May 25, 2024

Twenty For Twenty

Craig Johnson

I’m doing a lot of interviews for the upcoming Walt Longmire novel, First Frost, and the remark I’ve been hearing most is, “wow, twenty books, one in each of those twenty years -- that’s a lot.” But is it? The German philosopher, Schopenhauer, made the analogy that life is like a sink with concentric circles, where the further you are from the drain the larger those circles appear, but that the closer you get to the drain, the smaller they seem to become. I’m thinking he might be right, that the years sure do seem to be getting shorter in the downslope of life. I remember as a kid, getting out of school in the spring where summer looked like a lifetime, but now I’m afraid to blink in fear because I might miss a year. The other viewpoint is that time flies when you’re having fun, and the last twenty years have been the best time of my life. I guess it’s Walt’s company; he’s been a heck of a writing companion for the last two decades and I am glad that he doesn’t show signs of waning. The other question I get is how long I think I’ll be writing the Longmire series? I always think of my mother when I get that one, remembering her asking, “Yes Honey, but what are you going to do when you retire?” “Writers don’t retire, Mom.” She looked a little doubtful. “Then what do they do?” “They write THE END and then collapse on their keyboards.” I have to admit that coming to terms with one’s mortality isn’t something new for me, I’ve had an adventurous life and have stared the abyss in the face more than once. I guess that’s what the new book is about, the First Frost in the character’s lives. The majority of the book takes place in 1964 when Walt and Henry are twenty-two years old, each ten-feet-tall and bulletproof. . . or are they? Graduating from college, the Vietnam War looms large and rather than take their chances in the upcoming draft they enlist, starting them off on an epic road trip across America on Route 66, the Mother Road. The question of course being, how far will they get before they get into trouble, which is hardly at all. There’s a conflictive moment between the two when Walt turns to Henry and says, “Do you think I’m not aware that that quarter I just dropped in that jukebox might be the last song I’ll ever hear?” The Bear’s response is predictable. “I think they also have jukeboxes at the USO.” Maybe he’s onto something as long as we face what’s ahead with a smile and a good heart, what’s the worse that could happen? I think I’ve got at least another twenty Longmire books in me, but if that abyss reaches out sometime in the lengthy future, I’m going to do the same thing Walt would do and straighten my hat and then pat it on the shoulder with a smile and say, “Hey, another road trip? Let me grab my Ray-Bans and driving boots.” See you on the trail, Craig PS: First Frost hits the shelves this Tuesday and boy howdy, we’re off on a twenty-seven-city tour!

First Frost Tour:

5/27 - Scottsdale, AZ • 4 pm - Poisoned Pen at the Scottsdale United Methodist Church 5/28 - Spokane, WA • 7 pm - Northwest Passages at Gonzaga Performing Art Center with Auntie’s Books and special guest A Martinez 5/29 - Bainbridge Island, WA • 6:30 pm Eagle Harbor Book Company, Bainbridge Island 5/30 - Portland, OR • 7 pm - Powell’s Books at Cedar Hills Crossing 5/31 - Sun River, OR • 5 pm - Sun River Books at Three Rivers School 6/1 - Corte Madera, CA • 6 pm - Book Passage 6/2 - Orange County, CA • 3 pm - Book Carnival at Ethan Allen Elementary School 6/3 - St. Louis, MO • 7 pm - St. Louis County Library with Left Bank Books 6/4 - Cartersville, GA • 6 pm - The Booth Museum with A Cappella Books 6/5 - Greenville, SC • 7 pm - Fiction Addiction at Hampton Memorial Library 6/7 - Raleigh, NC • 7 pm - Quail Ridge Books 6/8 - Pittsboro, NC • 11 am - McIntyre’s Books at The Barn at Fearrington Village with special guest Taylor Corum 6/9 - Wayne, PA • 6 pm - Main Point Books 6/10 - Mechanicsburg, PA • 7 pm - Mechanicsburg Mystery Books at Shiremantown United Methodist Church 6/11 - Sykesville MD • 6:30 pm - A Likely Story Bookstore and Carroll County Public Library at Carroll Lutheran Village - Krug Chapel 6/12 - Phoenixville, PA • 7 pm - Reads & Company at Bistro on Bridge 6/13 - Colorado Springs, CO • 6 pm - Pike’s Peak Library with Poor Richard’s Bookstore 6/14 - Denver, CO • 6 pm - Tattered Cover Book Store on Colfax 6/15 - Cheyenne, WY • 1 pm - Laramie County Library with Barnes & Noble 6/15 - Laramie, WY • 6 pm - Blue Mountain Bookstore 6/16 - Elk Mountain, WY • 10 am - Elk Mountain Hotel Father’s Day Brunch with Bucking Buffalo Supply Co. 6/16 - Casper, WY • 6 pm - Wind City Books at Gruner Brothers Brewery 6/17 - Sheridan, WY • 6 pm - Sheridan Stationery Books and Gifts at Luminous Brewhouse 6/18 - Billings, MT • 6 pm - This House of Books at Billings Public Library 6/19 - Bozeman, MT • 6 pm - Country Bookshelf 6/20 - Livingston, MT • 7 pm - Elk River Books 6/22 - Tulsa, OK • Western Writers of America Award Banquet - Spur Award for Best Contemporary Western Novel: The Longmire Defense 6/23 - Tulsa, OK • TBA - Magic City Books For a more detailed event information, visit the Tour of Duty.

Previous Post-Its

• March 2024 - Spurs That Jingle Jangle Jingle • Christmas 2023 - “Recidivism”

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© Craig Johnson All Rights Reserved

Author Of

May 25, 2024

Twenty For Twenty

Craig Johnson

First Frost Tour:

Previous Post-Its

• March 2024 - Spurs That Jingle Jangle Jingle • Christmas 2023 - “Recidivism”

POST-ITS

© Craig Johnson All Rights Reserved

Author Of

May 25, 2024

Twenty For Twenty

Craig Johnson

I’m doing a lot of interviews for the upcoming Walt Longmire novel, First Frost, and the remark I’ve been hearing most is, “wow, twenty books, one in each of those twenty years -- that’s a lot.” But is it? The German philosopher, Schopenhauer, made the analogy that life is like a sink with concentric circles, where the further you are from the drain the larger those circles appear, but that the closer you get to the drain, the smaller they seem to become. I’m thinking he might be right, that the years sure do seem to be getting shorter in the downslope of life. I remember as a kid, getting out of school in the spring where summer looked like a lifetime, but now I’m afraid to blink in fear because I might miss a year. The other viewpoint is that time flies when you’re having fun, and the last twenty years have been the best time of my life. I guess it’s Walt’s company; he’s been a heck of a writing companion for the last two decades and I am glad that he doesn’t show signs of waning. The other question I get is how long I think I’ll be writing the Longmire series? I always think of my mother when I get that one, remembering her asking, “Yes Honey, but what are you going to do when you retire?” “Writers don’t retire, Mom.” She looked a little doubtful. “Then what do they do?” “They write THE END and then collapse on their keyboards.” I have to admit that coming to terms with one’s mortality isn’t something new for me, I’ve had an adventurous life and have stared the abyss in the face more than once. I guess that’s what the new book is about, the First Frost in the character’s lives. The majority of the book takes place in 1964 when Walt and Henry are twenty-two years old, each ten-feet- tall and bulletproof. . . or are they? Graduating from college, the Vietnam War looms large and rather than take their chances in the upcoming draft they enlist, starting them off on an epic road trip across America on Route 66, the Mother Road. The question of course being, how far will they get before they get into trouble, which is hardly at all. There’s a conflictive moment between the two when Walt turns to Henry and says, “Do you think I’m not aware that that quarter I just dropped in that jukebox might be the last song I’ll ever hear?” The Bear’s response is predictable. “I think they also have jukeboxes at the USO.” Maybe he’s onto something as long as we face what’s ahead with a smile and a good heart, what’s the worse that could happen? I think I’ve got at least another twenty Longmire books in me, but if that abyss reaches out sometime in the lengthy future, I’m going to do the same thing Walt would do and straighten my hat and then pat it on the shoulder with a smile and say, “Hey, another road trip? Let me grab my Ray-Bans and driving boots.” See you on the trail, Craig PS: First Frost hits the shelves this Tuesday and boy howdy, we’re off on a twenty-seven-city tour!

First Frost Tour:

Previous Post-Its

• March 2024 - Spurs That Jingle Jangle Jingle • Christmas 2023 - “Recidivism”

POST-ITS

Author Of