I ran across a gentleman the other day that didn’t like Westerns. I have to admit, I was shocked. How could anyone be living not like Westerns? What’s wrong with this person?
After all, didn’t President Ronald Reagan sign into legislation on August 26, 1982, awarding Louis L’Amour, a popular fiction writer, primarily of Western novels, the Congressional Gold Medal? That should tell us something about the popularity of Westerns.
Then as I cooled down a bit, I had to admit that there are other genres besides Westerns, in fact, in my inexperienced youth, I may have indulged in something other than Westerns. Of course, I have since wised up.
It’s that I am so passionate about Westerns, especially since I became an author of Westerns and also a publisher of Westerns.
So, I suppose I should offer an apology to all the folks that don’t like Westerns, and to the gentleman mentioned at the beginning of this rant.
I have often been told the Western is dead. My answer is, the Western ain’t dead, it ain’t even sick.
I would like, however, to issue a challenge to folks to read a Western with an open mind.
As the saying goes: “Try it, you may like it.”