It was reported on his official facebook page this morning that the famous (and incredibly talented) pop novelist Elmore Leonard passed away at his home this morning, surrounded by his family.
He’d been struggling with complications from a stroke. He was 87.
His ear for dialogue and telling engaging, cinematic stories in prose form. He was a snappy writer that had a tremendous impact in the world of prose, crossing genres with ease, but also the world of film.
Adaptations of his novels came in the forms of movies we’ve all seen, like Get Shorty, Out of Sight, Quentin Tarantino’s Jackie Brown, and countless others. Favorites all.
3:10 to Yuma was based on a short story he’d written. The television show Justified on FX is also based on a pair of his short stories.
He’s left an indelible mark across our pop culture landscape, in the way we view stories, in the way we talk, and he can’t be thanked enough for that. I can personally attest to the fact that lines he’d written in his books and crossed over into movies had found their way into my vernacular. He just had a great ear for that sort of thing.
You felt cool reading his books. They exuded cool.
For any fan of good writing (and feeling cool), I can’t suggest enough that you read some of his work. Do it now.