
The Elmore Leonard Story - benbreen
http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2015/sep/24/elmore-leonard-story/
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rmason
In Michigan those who love Elmore Leonard call him the Dickens of Detroit. As
a fifth generation Detroiter I can tell you he's the only author I've ever
known who really got the city.

I tried looking up a story years ago that Leonard wrote for the Detroit News
Sunday Magazine called Squad 7: Impressions of Murder but sadly all the links
are broken. It was a great ten minute read to introduce a reader to Leonard.

But here's a great summary of his career:

[http://grantland.com/features/elmore-leonard-detroit-
crime-n...](http://grantland.com/features/elmore-leonard-detroit-crime-
novelist-dickens/)

Sadly this life long Michigan resident inexplicably gave all his papers to the
University of South Carolina which is a place that he had only visited once.

~~~
vermontdevil
I googled for the reason why and found this:

Although Leonard had no connection to Carolina, he told his son Peter Leonard
he wanted his papers to go to the university following a visit shortly before
his death. Leonard was awarded the university’s Thomas Cooper Medal in 2013.
While he was in Columbia, McNally suggested a tour of the rare book
department. Leonard was especially captivated by the library’s extensive
collections of Ernest Hemingway and crime fiction writer George V. Higgins

“He went to visit the library and he was blown away,” Peter Leonard said.
“Elmore was a major Hemingway fan. He was the influence that got my dad to
write.”

Then Sudduth showed Leonard the university’s Higgins collection, including the
manuscript for “The Friends of Eddie Coyle.”

“That got dad’s attention. That book set my dad free. It really changed his
outlook on writing. George Higgins was free with characters and dialogue.
Hemingway and Higgins were the two influences in my father’s life,” Peter
Leonard said.

The next day on the plane back to Detroit, Elmore Leonard told his son:
“That’s where I want my papers to go.”

“I agreed. It’s an incredible place. What also helped was the hospitality, the
friendliness of everyone,” Peter Leonard said. “That, and Hemingway and
Higgins.”

[http://www.sc.edu/uofsc/newsreleases/2014/10_elmore_leonard_...](http://www.sc.edu/uofsc/newsreleases/2014/10_elmore_leonard_collection.php)

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TheGrassyKnoll
I've enjoyed several of his books. Reading this makes me want to read more of
him. I hadn't realized he'd written 45 novels. That should keep me busy for
quite a while.

