James Watts Arts: Storyteller Elmore Leonard proved himself in real life
By JAMES D. WATTS JR. World Scene Writer on Aug 22, 2013, at 2:35 AM Updated on 8/22/13 at 3:59 AM
Books
If Jeff Kinney had not missed getting on a plane in May, it's possible he would not be making a trip to Oklahoma later this month.
It's been several years since the publication of Daniel Woodrell's slim, harrowing and much-celebrated "Winter's Bone." Now "The Maid's Version" has finally hit the bookstores, and it's even slimmer - just 164 pages.
Elmore Leonard spent some of his formative years in Oklahoma City, and the state showed up a few times in his books. The title character in "Stick" was originally from Oklahoma, and "The Hot Kid" was set primarily in Oklahoma in the 1930s, just to name two examples.
I first became aware of Leonard in the early 1980s, when I happened upon a review of his novel "Split Images." It took me a while to track down a copy, but once I read it, I was hooked. And I wasn't alone, as Leonard's reputation as a storyteller grew with each novel.
That is why it was one of the highlights of my time with the Tulsa World when I was able to interview Mr. Leonard in advance of his coming to Tulsa to launch his novel "The Hot Kid."
The story can be read at
tulsaworld.com/elmore
There are times as a journalist you get the chance to meet people and you come away disappointed and disillusioned. That was definitely not the case with Elmore Leonard. He was a true gentlemen.
Original Print Headline: Storyteller Elmore Leonard proved himself in real life
Books
If Jeff Kinney had not missed getting on a plane in May, it's possible he would not be making a trip to Oklahoma later this month.
It's been several years since the publication of Daniel Woodrell's slim, harrowing and much-celebrated "Winter's Bone." Now "The Maid's Version" has finally hit the bookstores, and it's even slimmer - just 164 pages.
