This past June the Western Writers of America [2] presented the Owen Wister Award [3] to Elmore Leonard [4] for his contributions to the literature of the west. It’s gratifying to see the WWA finally acknowledge what the film moguls of Hollywood have known for years; the pastures of Mr. Leonard’s west offer some mighty good grazing ground. Western films based on his work include 3:10 to Yuma [5], Hombre [6], Valdez is Coming [7], and Last Stand at Saber River [8]. Mr. Leonard wrote the body of his western work - short stories and novels - during the decades of the ‘50s and ‘60s, and has long since migrated to the suspense genre (with great success). But just like in the old west, once you have a reputation for something, it tends to follow you around. Even a cursory reading of The Complete Western Stories of Elmore Leonard [9] will reveal why a posse of producers as well as the WWA are still hard on his trail, even after all these years.
