“The Greatest Western Writer” voted by his peers in Western Writers of America has recently passed away leaving by behind a huge void in the hearts of many loved ones, friends and fans. I was one of those fans. Also left behind was a vast legacy of work unparalleled by anyone in his field.
In all, Elmer wrote more than forty books. He was the winner of seven Spur Awards and the Saddleman Award for Lifetime Achievement from the Western Writers of America, and four Wranglers from the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. Without any uncertainty, he will be sorely missed by all the lives he touched in person as well as those through his writing.
Mr. Kelton and I became acquainted in the fall of 2008. After receiving my Advance Reading Copy of “Ugly Horse” from Infinity Publishing, I sought out many well-known and respected authors of the genre. My hope was to gain insight and feedback from the best. I received only one reply, but to my great pleasure, it was from Elmer Kelton.
We began our correspondence through e-mail. I was quickly taken aback by how kind and generous this great man was. For a man of his great stature in the writing community to take time out of his busy schedule and life to help a new author was something I could not take lightly. Through e-mail, we discussed writing and the West. His insight and advice were profound to say the least. Once his reading and study of “Ugly Horse” was complete, he proceeded to send me a long detailed letter about his thoughts of the book. This is a letter that I will always keep and cherish. As requested and expected, he tactfully pointed out a few of the book’s faults, which I had no choice but to agree with. This naturally gave me a chance to edit and rewrite some passages before the books final printing. He also informed me that he felt the book was a good read. He did not say Great! He did not say Fantastic! He said good. Little did he know just how great and fantastic that small comment made me feel. His honesty and sincerity came through clearly. He also offered an annotation about the story that can be found on the back cover of my novel. What more could a new author hope for?
For those unfamiliar with Mr. Kelton’s work, I could not help myself from asking him “of all the books you have written, which is your favorite?” He came back with two titles: The Time it Never Rained and The Good Old Boys. I suggest these two novels are a very good place to become acquainted with Mr. Kelton’s work.
Mr. Elmer Kelton, I am forever in your debt for all of your encouragement and advice. In Memory of a Legend, I tip my hat to you sir.
Dan Currier