Elmore Leonard

Born in New Orleans in 1925, Elmore Leonard was in fifth grade in Detroit when a serialization of All Quiet on the Western Front in a local newspaper inspired him to begin writing. He wrote a play based on the story, though his writing career wouldn't take off for many more years yet.

In 1943, Leonard joined the Navy Seabees in the South Pacific and served with them for three years. He returned to the Detroit area (where he still lives) to attend school and began writing again. His first short story was published while he was working for an advertising agency. It-and the several stories that were to follow-were all Westerns. In 1953, he published his first novel. In a ten-year period, Leonard wrote 30 short stories, five novels, and secured two movie contracts.

As Westerns began to lose popularity, Leonard turned to industrial and non-fiction writing. He then began writing crime novels, a career choice that would launch him into the bestseller lists for decades to come. He was eventually named a Grand Master by the Mystery Writers Association and earned numerous other awards.

Leonard's work has also been made into such popular movies as Get Shorty and Out of Sight.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

The Bounty Hunters
LaBrava
The Law at Randado
Glitz
Escape from the Five Shadows
Bandits
Last Stand at Saber River
Touch
Hombre
Freaky Deaky
The Big Bounce
Killshot
The Moonshine War
Get Shorty
Valdez is Coming
Maximum Bob
Forty Lashes Less One
Rum Punch
Mr. Majestyk
Pronto
Fifty-Two Pickup
Riding the Rap
Swag
Out of Sight
Unknown Man
Cuba Libre
The Hunted
The Tonto Woman
The Switch
Be Cool
Gunsights
Pagan Babies
City Primeval: High Noon in Detroit
Tishomingo Blues
Gold Coast
When The Women Come Out To Dance
Split Images
Mr. Paradise
Cat Chaser
A Coyote’s in the House
Stick
The Hot Kid

--B. Redman