A Q&A With Elmore Leonard

Djibouti is a mad mix of pirates, terrorists, and iconoclastic Americans, including a wealthy playboy, an ambitious documentary filmmaker, and a terrorist. How did you get the idea for the story?

I make it up as I go along. I seldom begin writing a novel with a fixed story in mind. I had an interest in the Malaccan Straits pirates, but then shifted to Somalia where the real pirate action was taking place. A focus on terrorism was the next logical step. I then thought, wouldn’t it be interesting to see such a story unfold through the eyes of a documentary filmmaker. As for the wealthy playboy, I always have a guy like that ready to use when I need him.

Have you visited Djibouti and did you meet any modern day pirates like those in the book?

No on both accounts. But I know Djibouti very well from my research.

Your main character, Dara, sympathizes with the Somali pirates. Why? What's your take on contemporary piracy?

She sees them initially as what they are or at least were: Somali fisherman battling big foreign interests depleting their fishing waters. Piracy was payback. She also thought they were a fun loving bunch.

The young American terrorist Jama is a calculating badass. Would you offer some insight into his character and motivations?

He’s a man on a mission to destroy. What’s the mission of any home grown Al Qaeda? To serve Allah or make a name for one’s self.

Dara and her companion Xavier speculate on which actors would star in an action feature based on the making of her pirate documentary. Who do you think would be great for some of the roles in Djibouti?

The part of Xavier belongs to Samuel L. Jackson if he wants it. Dara could be Naomi Watts, that’s as far as I’ve gone in the casting department.

Many of your books have been made into films featuring a variety of stars. Who are some actors who you feet fully embody the characters you've created?

Obviously, George Clooney in Out of Sight and John Travolta in Get Shorty; Robert Forster in Jackie Brown.

Who would be in your dream cast for an Elmore Leonard adaptation?

Put Harry Dean Stanton and Tim Olyphant in anything. And Walton Goggins too.

You've penned more than 40 books in your career. Which mean the most to you today?

The one I’m writing now.

Do you ever think of going back to a story to change anything? Is there any story you might approach differently if you were writing it today?

I probably would have handled Gold Coast and The Hunted a little differently.

Are you surprised that at 85, you're considered to be one of the hottest, hippest, with-it writers in contemporary literature?

No.

What's been the most gratifying aspect of being a writer?

Having the freedom to tell my stories my way, without anybody telling me how to write.

Some novelists have slowed down as they got older. Where does your energy and your inspiration to keep writing come from?

Same place it always came from. Writing is its own reward.

Are there any newcomers writing today whom you think hew most closely to the spirit of Elmore Leonard?

I like Pelacanos, Connelly and Lehane.

What do you look for in a good book?

The right words. I look for characters with a strong point of view and good dialog. I have to be able to get past the opening paragraph.