Praise will flow for Elmer Kelton

Elmer Kelton, arguably the most acclaimed western author ever, very likely will become bigger than life after his death at 83. After all, the man was such a prolific writer that you could devote an entire bookcase to his works.
And that’s a big source of pride for West Texas since most of his books drew on his experiences in this part of the world.

Kelton was born in a ranching camp in Andrews County and grew up on the McElroy Ranch south of Odessa. He went to school in Crane and, after graduating the University of Texas in Austin, settled in San Angelo. There he was a full-time working journalist who spent his free time as an author. After retiring from a career as a newspaperman and magazine editor, Kelton devoted his writing to book after book.

Much of what he wrote drew on his West Texas experiences. He knew cowboys and ranchers and what made them tick. He wrote magnificent passages that captured the essence of this part of the country and the people who inhabit the land. The descriptive manner in which he wrote was lyrical and just as impressive as any painting could have been.

Perhaps, had Kelton been more charismatic, he might have been considered as colorful as the characters in his books. But that wasn’t a man of flair. He was just plain old Elmer. He didn’t appear to be the least bit impressed with his accomplishments.

History likely will view him as a legendary author. But he was as down-to-earth and approachable as your next-door neighbor.

Soon, a bronze statue of Kelton will adorn the San Angelo community library. Better yet, the effort to raise money for that project began while he was still alive. So he knew how his adopted hometown treasured his writing and his reputation.

Meanwhile, the townspeople of Crane have a billboard in the works to brag to visitors that Kelton had his roots in that town. That, too, was being planned while he was still alive.

Being the courteous and thoughtful person that he was, Kelton has another book coming out this fall and he managed to finish yet another title that will be published later.

Some of his earlier books have been reprinted. We suspect that more and more of his writing will be available in new editions as time goes along. After all, people who appreciate great writing tend to be enthralled by Kelton’s prose once they’ve been introduced to it, even if they’re not particularly interested in the western genre.

Elmer Kelton, in addition to being a national (even international) treasure to those who enjoy his type of writing, is a great source of pride to the area where he grew up as well as the place he called home for most of his adult life.

It’s nice to see him getting the recognition that he deserves, although he certainly wasn’t the kind of man who needed such attention to feed his ego.