Photos and Interview courtesy the Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum
Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum Assistant Kelsey McDonnel sat down with New York Times bestselling author Craig Johnson in conjunction with the “The Long Road to Longmire” exhibit currently on display at the museum in Buffalo. This “In the Book Corner” interview originally appeared courtesy of the museum in the upcoming holiday issue of 82801 Life Magazine due to hit the stands next week.
Johnson will be at the Campbell County Public Library this Friday, Dec. 13, from 6:30 – 8 p.m. to read his annual Christmas story. The event is free and open to the community.
Interview with Craig Johnson:
First off, I want to share with our readers one of my favorite Longmire book series facts: The sheriff’s building is based upon the historic Carnegie Library, which is now the entrance of our museum. Can you talk a little bit about Walt’s office and what drew you to this specific building as your inspiration?
Johnson: I didn’t want Walt to be in one of those antiseptic, technologically advanced law enforcement offices, and after talking with Sheriff Larry Kirkpatrick and learning that the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office had used the Carnegie Library as a temporary home, the die was set. It seemed fitting in that Walt is haunted by books and with his literary degree, he reads everything, so the little library seemed perfect.
Your latest book Land of Wolves was released September 17, 2019. I believe this is your 15th book in the Longmire series? Does this book hold any special significance to you?
Johnson: Oh, all the books hold a special significance with me, but in this one Walt deals with a lot of issues resulting from the previous book, Depth Of Winter. The title itself is from the Basque proverb—A land of strangers is a land of wolves. The subtext being that once returning home, Walt finds himself a stranger in a strange land, and worse yet, a stranger to himself.
What kind of research went into writing Land of Wolves?
Johnson: There was a lot of actual wolf study that went into the book, and fortunately, we have a number of wildlife experts here with the Game & Fish and Forest Service in Buffalo and certainly around the state. The book returns Walt to Durant, and I’m sure folks will be happy to see all the local haunts including the Busy Bee Café and many others.
Did you work with any local Basque families in researching the Basque characters?
Johnson: I did, but more important, I was able to draw on local Basques for the pronunciation of the language for my friend George Guidall who does the audio version of the books—Basque is one tough language to try and learn to speak.
In Land of Wolves, you tap into current hot topics such as immigration. Do you intentionally hit current events to provoke thought and conversation or does it happen organically?
Johnson: Most of the plots for my books come from newspaper articles that I think help ground the novels in a reality of the contemporary West, and the ancillary effect of that is that you will come in contact with topical issues that are going to incite responses from the readers. I’m sure there will be people who will take umbrage with me, but I always do my best to give credibility to both sides of any issue. I can’t help but feel that if you’re not giving credence to the issues that affect us as residents of Wyoming, then you’re not doing your job as a novelist.
Do you think you will develop another series or protagonist to accompany the Longmire series?
Johnson: I’m in development with another TV show and a feature film, but the Walt books will always be very important to me and I hope to write them the rest of my life.
You guest-curated the current Longmire exhibit in the museum, The Long Road to Longmire, and we love all the pieces you gave us to help tell your story. Thank you. The exhibit stops your story at the pre-release of Land of Wolves, are you working on any future projects?
Johnson: Always. The next book is titled The Next To Last Stand and concerns the Cassilly Adams’ painting [Custer’s Last Fight] that Budweiser made famous when they distributed millions of copies to every bar, saloon and rumpus room in America. The original painting was destroyed in a commissary fire at the 7th Cavalry in Fort Bliss in 1946 … or was it? It’s Walt’s first art-heist book and should be fun.
