New Elmore Leonard 'mystery' - Questions about Birmingham event

[RealityCheck]

The good move, as Susan Whitall reports in The News, is that a three-day "Literary Arts and Film Festival" will honor 'Dutch' this November at the Birmingham Community House.

The odd news is that contest prizes for screenplay treatments and 5-min. films are $100 to $500, while the top three teen short-story writers get $50 to $250 . . . even though potential sponsors are being asked to "invest" $1,500 to $100,000.

Another off-key choice is the absence of any award for a novella or novelistic storyline/characters summary -- in other words, a category actually linked to the lifetime achievement honoree's main discipline.

Too picky?

In any event, it is cool to see Elmore as "a Birmingham legend who has contributed significantly to the arts in the state" . . . even if it seems that Community House organizers wish he had been a filmmaker.

[9mile&seneca]

John D MacDonald, James Ellroy, and Elmore Leonard. That's about it as far as crime fiction. And Leonard's dialogue is by far the best of the three giants

[Eastburn]

John D MacDonald, James Ellroy, and Elmore Leonard. That's about it as far as crime fiction. And Leonard's dialogue is by far the best of the three giants

While I can't disagree with you on those three, I think James Lee Burke, Lawrence Block & several others should be put on that list.

[9mile&seneca]

I'll have to give them a look! Thanks. There are just so many formula writers out there, it just kind of makes me stick with the ones I know I can depend on.

[Detroitnerd]

A "Birmingham legend"? I just threw up in my mouth.

[laurin]

A "Birmingham legend"? I just threw up in my mouth.

Strong reaction.

Why is that inaccurate?

[Detroitnerd]

Strong reaction.

Why is that inaccurate?

Well, let's see. You have a guy who is strongly associated with DETROIT, as in the auto industry. His dad worked for DETROIT, in that sense. Then you have a guy who works for years writing advertising for DETROIT. He lives in the DETROIT area for years, makes it a point to make metro DETROIT his home. People might say bad things about DETROIT, but he has never shied away from being associated with DETROIT. One of the most famous quotes about DETROIT was by him: "Other cities get by on their looks; DETROIT has to work for a living." You'll read his books and they're littered with references to DETROIT, with bands from DETROIT, characters from DETROIT, names that perhaps only DETROITERS would know. I'm actually quite proud of him, as he's one of the names that DETROIT is associated with in a positive sense.

But, out in Birmingham, I guess you can't really mention DETROIT because people probably don't want to be associated with DETROIT. And that would make the "North Face Army" spit up their lattes.

How about if we were having this conversation in, say, Albuquerque, N.M.

DETROITER: Oh, man, I love Elmore Leonard.
NEW MEXICAN: Yeah, his books are great.
DETROITER: He is truly a Birmingham legend.
NEW MEXICAN: Huh?
DETROITER: You know, Birmingham.
NEW MEXICAN: In England?
DETROITER: No!
NEW MEXICAN: Oh! In Alabama. I didn't know he was from there. I thought he was from Detroit.
DETROITER: No! He's from Birmingham. It's in Oakland County in Michigan.
NEW MEXICAN: Isn't that pretty much Detroit?
DETROITER: No! It's not in Detroit. It's in Oakland County. It's a city north of Detroit.
NEW MEXICAN: Oh! It's a suburb of Detroit.
DETROITER: No! No! No!

I know, I know. It's a Birmingham event, and naturally they're gonna try to toot their horn. But it's just so lame to call him a "Birmingham legend." Jesus, some of his books practically wallow in Detroit grit, and, somehow, somebody still can't say the word "DETROIT" to reference the guy. Jeez ...

[RO_Resident]

The good move, as Susan Whitall reports in The News, is that a three-day "Literary Arts and Film Festival" will honor 'Dutch' this November at the Birmingham Community House.

The odd news is that contest prizes for screenplay treatments and 5-min. films are $100 to $500, while the top three teen short-story writers get $50 to $250 . . . even though potential sponsors are being asked to "invest" $1,500 to $100,000.

There are costs associated with putting on an event--room and AV rentals, travel expenses, meals, ads, publicity, etc. They can add up pretty quickly.

The 'Green Breeze Green Living Fair' at the Community House has sponsorship levels from $1,000 to $10,000.

The Traverse City Film Festival has sponsorship levels from $1,000 to $75,000.

[laurin]

Well, let's see. You have a guy who is strongly associated with DETROIT, as in the auto industry. His dad worked for DETROIT, in that sense. Then you have a guy who works for years writing advertising for DETROIT. He lives in the DETROIT area for years, makes it a point to make metro DETROIT his home. People might say bad things about DETROIT, but he has never shied away from being associated with DETROIT. One of the most famous quotes about DETROIT was by him: "Other cities get by on their looks; DETROIT has to work for a living." You'll read his books and they're littered with references to DETROIT, with bands from DETROIT, characters from DETROIT, names that perhaps only DETROITERS would know. I'm actually quite proud of him, as he's one of the names that DETROIT is associated with in a positive sense.

But, out in Birmingham, I guess you can't really mention DETROIT because people probably don't want to be associated with DETROIT. And that would make the "North Face Army" spit up their lattes.

How about if we were having this conversation in, say, Albuquerque, N.M.

DETROITER: Oh, man, I love Elmore Leonard.
NEW MEXICAN: Yeah, his books are great.
DETROITER: He is truly a Birmingham legend.
NEW MEXICAN: Huh?
DETROITER: You know, Birmingham.
NEW MEXICAN: In England?
DETROITER: No!
NEW MEXICAN: Oh! In Alabama. I didn't know he was from there. I thought he was from Detroit.
DETROITER: No! He's from Birmingham. It's in Oakland County in Michigan.
NEW MEXICAN: Isn't that pretty much Detroit?
DETROITER: No! It's not in Detroit. It's in Oakland County. It's a city north of Detroit.
NEW MEXICAN: Oh! It's a suburb of Detroit.
DETROITER: No! No! No!

I know, I know. It's a Birmingham event, and naturally they're gonna try to toot their horn. But it's just so lame to call him a "Birmingham legend." Jesus, some of his books practically wallow in Detroit grit, and, somehow, somebody still can't say the word "DETROIT" to reference the guy. Jeez ...

LOL. I really didn't know. Thanks.