Danny Cosmo is a world-record holding high diver and stunt man who has worked on over 170 movies. Cosmo met Elmore during the research phase of TISHOMINGO BLUES, and Elmore based much of his character Dennis on Cosmo's exploits.

Cosmo joins us to share what it's like to dive from 96 feet in the air, getting shot at in Puerto Rico, transmitting subliminal messages on The Tonight Show, and how he got to be such good friends with Elmore.

See Danny in action here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2d0MrlWhLYc

Danny's YouTube Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/@FishingwithCosmo

Guest: Danny Cosmo

Hosted By: Judd Rubin and Alex Leonard

Music by: Greg Ahee

Produced and Edited by: Judd Rubin

Executive Producer: Peter Leonard

Let's talk:

www.elmoreleonardofficial.com

X: @elmorepodcast

IG: @ElmoreLeonardInc

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Graham Yost has written or produced some of the best television ever. His work includes Band of Brothers, Boomtown, John Adams, The Pacific, Masters of the Air, The Americans, Slow Horses, and Silo. He is also the Executive Producer and Showrunner of FX's Justified, based on Elmore Leonard's short story "Fire in the Hole."

Justified, starring Timothy Olyphant, Walton Goggins, Joelle Carter, and Nick Searcy among many other amazing actors, is considered one of the very best adaptations of Elmore's work.

While Graham refused to share his childhood nickname with us, he did share great stories about Elmore, being mercilessly taunted by Walton Goggins, whether or not there will be more Justified, and much, much more.

Guest: Graham Yost

Hosted By: Judd Rubin and Alex Leonard

Music by: Greg Ahee

Produced and Edited by: Judd Rubin

Executive Producer: Peter Leonard

Let's talk:

www.elmoreleonardofficial.com

X: @elmorepodcast

IG: @ElmoreLeonardInc

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Before Elmore Leonard died in 2013 he decided that he wanted his archives to live at The Irvin Department of Rare Books and Special Collections at the University of South Carolina.

This fall, the first Elmore Leonard Exhibit opened and we got to meet two of the people responsible for preserving the archives, Michael Weisenburg and Elizabeth Sudduth. Michael is the current director of the Collection and oversaw the exhibit, and Elizabeth was the director when Elmore decided that he wanted his papers, notes, and letters to be preserved alongside those of Fitzgerald, Hemingway, Hammett, and George V. Higgins.

We spoke with Elizabeth and Michael about what made Elmore choose the University of South Carolina, how the Collection will continue to evolve, and about the value of crime fiction.

Learn more about the exhibit by clicking on the link below. It runs until mid-January 2026.

Special Thanks to: Elizabeth Sudduth, Michael Weisenburg, Jeffrey Makkala, and Matt Hodge.

https://sc.edu/about/offices_and_divisions/university_libraries/exhibits_events_news/news/2025/100_years_of_elmore_leonard.php

Hosted By: Judd Rubin and Alex Leonard

Music by: Greg Ahee

Produced and Edited by: Judd Rubin

Executive Producer: Peter Leonard

Let's talk:

www.elmoreleonardofficial.com

X: @elmorepodcast

IG: @ElmoreLeonardInc

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Alex gets an audience with the one and only Otto Penzler, a dear friend of Elmore's and the proprietor of The Mysterious Bookshop in New York City - the oldest mystery specialist book store in America.

Having been featured in Comfort to the Enemy and Up In Honey's Room, Otto is also the first character of Elmore's to join ust on the podcast.

Otto tells us about getting to know Elmore, the importance of not showing off all that you know, and why it's good to be the first to ask.

This episode is dedicated to Raffles, the German Shepherd.

https://www.mysteriousbookshop.com

Hosted By: Judd Rubin and Alex Leonard

Music by: Greg Ahee

Produced and Edited by: Judd Rubin

Executive Producer: Peter Leonard

Let's talk:

www.elmoreleonardofficial.com

X: @elmorepodcast

IG: @ElmoreLeonardInc

hello@theelmoreleonardpodcast.com

Elmore Leonard has been referred to as the "Dickens of Detroit" but his books are set all over the world. Some of our favorite books of Elmore's, like Split Images, Cat Chaser, La Brava, Maximum Bob, or Rum Punch are set in the great State of Florida.

This podcast features conversations with two people with very unique connections to Florida and Elmore. In the first half of the podast, we speak with Kristy Lowman an actual Weeki Wachee mermaid, just like the ones featured in Maximum Bob.

We also get to speak with one of Elmore's five children, Bill Leonard, who shares some great stories about the family vacations that first brought Elmore to Florida.

https://weekiwachee.com

Hosted By: Judd Rubin and Alex Leonard

Music by: Greg Ahee

Produced and Edited by: Judd Rubin

Executive Producer: Peter Leonard

Let's talk:

www.elmoreleonardofficial.com

https://x.com/elmorepodcast

hello@theelmoreleonardpodcast.com

Alex and Judd throw on their cashmere sweaters, plant machetes, and taunt the homicide detectives as they dive deep into Elmore Leonard's SPLIT IMAGES.

From ElmoreLeonardOfficial.com:

Wealthy industrialist Robbie Daniels has discovered something that gives him even a bigger kick than his palatial homes in Detroit and Palm Beach: homicide. He's tried it, he likes it, and he'd like to keep doing it—as often as possible—with the help of a really bad ex-cop who quit the force one step away from prison stripes. Motown Detective Bryan Hurd strongly suspects that Daniels has been getting away with murder and figures a little Florida R&R might be an ideal way to keep a close eye on the slippery millionaire reptile. But Daniels has money, power, no fear, and an awesome collection of guns—and Hurd might be getting a little too close to the action. . .

It is a nasty (and nifty) little crime book, and it was so much fun to revisit it.

Hosted By: Judd Rubin and Alex Leonard

Music by: Greg Ahee

Produced and Edited by: Judd Rubin

Executive Producer: Peter Leonard

Let's talk:

www.elmoreleonardofficial.com

https://x.com/elmorepodcast

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Stacey Sher is one of our great producers of film and television. In addition to having produced two of what many consider to be the three best feature film adaptations of Elmore's work - GET SHORTY and OUT OF SIGHT, she has also produced Erin Brockovich, Contagion, Gattaca, How High, Django Unchained, Reno 911!: Miami, Man on the Moon, and Heretic, to name just a few.

She was also an Executive Producer of Pulp Fiction.

She joins us to share her perspective on Elmore, working with Danny DeVito and Michael Shamberg at Jersey Films, and to reflect on Get Shorty, Out of Sight, Be Cool, and so much more.

Deleted Get Shorty Scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKlH6_xZo6c

Interview with Jay Weston: https://labusinessjournal.com/retail/restaurants/table-reads/

Much Appreciation to Katie Aquino and Jake Pace.

Guest: Stacey Sher

Hosted By: Judd Rubin and Alex Leonard

Music by: Greg Ahee

Produced and Edited by: Judd Rubin

Executive Producer: Peter Leonard

Let's talk:

www.elmoreleonardofficial.com

https://x.com/elmorepodcast

hello@theelmoreleonardpodcast.com

Ace Atkins is the best selling author of 30 novels including WICKED CITY, WHITE SHADOW, DON'T LET THE DEVIL RIDE, the upcoming EVERYBODY WANTS TO RULE THE WORLD, the Quinn Colson series, the Nick Travers series, and several books in Robert B. Parker's Spenser series. He is also our first guest to have appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

He is a huge admirer of Elmore's and he shares some fantastic stories with us today about getting feedback from and traveling with Elmore, working as a crime reporter in Tampa Bay, choosing crime fiction over sports, and so much more.

https://www.aceatkins.com

https://www.outsideonline.com/culture/books-media/spy-who-scammed-us/

Guest: Ace Atkins

Hosted By: Judd Rubin and Alex Leonard

Music by: Greg Ahee

Produced and Edited by: Judd Rubin

Executive Producer: Peter Leonard

Let's talk:

www.elmoreleonardofficial.com

https://x.com/elmorepodcast

hello@theelmoreleonardpodcast.com