Elmore Leonard

Elmore Leonard (Elmore John Leonard Jr.) was born in 1925 in New Orleans but grew up in Detroit, Michigan, where as a young man he was captivated by both the activities of local gangs and the local baseball team. These two themes, criminal gangs and sports, would later fuel his writing career. After graduating from the University of Detroit, he dedicated himself to writing. Over the course of his highly successful literary career, he wrote more than thirty books, including U.S. bestsellers such as "Tishomingo Blues," "Pagan Babies," and "Be Cool." Many of his novels have been adapted into films, including "Get Shorty," "Out of Sight," "Valdez Is Coming," and "Rum Punch" (the latter adapted into Quentin Tarantino's film "Jackie Brown"). He was named a Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America and was honored for his lifetime achievements by the Writers Guild of America. He passed away in August 2013