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MODERN OCCULTIST Publisher Nominated for Edgar Award

 

MODERN OCCULTIST Publisher Nominated for Edgar Award

 


(Affiliate disclosure: Some links on this blog may earn us a small commission at no cost to you. Every bit helps keep the lantern lit.)

 

MODERN OCCULTIST is honored to announce that the latest book by co-founder and co-publisher, C.M. Kushins—Cooler Than Cool: The Life and Work of Elmore Leonard—has been selected Notable Book for 2026 by the State of Michigan and has been nominated for this year’s Mystery Writers of America “Edgar Award” for Best Critical/Biographical work.

Drawing on unprecedented archival and family access, Cooler Than Cool: The Life of Elmore Leonard, is the first comprehensive biography of the master American crime writer, author of witty, gritty bestsellers like Get Shorty and Raylan. [In it] C. M. Kushins tells Leonard’s full life story against recurring themes and evolving storytelling methods of his work, drawing on interviews with primary sources ranging from Leonard’s family and friends to those who acted in, produced, and directed his work onscreen, including for the hit TV series Justified. This definitive biography of an author also includes never-before-published excerpts from Leonard’s unfinished final novel and planned memoir. Revealing and insightful, Cooler Than Cool shows Leonard emerging from the "pulp fiction" era of midcentury America, to ultimately become one of the most successful storytellers of the twentieth century, whose influence continues to have far-reaching effects on both contemporary crime fiction and American filmmaking. 

Each year, the Michigan Notable Books list features 20 books published during the previous calendar year that are about the Great Lakes, set in Michigan or the Great Lakes or written by a Michigan author. Selections include a variety of genres, both fiction and nonfiction, that appeal to many audiences and explore topics and issues close to the hearts of Michigan residents. For much of Elmore Leonard’s life and career, he called Detroit home, and immortalized its community in decades of bestselling fiction. Michigan Notable Books is sponsored in part by the Library of Michigan Foundation and Michigan Humanities. For more information or questions about the Michigan Notable Books program, contact the Library of Michigan at 517-335-1477, visit Michigan Notable Books or email Michigan-Notable-Books@michigan.gov.

Mystery Writers of America celebrated the 217th anniversary of the birth of Edgar Allan Poe by announcing the nominees for the 2026 Edgar Allan Poe Awards, honoring the best in mystery fiction, nonfiction and television published or produced in 2025. The 80th Annual Edgar® Awards will be celebrated on April 29, 2026, at the Marriott Marquis Times Square Hotel. The Edgar Awards, or “Edgars,” as they are commonly known, are named after MWA’s patron saint Edgar Allan Poe and are presented to authors of distinguished work in various categories. MWA is the premier organization for mystery writers, professionals allied to the crime-writing field, aspiring crime writers, and those who are devoted to the genre. The organization encompasses some 3,000 members including authors of fiction and non-fiction books, screen and television writers, as well as publishers, editors, and literary agents, and can be reached here.

 

 

 


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