Happy 100th Birthday to Louis L'Amour!
Louis Dearborn LaMoore, the man we know as the writer Louis L'Amour, was born 100 years ago on March 22, 1908. Here are some highlights of his life, adapted from his online biography: L'Amour spent his early life in North Dakota, but after finanancial hard times hit the nation he wandered the country working odd jobs and meeting many memorable characters that would later become the basis for the characters in his books. He only had formal schooling through the 10th grade, but he had a thirst for knowledge that he satistified through visiting libraries and bookstores, often going without meals so that he could buy books. He liked to brag that from 1928 to 1942 he read more than 150 non-fiction books a year. His writing career started with poetry and short story submissions to literary pulp magazines, but didn't really take off until his return from Europe where he was sent as a soldier in World War II. A friend advised him to consider writing westerns, and so he did. He caught his big break when one of his stories was adapted as the movie Hondo in 1953. From then on he enjoyed a productive career as a writer, until his death from cancer in 1987.
I can't think of a better way to celebrate the 100th anniversary of L'Amour's birth by reading one of his books or by reading about his life. Do you have a favorite L'Amour book or story? Please share in the comments below.