The author was born in New Orleans, LA but due to his father’s job, an employee of General Motors, the family moved around a lot, finally settling in Detroit.
After he graduated high-school, Mr. Leonard joined the US Navy as a Seabee, serving in the South Pacific.
His nickname in the Navy was “Dutch”, after pitcher Dutch Leonard – a left handed pitcher who played for the Detroit Lions.
After graduating from the University of Detroit with a degree in English and philosophy, Mr. Leonard start to regularly publish pulp Western novels.
His novel, The Big Bounce (1969) was his first crime story. Unlike other novels in the genre, this one tilted more to realistic dialogue and character driven.
Two authors which Mr. Leonard felt influenced him were John Steinbeck and Ernest Hemingway; citing Mr. Hemingway as his single most important influence.
Some of the awards Mr. Leonard won was the National Book Award, the Peabody Award, the Edgar Award and the F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Award for outstanding achievement in American literature.
Zohar — Man of la Book
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Fun Facts Friday: Elmore Leonard
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Elmore Leonard (11 October, 1925 – 20 August, 2013) was an American writer and screenwriter who specialized in thrillers and crime fiction.
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Man of la Book
A father, husband, avid reader, blogger, software engineer & wood worker who is known the world over as a man of many interests and to his wife as “an idiot”.