field such as Raymond Chandler, Agatha Christie and Rex Stout.  I believe that Elmore Leonard's name is already enshrined with theirs in the pantheon of whodunit greatness.  He will be very greatly missed.

Peter