Elmore Leonard, a one-time Campbell Ewald copywriter who became one of the most popular novelists of his day, passed away Tuesday following a stroke suffered in late July. He was 87.
Leonard's assistant announced the news on the writer's Facebook page.
Several of Leonard's works became popular films, including "Get Shorty" and "3:10 To Yuma."
Leonard was born in New Orleans. His family moved to Detroit in 1934 and he remained in the area ever since, graduating from U of D Jesuit High School and earning a degree in the English and philosophy from the University of Detroit.
Known primarily for writing western and mystery genre fiction, Leonard's style was praised by writers such as Martin Amis, who said Leonard's "prose makes Raymond Chandler look clumsy."
"My most important rule is one that sums up the 10: If it sounds like writing, I rewrite it," Leonard wrote of his style in an essay entitled Elmore Leonard's Ten Rules of Writing. "Try to leave out the part that readers tend to skip."
