John Grisham
Grisham in 2008.
Born	John Ray Grisham February 8, 1955 (1955-02-08) (age 53) Jonesboro, Arkansas, United States
Occupation	Novelist
Nationality	American
Writing period	1989-present
Genres	Legal thriller, Crime fiction, football
Influences John Steinbeck, John le Carré
Official website http://www.jgrisham.com

John Ray Grisham (born February 8, 1955) is an American ex-politician, retired attorney and novelist, best known for his works of modern legal drama. Events 421 - Constantius III becomes co- Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. Year 1955 ( MCMLV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1955 Gregorian calendar) Jonesboro is a city in and one of the two County seats of Craighead County, Arkansas, United States. Arkansas ( is a state located in the southern region of the United States. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Employment is a Contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. Nationality is a relationship between a Person and their State of Origin, Culture, association Affiliation and/or Loyalty The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A literary genre is a category of literary composition Genres may be determined by Literary technique, tone, Content, or even (as in the case of fiction The legal thriller is a sub-genre of Crime fiction in which the major characters are Lawyers and their employees Crime fiction is the Genre of Fiction that deals with Crimes their detection criminals and their motives It is usually distinguished from American football, known in the United States and Canada simply as football, is a competitive Team sport known for mixing strategy with John Steinbeck III (February 27 1902—December 20 1968 was one of the best-known and most widely read American writers of the 20th century John le Carré is the Pseudonym of David John Moore Cornwell (born October 19, 1931 in Poole, Dorset, England Events 421 - Constantius III becomes co- Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. Year 1955 ( MCMLV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1955 Gregorian calendar) The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A politician (from Greek " Polis " is an individual who is involved in influencing public decision making through the influence of Politics or a person A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law as an attorney, Counsel or Solicitor; a person A novel (from Italian novella, Spanish novela, French nouvelle for "new" "news" or "short story A legal drama is a work of dramatic Fiction about crime and civil litigation As of 2008, his books have sold over 235 million copies worldwide. ^[1]

Biography and career

John Grisham, the second oldest of five siblings, was born in Jonesboro, Arkansas, to Southern Baptist parents of modest means. Jonesboro is a city in and one of the two County seats of Craighead County, Arkansas, United States. The Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC) is a United States -based mostly conservative Christian denomination His father worked as a construction worker and a cotton farmer; his mother was a homemaker. Cotton is a soft staple Fibre that grows around the seeds of the cotton plant ( Gossypium sp A farmer is a person who raises living organisms for food or raw materials ^[2] After moving frequently, the family settled in 1967 in the town of Southaven in DeSoto County, Mississippi, where Grisham graduated from Southaven High School. Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. Southaven, a city in DeSoto County, Mississippi. Southaven is a suburb of Memphis Tennessee. Mississippi ( is a state located in the Deep South of the United States Southaven High School is a Public secondary school located in Southaven, Mississippi, United States serving students in grades He played as a quarterback for the school football team. Quarterback ( QB) is a position in American and Canadian football. Unlike the main character in his 2003 novel, Bleachers, he wasn't an All-American football player. Bleachers is a Book by American author John Grisham. The hardcover edition (ISN 0-385-51161-2 was published on September 9, 2003 An All-American "team" is an honorary Sports team composed of outstanding Amateur players those considered the best players of a specific season for Encouraged by his mother, the young Grisham was an avid reader, and was especially influenced by the work of John Steinbeck whose clarity he admired.

Education

In 1977 Grisham received a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from Mississippi State University. Also 1977 (album by Ash. Year 1977 ( MCMLXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays A Bachelor of Science ( BS, BSc or BSc in the UK; less commonly S Accountancy or accounting is the measurement statement or provision of assurance about financial information primarily used by Lenders managers, Mississippi State University is a Land-grant university located in north east-central Mississippi, United States, in the town of Starkville and Grisham tried out for the baseball team at Delta State University, but was cut by the coach, who was former Boston Red Sox pitcher, Dave Ferriss. Delta State University, also known as DSU, is a regional public University located in Cleveland Mississippi, in the heart of the Mississippi The Boston Red Sox are a Professional baseball team based in Boston Massachusetts, and are the reigning (2007 World Series Champions. Dave Meadow (Boo Ferriss (born December 5, 1921) is a former Pitcher for the Boston Red Sox. He earned his J.D. degree from the University of Mississippi School of Law in 1981. Juris Doctor (abbreviated JD or JD, from the Latin, Teacher of Law) is a first professional graduate degree and Professional The University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, is a public, coeducational Research University located in Oxford Year 1981 ( MCMLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 During law school Grisham switched interests from tax law to criminal and general civil litigation. Upon graduation he entered a small-town general law practice for nearly a decade in Southaven, where he focused on criminal law and civil law representing a broad spectrum of clients. The term criminal law, sometimes called penal law, refers to any of various bodies of rules in different Jurisdictions whose common characteristic is the potential Civil law, as opposed to Criminal law, refers to that branch of Law dealing with disputes between Individuals and/or Organizations, in which As a young attorney he spent much of his time in court proceedings.

Political life

In 1983 he was elected as a Democrat to the Mississippi House of Representatives, where he served until 1990. Year 1983 ( MCMLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar) The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. The Mississippi House of Representatives is the Lower house of the Mississippi Legislature, the lawmaking body of the U Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) During his time as a legislator, he continued his private law practice in Southaven. He has donated over $100,000 to Democratic Party candidates. The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. In September, 2007 Grisham appeared with Hillary Rodham Clinton, his choice for U.S. President in 2008, and former Virginia Governor Mark Warner, whom Grisham supports for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Republican John Warner (no relation). Events in September It is the start of the academic year in many countries in the Northern Hemisphere. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton (born October 26 1947 is the junior United States Senator from The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common The Commonwealth of Virginia ( is an American state Mark Robert Warner (born December 15, 1954) is an American politician and businessman from the U The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives John William Warner (born February 18 1927 is an American Politician, who served as Secretary of the Navy from 1972 to 1974 and has served as the Grisham himself had considered challenging former GOP U. S. Senator George Allen, Jr. in the 2006 election in which Allen was narrowly defeated by the Democrat James Webb. George Felix Allen (born March 8 1952 is a former Republican United States Senator from the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the son of former Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. James Webb, Jim Webb or Jimmy Webb may refer to Public Service James E

Inspiration for first novel

In 1984 at the De Soto County courthouse in Hernando, Grisham witnessed the harrowing testimony of a 12-year-old rape victim. Hernando is a city in central DeSoto County Mississippi. The population was 6812 at the 2000 census "Testify" redirects here For other uses see Testify (disambiguation and Testimony (disambiguation. Rape, also referred to as Sexual assault, is an Assault by a person involving Sexual intercourse with or Sexual penetration of another person ^[2] According to Grisham's official website, Grisham used his spare time to begin work on his first novel, which "explored what would have happened if the girl's father had murdered her assailants. A novel (from Italian novella, Spanish novela, French nouvelle for "new" "news" or "short story "^[2] He "spent three years on A Time to Kill and finished it in 1987. A Time to Kill is the title of a legal suspense thriller authored by John Grisham in 1989. Initially rejected by many publishers, the manuscript was eventually bought by Wynwood Press, who gave it a modest 5,000-copy printing and published it in June 1988. Year 1988 ( MCMLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar) "^[2]

The day after Grisham completed A Time to Kill, he began work on another novel, the story of a young attorney "lured to an apparently perfect law firm that was not what it appeared. " ^[2] That second book, The Firm, became the 7th bestselling novel of 1991. For the film of the same title please see The Firm (1993 film The Firm is a 1991 Legal thriller and the second novel For other uses of the term please see the disambiguation page at Best sellers. ^[3] Grisham then went on to produce at least one work a year, most of them widely popular bestsellers. He is the only person to author a number-one bestselling novel of the year for seven consecutive years (1994–2000).

Beginning with A Painted House in 2001, the author broadened his focus from law to the more general rural south, while continuing to pen his legal thrillers. A Painted House is a February 2001 novel by American author John Grisham. Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar.

Publishers Weekly declared Grisham "the bestselling novelist of the 90s", selling a total of 60,742,289 copies. Publishers Weekly, aka PW, is an American weekly trade News magazine targeted at Publishers Librarians He is also one of only a few authors to sell two million copies on a first printing; others include Tom Clancy and J.K. Rowling. Thomas Leo Clancy Jr (born April 12 1947) is an American author best known for his technically detailed espionage and Military science storylines Joanne "Jo" Rowling OBE (born 31 July 1965 who writes under the ^[4] Grisham's 1992 novel The Pelican Brief sold 11,232,480 copies in the United States alone. The Pelican Brief is a legal/suspense thriller written by John Grisham in 1992. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the

Courtroom re-appearance

Grisham returned briefly to the courtroom in 1996 after a five-year hiatus. Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar) According to his official website, he "was honoring a commitment he made before he had retired from the law. . . representing the family of a railroad brakeman killed when he was pinned between two cars. . . Grisham successfully argued his clients' case, earning them a jury award of $683,500. "^[2] Another tie to the legal community that he continues to hold is his seat on the Board of Directors for the Innocence Project, an organization dedicated to exonerating the innocent through DNA testing after they have been convicted. For other uses see The Innocence Project The Innocence Project refers to a number of non-profit legal clinics in the United States and Canada ^[5]

Named in libel suit

On September 28, 2007, Grisham was named in a civil suit in a US District Court, claiming Grisham libeled Pontotoc County, Oklahoma, District Attorney Bill Peterson and Gary Rogers, a former Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation agent. Events 48 BC - Pompey the Great is assassinated on orders of King Ptolemy of Egypt after landing in Egypt. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The United States district courts are the general Trial courts of the United States federal court system. Pontotoc County is a County located in the US state of Oklahoma. A district attorney (DA is in some US jurisdictions the title of the local public official who represents the government in the prosecution of alleged criminals Peterson and Rogers claim that Grisham, along with two other authors, conspired to defame their character through their books. The suit is based on Grisham's sole non-fiction book, The Innocent Man, a book about the investigation of the murder of a cocktail waitress in Ada, Oklahoma, and the exoneration by DNA evidence of Ron Williamson and Dennis Fritz more than 12 years later. The Innocent Man Murder and Injustice in a Small Town is the first Nonfiction book written by John Grisham which was released by Doubleday Publishing Ada is a city in and the County seat of Pontotoc County, Oklahoma, United States. ^[6]

John Grisham Room

The Mississippi State University Libraries, Manuscript Division, maintains the John Grisham Room, an archive containing materials generated during the author's tenure as Mississippi State Representative and relating to his writings. ^[7]

Grisham's lifelong passion for baseball is evident in his novel A Painted House and in his support of Little League activities in both Oxford, Mississippi and Charlottesville, Virginia. Baseball is a Bat-and-ball Sport played between two teams of nine players each Little League Baseball is the name of a Non-profit organization in the United States which organizes local children's leagues of baseball and Softball Oxford is a city and the County seat of Lafayette County, Mississippi, United States. Charlottesville is an Independent city located within the confines of Albemarle County in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States The Commonwealth of Virginia ( is an American state He wrote the original screenplay for and produced the baseball movie Mickey, starring Harry Connick, Jr.. See also Pre-production Screenwriting A screenplay or script is a written plan authored by a Screenwriter, for a Film or Television A film producer is a person who creates the conditions for making movies. Mickey is a 2004 American Baseball movie drama directed by Hugh Wilson, with Screenplay written by John Grisham Joseph Harry Fowler Connick Jr (born September 11, 1967) is an American singer, Pianist, Composer, Actor, The movie was released on DVD in April 2004. ^[8] He remains a fan of Mississippi State University's baseball team and wrote about his ties to the university and the Left Field Lounge in the introduction for the book Dudy Noble Field: A Celebration of MSU Baseball. Dudy Noble Field Polk-DeMent Stadium, is the home of the Mississippi State University Baseball team and has long been regarded as one of the biggest and best campus

Grisham is also well known within the literary community for his efforts to support the continuing literary tradition of his native South. Grisham has endowed scholarships and writer's residencies in the University of Mississippi's English Department and Graduate Creative Writing Program, and was the founding publisher of the Oxford American, a magazine devoted to literary writing and famous for its annual music issue and copies of which include a compilation CD featuring contemporary and classic Southern musicians in genres ranging from blues and gospel to country-western and alternative rock. The Oxford American is an American quarterly Literary magazine that features writing and art from Southerners or about the South

In an October 2006 interview on the Charlie Rose Show, Grisham stated that he usually takes only six months to write a book and that his favorite author was John le Carré. October 2006 was a month that began on a Sunday The month was marked by a nuclear test by North Korea that prompted that passing of Resolution 1718 Charlie Rose is an American television interview show with Charlie Rose as executive producer executive editor and host John le Carré is the Pseudonym of David John Moore Cornwell (born October 19, 1931 in Poole, Dorset, England

Family life

Grisham describes himself as a "moderate Baptist", and has performed mission service for his church, notably in Brazil; that country provides the setting for two of his novels: The Testament, which has a strong religious theme; and The Partner. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld The Testament is a legal/suspense thriller by American author John Grisham. The Partner ( 1997) is a legal/thriller Novel by noted American author John Grisham. He lives with his wife Renée (maiden name: Jones) and their two children, Ty and Shea. Grisham's website states that the "family splits their time between their Victorian home on a farm" outside Oxford, Mississippi, "and a home near Charlottesville, Virginia. Oxford is a city and the County seat of Lafayette County, Mississippi, United States. Charlottesville is an Independent city located within the confines of Albemarle County in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States "^[2]

Books

Legal fiction

A shelf of John Grisham's books

• A Time to Kill (1989), ISBN 0-922-06603-5
• The Firm (1991), ISBN 0-385-41634-2
• The Pelican Brief (1992), ISBN 0-385-42198-2
• The Client (1993), ISBN 0-385-42471-X
• The Chamber (1994), ISBN 0-385-42472-8
• The Rainmaker (1995), ISBN 0-385-42473-6
• The Runaway Jury (1996), ISBN 0-385-47294-3
• The Partner (1997), ISBN 0-385-47295-1
• The Street Lawyer (1998), ISBN 0-385-49099-2
• The Testament (1999), ISBN 0-385-49380-0
• The Brethren (2000), ISBN 0-385-49748-2
• The Summons (2002), ISBN 0-385-50382-2
• The King of Torts (2003), ISBN 0-385-50804-2
• The Last Juror (2004), ISBN 0-385-51043-8
• The Broker (2005), ISBN 0-385-51045-4
• The Appeal (2008), ISBN 0-385-51504-7
• 17th Book (Jan. A Time to Kill is the title of a legal suspense thriller authored by John Grisham in 1989. For the film of the same title please see The Firm (1993 film The Firm is a 1991 Legal thriller and the second novel The Pelican Brief is a legal/suspense thriller written by John Grisham in 1992. For the US version of the UK TV show The Office episode see The Client (The Office. The Chamber is a legal/suspense novel by noted American author John Grisham. For the film based on this novel see The Rainmaker (1997 film. The Runaway Jury is a Legal thriller novel written by American author John Grisham. The Partner ( 1997) is a legal/thriller Novel by noted American author John Grisham. The Street Lawyer is a legal/suspense novel the ninth such work written by American author John Grisham. The Testament is a legal/suspense thriller by American author John Grisham. The Summons is a legal thriller Novel written in December 2002 by noted American author John Grisham. The King of Torts is a legal/suspense Novel written by American author John Grisham. The Last Juror is a Novel by John Grisham first published by Doubleday on February 3 2004. The Broker is a Suspense novel written by American author John Grisham published in the United States on January 11 2005. The Appeal is a Legal thriller written by American author John Grisham. 20 2009)

Non-legal fiction

• A Painted House (2001), ISBN 0-385-47295-1
• Skipping Christmas (2002), ISBN 0-385-50624-4
• Bleachers (2003), ISBN 0-385-51161-2
• Playing for Pizza (2007), ISBN 0-385-52500-1

Non-fiction

• The Innocent Man (2006), ISBN 0-385-51723-8

Films based on his novels

• The Firm (1993)
• The Pelican Brief (1993)
• The Client (1994)
• A Time to Kill (1996)
• The Chamber (1996)
• The Rainmaker (1997)
• The Gingerbread Man (1998) Based on an unpublished short story
• A Painted House (2003)
• Runaway Jury (2003)
• Mickey (2004) Original screenplay by John Grisham
• Christmas with the Kranks (2004) Based on the novel 'Skipping Christmas'

Quotes

• "My success was not planned, but it could only happen in America. A Painted House is a February 2001 novel by American author John Grisham. Skipping Christmas (October 2002 is a Comedy Novella by noted American author John Grisham. Bleachers is a Book by American author John Grisham. The hardcover edition (ISN 0-385-51161-2 was published on September 9, 2003 Playing for Pizza is a short novel by John Grisham, released on September 25 2007. The Innocent Man Murder and Injustice in a Small Town is the first Nonfiction book written by John Grisham which was released by Doubleday Publishing This article is about the 1993 film For the 1988 film of the same name see The Firm (1988 film The Firm is a Legal thriller film The Pelican Brief is a 1993 legal crime thriller Film based on the novel of the same name by John Grisham. For the US version of the UK TV show The Office episode see The Client (The Office. A Time to Kill is the name of the 1996 feature film adaptation of John Grisham 's 1989 Legal thriller A Time to The Chamber is a 1996 drama / Thriller film based on John Grisham 's novel of the same name. For the novel this film is based on see The Rainmaker (John Grisham. The Gingerbread Man is a 1998 Legal thriller Film directed by Robert Altman and based on a discarded John Grisham manuscript A Painted House is a February 2001 novel by American author John Grisham. Runaway Jury ( 2003) is an American Drama / thriller Film directed by Gary Fleder and starring John Mickey is a 2004 American Baseball movie drama directed by Hugh Wilson, with Screenplay written by John Grisham Christmas with the Kranks is a 2004 Comedy film produced by Revolution Studios and Columbia Pictures. "
• "Everything I'm thinking about writing now is about politics or social issues wrapped around a novel. "
• "I'm a famous writer in a country where nobody reads. "

See also

• The Innocence Project
• List of bestselling novels in the United States

References

External links

• Official website
• Official UK website
• John Grisham at the Internet Movie Database
• InnerVIEWS with Ernie Manouse: John Grisham (TV Interview)