At 80, the Prolific Elmore Leonard is Still Way Cool
The author of books like Get Shorty, Be Cool, Rum Punch and Out of Sight is known for his clever plots, endearing bad guys and crackling dialogue (Tarantino learned from him). Now, Elmore Leonard's latest, The Hot Kid, set in the 1920's world of gangsters and bootleggers is being called his best novel ever. After 40 novels and winning of that holiest of holies, the Grand Master Award from the Mystery Writers of America, Leonard remains unaffected and unpretentious. "The first part moves along O.K., and then I have to think about the second part, because the second part keeps it going," he said. "And then you've got to get to some new things, say around page 250. There is always those surprises near the end," he tells The New York Times.