Longmire author Craig Johnson visits Lovell

Makes a stop at library on book tour

Best-selling author Craig Johnson, known for his popular Walt Longmire mystery series, made a stop at the Lovell Library last week as part of his current book tour.

Johnson has built a dedicated following with his stories set in the rural West. He shared insights about his career, the inspiration behind his work and how his iconic character, Sheriff Walt Longmire, came to life during a pre-event interview.

Johnson recounted how the idea for the Longmire series was born more than 20 years ago at his ranch in Ucross, Wyoming, -- a town with a population of just 26. 

“I started writing these books about Walt Longmire, the sheriff of the least populated county in the least populated state,” Johnson said.

“At that time, everyone was writing about Noir—alcoholic detectives with tragic pasts burying bodies in their backyards. I thought, what if I wrote about a stand-up sheriff who’s doing his best in a rural area? That would be something different,” he said.

That spark led to the release of “The Cold Dish” in 2004, Johnson’s first book in the Longmire series, which quickly caught readers’ attention with its authentic characters and vivid depiction of Wyoming life. Over time, Johnson’s novels gained momentum, eventually leading to the hit TV show “Longmire,” which aired for six seasons and continues to be popular on Netflix.

“Warner Brothers came knocking about seven years into the (book) series, asking to make a TV show out of the books,” Johnson said. “Even though the show ended production almost seven years ago, it’s still one of Netflix’s top shows every other week.” 

Johnson explained that, while the books are fictional, they’re deeply rooted in Wyoming’s culture and history, which is why he turns to local news for inspiration.

“Everywhere I go, I pick up newspapers. It makes the stories grounded in reality,” he said. “There’s no end to the ideas; they’re real stories happening in Wyoming. After collecting these articles for 20 years, I used to worry about running out of ideas. Now I think I’ll run out of time before I get them all written.”

Despite the global success of the Longmire series, Johnson remains closely tied to Wyoming. His connection to the rural lifestyle is evident not only in his books but also in his personality. When asked if he’s a hoarder because of his habit of collecting newspapers, Johnson laughed, admitting, “Yeah, I’m definitely a hoarder of newspaper articles. I don’t keep the whole newspaper, but I cut out the pieces I think I can use.” 

Johnson also discussed his involvement in the TV adaptation, where he served as a creative consultant.

“They made me a creative consultant on the show. I thought that was just a title to give me more money, and I was fine with that. But it turned out they really wanted me to answer questions and be involved,” Johnson said. 

While the Longmire TV series takes some creative liberties with the original books, Johnson noted that it follows the heart of his stories closely.

“They did a great job of capturing the essence of the characters and the setting. The show may differ in some ways, but the spirit of Walt Longmire is still there,” he said.

Johnson’s Longmire series has been a New York Times bestseller for nearly 15 years, has been translated into more than 20 languages and remains a staple of contemporary Western literature.

Fans packed the back room of the Lovell Library for Johnson’s presentation and question-and-answer session, and as he autographed books afterward, Johnson left the Lovell community eagerly awaiting his next book.