Award-winning author speaks at The Venue

Bestselling author and former IU faculty member James Alexander Thom spoke to a handful of art enthusiasts Tuesday at The Venue Fine Art and Gifts about his experiences. He also read from his book “The Art and Craft of Writing Historical Fiction.”

Venue curator Gabe Coleman voiced his appreciation of the event prior to Thom’s arrival.

“I am terribly excited,” Coleman said. “He is like a local celebrity.”

Recently, Thom received the 2009 Eugene & Marilyn Glick Indiana Authors Award. He won $10,000 and a $2,500 grant he chose to give to the Owen County Public Library in his hometown of Spencer, Ind.

Thom attended Butler University and went on to receive his doctorate from IU. After graduating he became a lecturer at the IU School of Journalism. Thom later left IU and wrote several New York Times Bestseller novels. He has sold more than 2.5 million books.

Thom started his speech with jokes regarding his mass amount of rejection slips and the concept of blurbs. He said he once received a letter from a friend in Indianapolis who wanted him to write a blurb for his mystery novel.

“I wrote him a blurb saying this is a very blurb-worthy novel,” he said. “He then responded with, ‘I put in what you really meant: This is the best mystery novel I have ever read.’”

Thom went on to talk about the research that goes into his books and what makes a good historical fiction novel.

“I do the research so anyone that reads my story will get true history, without skipping out on the drama,” he said.

Thom continued to talk about the popular responses he has encountered when people think of history. He said he spoke to a girl who told him she did not care for history because she was not in it.

Thom said he thought about this statement and applied it to his stories by trying to make readers feel like they are a part of the story.

“My best writing teacher at Butler University told me to write to the senses,” he said. “By doing this, they will forget they are reading about the past and think they are actually there.”

Thom said his most rewarding experience in his lifetime came from a feeble-looking woman at a book-signing in Fort Wayne.

The woman went through the line without a book and shook his hand. She proceeded to thank him for saving her life.

“She told me she was going to commit suicide until someone told her to read ‘Follow the River.’” Thom said. “She said, ‘If the woman in the story could go through what she did, then I can get through this.’”

Many of the guests at the event also enthusiastically voiced their appreciation of Thom’s work.

“Thom does mega-research when it comes to his writings,” said audience member Marcia Brammer, a 15-year reader. “In ‘Follow the River,’ he actually went to every point along the way. That is something I really admire.”