‘Longmire’ Creator Craig Johnson Draws Packed Crowd for Book Talk

By ANGELA KELLOGG-HENRY

Cleaver Managing Editor

CLARE – When do best-selling authors visit a small theater in rural Clare County? When Sheila Bissonnette invites them. For the third time Bissonnette, director of the Pere Marquette District Library and the Harrison District Library, has brought a nationally best-selling author to Clare along with area library partners and through a grant from the Michigan Arts and Culture Council.

“Tonight’s event is a wonderful example of what can happen when libraries and community partners work together to bring quality literary and cultural experiences to our communities,” Bissonnette said. “Access to quality arts, cultural, and literary experiences is important in all communities, including our small and rural communities. By working together, we can bring these experiences closer to home and make them accessible to more people.”

On Tuesday, Oct. 13 a sold-out crowd packed into the Ideal Theatre to see author Craig Johnson. Johnson is the author of the Walt Longmire series, which comprises over two dozen western mystery novels. Those novels also became “Longmire” – the highest-rated original drama series on A&E for three seasons. It was picked up by Netflix and ran for three more seasons ending in 2017. Johnson didn’t stop writing and his books and Netflix series continue to garner fans. The newest in the Walt Longmire series came out in May of 2026 and is titled “The Brothers McKay.”

Johnson immediately entertained the audience with his travel tale of getting to Clare, Michigan from the rural area of Wyoming where he lives. He arrived in Clare with about 30 minutes to spare for his 7 p.m. talk. Johnson lives in Ucross, Wyoming, which has a population of just 26. Canceled flights can be expected, and a lot of flexibility required when one lives in Northern Wyoming.

Clare was his only Michigan appearance and visitors included local fans as well as those from as far away as Indiana, Grand Rapids and Traverse City. Many brought books of their own for Johnson to sign, and Sleepy Dog Books of Mount Pleasant were set up and had many of Johnson’s books for sale.

Johnson shared his humble beginning as an author from interviewing a real Wyoming sheriff for ideas, to setting aside his first manuscript attempt for nine years. That first book was published by major publisher Penguin Random House in 2004. Dozens of books later, his fictional Absaroka County lives in the minds of his readers (and TV watchers) as a real place. As his fictional sheriff Walt Longmire solves crimes in Wyoming, Johnson grew to be a best-selling author.

For over an hour and half Johnson told amusing stories about his life as a writer and his involvement with the television series.

“I love the Hollywood version of our show; I’m one of those guys that actually enjoys the TV show that they made out of my books,” he said. “It’s never going to be as good as the books, to be honest with you. The books are always going to have one incredible superpower and I’m always explaining this. The advantage the books have over television even with all their millions of dollars and big actors and costuming. The one thing they don’t have is your imagination and that to me is magic. I pile up all those words like dominos, is what I do, and I line them all up.

“When you open that book and open chapter one you tip over that first domino and you do all my heavy lifting for me. And I have to tell you that is a great place to work, in your imagination every day,” Johnson told the crowd to applause.

Johnson also discussed his second book of short stories that is making its debut Nov. 3, titled “Take Courage.” Johnson shares 15 holiday-inspired stories he originally began sending as a Christmas eve newsletter to his followers. He saves the crime investigations for his novels, and the short stories are “a series of eccentric small-town crises” and he describes them as “rich with the humor, humanity, and irresistible high jinks” of Absaroka County.

Johnson also mentioned how he reads small weekly newspapers, not unlike our own Cleaver, for the sheriff blotter to get ideas about how he can continue to create crime for his main character, Walt, to investigate. We could probably find him a few back issues for inspiration!

Visit Craig Johnson’s website at www.craigallenjohnson.com or check out one of his books or television series from your local library.

The Michigan Arts and Culture Council guides the distribution of grants to entities who provide arts and cultural programs and services throughout Michigan, ensuring that every citizen and community enjoys the civic, economic and educational benefits of arts and culture. The Council envisions a Michigan where communities celebrate creative expression and every person has access to, or participates in, arts and cultural experiences.

Copyright Clare County Cleaver