Elmer Kelton died today. The 83 year old journalist, WWII veteran, and great-great grandfather left a legacy of over forty novels. Kelton, one of the finest writers of his generation, always behaved with class and style, epitomizing the Texas gentleman.
I had the privilege of working with Mr. Kelton (he preferred that I call him Elmer, but he’ll always be Mr. Kelton to me) as both an editor and bookseller.
His first signing at Book People amazed me. Kelton attracted an older and more conservative crowd to the liberal store. He signed books and answered questions for the forty or so people.
A forty-ish guy in a cowboy hat: "Mr. Kelton, Negroes are often characters in your books… far more than other westerns. Why is that?"
(I don’t remember exactly what Kelton said here. The use of the word "Negroes" from the questioner through me off. Been a long time since I heard someone use that word. I’m sure Kelton’s reply was intelligent and used words all the line of "black" and "African-American.")
Fan: "Mr. Kelton, has anyone ever written a dissertation about your works"
Kelton: "Yes. One at Texas Tech and the other at North Texas."
Fan: "Have you read them?"
Kelton: "I read ’em. [pause] Apparently, I’m smarter than I think I am."
He always treating his fans with respect, patiently answering every question seriously, regardless if they were simplistic or insightful.
The same held true with booksellers. Both times after the two Book People signings I arranged (I was the western books buyer at the time), he thanked me profusely for having him in the store. I know it seems like a small thing, but not all authors do that. And certainly not ones of Kelton’s status.
He won seven Spur Awards for Best Western (in five different decades!) and in the 90s was voted by the Western Writers of America as the greatest western writer of all time. Better than the legendary Louis L’Amour and Zane Grey. He has been the best selling western writer for at least the past decade if not the past two decades. Tommy Lee Jones made arguably Kelton’s best book The Good Old Boys into a movie.
As evident by my love of his works, not all of his fans were conservative, older, or born in Texas. Nearly ever fan of western fiction I know, adores his books.
When we were putting together The Blueberry Saga: Confederate Gold, Mojo Press publisher Ben Ostrander suggested we get Kelton to write the introduction. When Kelton responded to our query that he hadn’t read comics in 50 years, I was dubious that he’d accept the assignment. I was wrong and clearly he understood and even enjoyed the Blueberry tales. From his introduction: "[Blueberry] is not for the kids… except for the grown-up ones who still remember the magic to be found in a well-drawn comic strip.
My greatest memory of Elmer Kelton was neither as an editor or as a bookseller, but rather a fan. At the 2005 Texas Book Festival, I had dinner with him, his amazing wife Ann, my wife Brandy, Book People buyer Peggy Hailey, Tor book rep Jim Riggs, and then Tor editor Jim Minz (now with Baen). Knowing of my immense appreciation for the man, Minz and Riggs arranged for me to join them for dinner even though at the time I was working for Half Price and had little to do with buying Kelton’s newer publications (most of which came from Tor). Mr. Kelton told us stories of his days in the war and his over forty years as a journalist in San Angelo, writing mostly farm and market reports.
The most memorable tale of the evening involved Ann. In Austria while serving in WWII as a combat infantry soldier, Kelton met her. She didn’t speak English nor he German but they were inseparable and over sixty years later she was at his side when he died.
Ann, who learned English and still speaks it with an Austrian accent, got the biggest laugh of the evening.
Elmer: "When I first thought of retiring from the newspaper [He did in 1990.], I asked Ann what she thought."
Ann: "I asked him ‘Are you going to quit writing?’ To which he said, ‘No. But don’t worry. I make enough off the novels…’ I interrupted. [She motioned as if cutting him off.] ‘I’m not worried about the money. I just don’t want you around the house all day bothering me.’ I told him that he could retire as long as he kept working.[chuckle]"
Elmer Kelton never stopped working. His next original novel Other Men’s Horses is due out in October from Tor.
Western literature has lost more than a guiding light and an extraordinary practitioner, but a man of impeccable character. There aren’t many like Elmer Kelton. I, for one, am a better person for making his acquaintance and I will miss him dearly.