{"product_id":"living-and-writing-in-west-texas-9780875659718","title":"Living and Writing in West Texas: Two Speeches by Elmer Kelton","description":"Legendary Western author Elmer Kelton stands before you on the page, speaking directly in his warm, witty voice. \u003cem\u003eLiving and Writing in West Texas\u003c\/em\u003e preserves two speeches he gave in the 1980s – one to the Friends of the Library Symposium at Texas Tech University (1985) and one to the Texas Folklore Society in Lubbock (1988) \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e . In each, Kelton blends storytelling and sage advice. He reflects on life in West Texas – its sky, its hardship, and its stubborn beauty – and on his craft as a writer. Kelton “wrote Texas as it was and is,” readers will recall, and here he does so with an authentic ear for dialogue and phrase \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e These speeches are at once memoir, history, and how-to: Kelton peppers them with colorful anecdotes of ranching life, characters from the plains, and the trials of a writer finding his voice. He speaks plainly about writing – the habits and honesty it takes – all while evoking the high plains and dusty ranch country he loved. Fans will recognize the same dry humor and deep empathy that made his fiction so beloved. \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Originally issued in a finely bound hardcover (1988) in a signed limited edition, this volume went out of print decades ago. \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e The new TCU Press edition restores these texts for a broad readership, with a fresh introduction by Western author, Patrick Dearen. \u003cem\u003eLiving and Writing in West Texas\u003c\/em\u003e is a gift for novelists and historians alike: it captures Kelton at the mic, offering the “eye and ear” of a true West Texas voice. \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e It stands as both a keepsake of Kelton’s legacy and a lively insider’s view of Texas storytelling.\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication date:\u003c\/strong\u003e 30 September 2026\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePage count:\u003c\/strong\u003e 37\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e Height 229 mm; Width 152 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/strong\u003e Texas Christian University Press\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFormat:\u003c\/strong\u003e Hardback\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/strong\u003e 9780875659718\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Elmer Kelton","offers":[{"title":"Hardback","offer_id":50481213145338,"sku":"9780875659718","price":19.81,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0522\/4297\/2845\/files\/9780875659718.jpg?v=1790033169","url":"https:\/\/shulphink.com\/products\/living-and-writing-in-west-texas-9780875659718","provider":"Shulph Ink","version":"1.0","type":"link"}