|
Western author is terribly glad to hear he's
so profound
By Bill Whitaker
When Elmer Kelton gets up to speak at the Friends of the Abilene
Public Library's Book and Author Dinner Tuesday night, you'll
see a fiercely humble West Texan not easily impressed with himself.
Which makes one even happier at the accolades and success fate
has heaped on this low-key, easy-going western author.
"People are always surprised he is so humble and so friendly,"
said Dr. Lawrence Clayton, a Kelton afficionado who will introduce
Kelton Tuesday night. "That's not always true in the literary
world. Many successful authors get obnoxious.
"But Elmer's never fallen into that trap. He just likes
people and it's not in his nature to be pretentious."
For his part, the one-time agricultural writer for Livestock
Weekly and, before that, the San Angelo Standard-Times admits
to a weird fascination at having every word of his popular westerns
so meticulously viewed, discussed and psychoanalyzed.
Modest almost to excess, Kelton says of the scholars picking
apart his many westerns: "They seem to find more depth and
more dimension than I remember putting in these books!"
HANGING JUDGE
Nevertheless, the veteran author of such westerns as The Time
It Never Rained and The Good Old Boys -- the latter turned into
a TV film starring Tommy Lee Jones -- spends much of his time
on the road, signing copies of books new and old and participating
in various conferences.
Occasionally, he'll meet someone like Jerry Hunt, who has amassed
a eyeball-popping collection of Elmer Kelton titles, including
those printed in other languages. When Kelton first saw the extent
of Hunt's Kelton library, the author found editions of his works
even he didn't own.
"He's made an effort to try and collect every edition
of every book I've done, and he's outdone me," the 71-year-old
author told me by phone from his San Angelo home. "I don't
know if he's 100 percent complete, but I do know he's got more
of my books than I do!"
For example, Kelton was amazed Hunt had a copy of the first
edition of The Hanging Judge -- a Ballentine paperback edition
Kelton himself had to do some hunting to find.
Dr. Clayton, dean of HSU's College of Arts and Sciences and
author of the newly revised Clear Fork Cowboys, admits academicians
find much food for thought in Kelton's work. If Kelton is not
outwardly aware that his literary themes speak to and of the American
West and its values, it may be because he unconsciously radiates
them.
"There's a lot of substance in his work," Clayton
said. "And his books do what fiction is supposed to do --
interpret character and personality. Too much of today's fiction
is merely escapist, especially in the movies -- blowing up buildings
and huge car wrecks.
"It sells well, but then Elmer has developed his own track
record for something different -- a record for giving his readers
a good read."
What's more, Clayton says, Kelton does it with a dusty authenticity
that causes area ranchers to nod in rare acknowledgement.
QUOTING BUSTER KEATON
Kelton understands why his work strikes a familiar chord with
so many ranchers. In a sense, he's one of them. But the passion
with which far-off academicians interpret, analyze and discuss
his writings still amazes this gentle scribe. "I'm amazed
at what people come up with," the author said of the various
motifs and themes in his work. "Maybe all their analyses
about my work are true. I don't know. I've just never analyzed
myself. But it is a heady experience, being dissected like a frog
in a biology room!"
He likes to quote slapstick comedian Buster Keaton's insightful
remark when, late in life, he was faced with similar analyses
attributing all sorts of wonderful and profound things to his
classic silent films: "All I ever tried to do was make a
funny picture!"
Whatever, Elmer Kelton has always been gracious enough to make
himself available to fans, scholars and anyone else interested
in literary goings-on in West Texas and vanishing ways of this
region's ranching heritage. Nothing surprises him much -- not
anymore.
"Twice I've been over to Germany to speak to academicians
over there studying the western," he said. "They take
it considerably more serious than people here. You talk about
being dissected. They do analyze my work and take it very seriously."
The one person who doesn't read his work much: His Austrian-born
wife of 50 years.
"Ann just has a problem reading," he explained. "She
says she's waiting for the movies!"
Kelton admits he's slowing down some. In 1990 he retired from
Livestock Weekly after four decades covering the area's sprawling
ranching interests. And while he's still writing -- a sequel to
The Good Old Boys is due next summer as well as a salute to cartoonist
Ace Reid -- Kelton admits to finding the traveling required less
and less appealing.
"The miles are starting to stretch on me," he said.
"Everytime I go a mile, it feels like two.
"I feel like I'm starting to know every single telephone
pole."
Cost for Tuesday's sixth annual Book and Author Dinner at the
Abilene Civic Center is $15 per person. To make reservations,
call 673-8178. The evening starts with a reception at 6:30, followed
by dinner at 7.
Send a Letter to the Editor about This
Story | Start or Join A Discussion about This Story
Send the URL (Address)
of This Story to A Friend:
Copyright ©1996 or
1997, Abilene Reporter-News / Texnews / E.W. Scripps. Publications
|