New Elmore Leonard stories to be published in June
Elmore Leonard works on a manuscript at his home in Bloomfield Township, Mich., on Sept. 28, 2010.
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Elmore Leonard was a prolific writer when he was alive, and in death, well, nothing has changed. Heâs still got new work coming.
On June 16, William Morrow will publish âCharlie Martz and Other Stories,â a collection of 15 short stories by Leonard, 11 of which have never been published.
Leonard, who died in 2013 at the age of 87, published more than 50 books, starting with âThe Bounty Huntersâ in 1953. His earliest stories were pulp westerns, but he became known for the witty, swift-moving crime fiction of âFreaky Deakyâ and â52 Pickup.â
The stories in the collection mark Leonardâs transition, written early on but never before published. The stories explore ânew voices and locations, from the bars of small-town New Mexico and Michigan to a film set in Hollywood, a hotel in Southern Spain, even a military base in Kuala Lumpur,â William Morrow wrote in a news release. âThey also introduce us to classic Leonard characters, some who recur throughout the collection, such as aging lawman Charlie Martz and weary former matador Eladio Montoya.â
Films made from Leonardâs work include âGet Shortyâ and âOut of Sight.â The television series âJustified,â on which he is credited as a writer, was based on his short story âFire in the Hole.â
Leonard had rules for writing that he turned into the slender, aptly-named book âElmore Leonardâs 10 Rules of Writing.â âIf it sounds like writing, I rewrite it,â he explained. And, equally important: âTry to leave out the part that readers tend to skip.â
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