Author Kirby Jonas talks about his life growing up in Shelley

SHELLEY — During his childhood in Shelley, Western novelist Kirby Jonas was a shy, quiet kid. Through writing, Jonas found his voice.

Inspired by the works of American novelist Louis L’Amour, Jonas has written and published dozens of western novels. But he hasn’t stuck to writing only westerns. Some of his favorite works aren’t westerns at all and are even based in Shelley.

“I had a teacher — great teacher, his name was Mr. Anderson, Jarvis Anderson — and he assigned us to do a short story,” Jonas told Community Pioneer. “And I wrote like a 12-page book. But the cool thing about it was, up till then, I wouldn’t talk to anybody. I mean, really, literally, he couldn’t get a word out of me. And I wrote this story. And he liked it so much that he got up in front of the class and read the story to the kids. And I had the opportunity, because of that, to look around and see that these kids were enthralled by the story that I had written.”

Seeing the response he got for his short story, Jonas decided he wanted to write a novel. Throughout his sixth grade year, Jonas wrote a 49-page book, inspired by American novelist Louis L’Amour. L’Amour wrote primarily westerns, a genre Jonas loved.

“I literally had kids staying in from recess to sit there watching me write. I mean, how boring is that? like watching the paint dry. But I wrote this book. It was called The Tumbleweed,” Jonas said.

He published his first western novel as a senior in high school. The book was called Season of the Vigilante.

“Since then I’ve put out 30 novels or so,” Jonas said. “I can’t keep track anymore.”

The two books Jonas wrote set in Shelley are Samuel’s Angel and Russet, a novel based on the real-life story of Jonas’ uncle Burdett Hess.

“My uncle is probably the most famous football player who ever played for Shelley,” Jonas said. “In the book, his name is Russet, James Russet. It starts out saying that he had to live up to being named after a potato by his parents.”

Jonas says the other book, Samuel’s Angel, is his favorite of all of his works. The reason why? The book is about him.

“It was me. You know. I was able to go back in my past and fix so many things,” Jonas said.

All of Jonas’ books are available for purchase on his website, kirbyjonas.com.

Jonas will be in Shelley doing book signings at the Shelley Broulim’s on Dec. 12, from 9 to 11 a.m. He will be in Pocatello that same day from 1 to 3 p.m at Idaho Unlimited. His final stop will be at Kesler’s in Blackfoot on Dec. 19 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Watch the full interview with Kirby Jonas above.