Former IU Alumni Association president's new novel inspired by IU

It was certain, the voice on the line was a broadcaster.

Clear, deep and well-controlled, Ken Beckley’s voice has been in a transition since 2009. This veteran reporter, CEO and former head of the IU Alumni Association is now an author of fiction.

“Knuckleball,” his first novel, tells the story of Davie Miller as he grapples with life’s immense uncertainties from the age of 15 all the way to 50 and on.

“It has hopes, setbacks, tragedy and faith,” Beckley said. “But most of all, it’s about the realization of a dream.”

This theme has been a long time in the making.

Beckley easily remembers his first week in his dreaded English Composition class at IU.

His assistant instructor wasted no time in assigning the class the creation of a theme or a centralized topic for an upcoming assignment. Beckley gave it a go.

“He wrote on my paper, ‘This is a theme!’” Beckley said, remembering the AI’s sarcasm. “Then he put an ‘F’ beside it. I had come from a small school. ... I had no idea what a theme even meant. I could certainly prove to that person now I know how to write a theme.”

This was just one of the many rewarding results about writing “Knuckleball.” Beckley said he considers it a great accomplishment to go from writing nonfiction to completely inventing a plot in his mind. Though he had the outline of the beginning and end of the novel ever since attending an adult baseball camp conducted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1991, the middle was still completely undetermined.

However, when it came to details, Beckley’s journalistic tendencies held true. He said he spent an “untold number of hours” researching settings. From the economy to medical care — which both arise in “Knuckleball” — Beckley made certain the scenarios his character encounters would be true to form.

“The character was born in 1940,” he said. “So I wanted to look into what he would have worn, what he listened to. If he’s driving a 1954 Chevrolet, I want to know the color and the style. I wanted it to be exact.”

Miller, who grows up in a small, rural Indiana town, later attends the University of Evansville. Beckley, an IU alumnus, drew on his experiences of Greek life to formulate parts of this book, he stated, though the character was in no way based solely on himself and his story.

Beckley said he already feels rewarded for his ventures and has hopes of writing another novel in the future. Detailed, daily compliments pouring into his email inbox are just some of the motivating factors behind this decision.

One reader told him he owes them three boxes of tissues.

“Another reader wrote me, ‘I’m going to change my life and be a more positive role model after reading your book,’” Beckley said. “Wow. It chokes me up when I think about it. What more could you ask for?”

For Beckley, as he said in his deep broadcaster voice, it seems like not much else. He hopes the book will continue to have meaning and “inspire people to live better lives.”