Border Collies are my kryptonite so naturally I became aware of Leland through his books. That turned into following him on Facebook and corresponding via Messenger. He gave good advice when I'd pour out my heart and I was always amazed that he was always calm and kind no matter the situation. I'm a rather volatile person and he easily talked me out of some ill considered actions over the years.

When he was clearing space in his library he offered up his used books and I mentioned that the Queer kids I worked with had few local sources of gay fiction and he promptly packed up 70 pounds of books and shipped them to me. It must have cost a fortune to ship but he wanted nothing in return. The kids really appreciated the books, especially the boys, many of whom hadn't come out yet to friends & family. I'll never forget his generosity or wise counsel.

Leland Dirks was the author of almost three dozen books, ranging from fictional tales of dogs and their humans, to word books, poetry, short stories, wild plants, and collections of his photography. He lived with his dogs Angelo and Maggie in the middle of a beautiful nowhere that the rest of the world knows as Colorado’s San Luis Valley, in an off-grid home he built. In 2004, he began pursuing a dream… a home in a rural area that would be energy-independent, as green as possible, and in a beautiful setting. His only connection to the outside world was via satellite internet.

Leland was an incredibly kind, gentle soul who had an amazing knack of bringing people together, across stereotypical boundaries. His books appeal to a wide variety of people and in spite of being an accomplished writer, he remained truly humble. When asked for advice on how to be a writer, his response was, “How you flatter me when you assume that I know the answers. I only know what has worked for me. Live an interesting life. Read everything you can. Surround yourself with intelligent and opinionated people. Listen. Write. Ask for feedback. Rewrite, and write some more. Oh yeah, and get yourself a smart, gentle, good-looking Border Collie co-author.” His dog, Angelo, often shared writer credit, as did Maggie, his black labrador, a little further along in his writing career.