Elmore Leonard was an American novelist, short story writer, and screenwriter. He was known for his crime fiction and thrillers, such as Get Shorty, Out of Sight, and Rum Punch. He wrote more than forty novels and over two hundred short stories. He was also a prolific screenwriter, writing scripts for films such as 3:10 to Yuma and Hombre. Leonard was awarded the National Book Foundation's Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters in 2012.