John Grisham facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Grisham
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John Grisham in 2016
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| Born | John Ray Grisham Jr. February 8, 1955 Jonesboro, Arkansas, U.S. |
| Education | Mississippi State University (BS) University of Mississippi (JD) |
| Period | 1989–present |
| Genres | Legal thriller Mystery Crime fiction Southern Gothic Baseball Football Basketball Young Adult Fiction |
| Spouse |
Renee Grisham
(m. 1981) |
| Children | 2 |
| Member of the Mississippi House of Representatives from the 7th district |
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| In office 1983–1990 |
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| Preceded by | Don Chambliss |
| Succeeded by | Greg Davis |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Democratic |
John Ray Grisham Jr. (born February 8, 1955) is an American author, lawyer, and former politician. He is famous for writing exciting books called legal thrillers, which are suspenseful stories about lawyers and court cases.
Grisham is one of the most successful writers in the world. He has written dozens of number-one bestsellers, and his books have sold over 300 million copies. Many of his novels have been turned into popular movies.
Before becoming a full-time writer, Grisham worked as a criminal lawyer for about ten years. He also served in the Mississippi House of Representatives from 1983 to 1990, where he helped make laws for his state. His experiences as a lawyer gave him many ideas for his thrilling stories.
Contents
Early Life and Education
John Grisham was born in Jonesboro, Arkansas, as the second of five children. His father was a construction worker and cotton farmer, and his mother was a homemaker. When he was four, his family moved to Southaven, Mississippi.
As a boy, Grisham dreamed of becoming a professional baseball player. However, he gave up on this dream when he was 18. Even though his parents didn't have a lot of formal education, his mother always encouraged him to read books and prepare for college.
Grisham had several jobs as a teenager. He worked at a plant nursery and later for a plumbing contractor. When he was 17, he worked on a highway asphalt crew. A scary incident at that job made him decide to get serious about college. He then attended several colleges before graduating from Mississippi State University in 1977 with a degree in accounting. He went on to study law at the University of Mississippi School of Law and graduated in 1981.
Career as a Lawyer and Politician
After law school, Grisham worked as a lawyer for about ten years. He mostly handled civil cases, which involve disagreements between people or companies.
In 1983, he was elected to the Mississippi House of Representatives as a Democrat. He represented the 7th District, which included DeSoto County, Mississippi. He served in this role until 1990. Being a politician gave him less time for his law practice, but it gave him more time to start writing.
Writing Career
Grisham was inspired to write his first novel, A Time to Kill, after hearing the powerful testimony of a 12-year-old girl in a courtroom in 1984. It took him three years to write the book. After being turned down by 28 publishers, a small company finally published it in 1989.
His big break came with his second novel, The Firm. It became a massive bestseller and stayed on The New York Times Best Seller list for 47 weeks. This success launched his career as a famous author. For many years, almost every book he wrote became the bestselling novel of the year.
Books for Young Adults
In 2010, Grisham began writing a book series for kids called Theodore Boone. The main character is a 13-year-old boy who loves the law and helps his friends with their legal problems. Grisham said he hopes the books entertain kids and teach them a little about the legal system. His daughter, a teacher, inspired him to write the series.
Movie Adaptations
The success of Grisham's books caught the attention of Hollywood. Many of his novels were made into major movies, including:
- The Firm (1993), starring Tom Cruise
- The Pelican Brief (1993), starring Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington
- The Client (1994), starring Susan Sarandon and Tommy Lee Jones
- A Time to Kill (1996)
- The Rainmaker (1997)
- Runaway Jury (2003)
- Christmas with the Kranks (2004), based on his book Skipping Christmas
Writing Style and Settings
Many of Grisham's books are set in the American South. He often uses a fictional town called Clanton, Mississippi, as the setting for his stories. This fictional town appears in novels like A Time to Kill, The Last Juror, and Sycamore Row. Using real and imagined Southern locations helps make his stories feel authentic.
Personal Life
Grisham married Renee Jones in 1981. They have two children, Ty and Shea. The family has homes in Virginia, Florida, and North Carolina.
Grisham has a lifelong passion for baseball. He has supported Little League baseball in his communities and helped fund a new baseball field for the University of Virginia team. His son, Ty, also played college baseball.
Grisham is a member of a Baptist church. He and his wife started a foundation that is funded by his book earnings. The foundation helps with missionary work in Brazil, such as building clinics and schools.
Social and Political Work
Grisham is on the board of directors for the Innocence Project. This organization works to free people who have been wrongly convicted of crimes, often using DNA evidence to prove their innocence. Grisham has spoken to the U.S. Congress to support the group's work.
He has also spoken out on other issues. He is against capital punishment (the death penalty). In 2015, he joined other public figures in Mississippi to call for the removal of the Confederate battle flag design from the state's flag.
Awards and Honors
- 1993: Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement
- 2005: Peggy V. Helmerich Distinguished Author Award
- 2007: Galaxy British Lifetime Achievement Award
- 2009: Library of Congress Creative Achievement Award for Fiction
- 2011: The first-ever Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction for The Confession
- 2014: Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction for Sycamore Row
See also
In Spanish: John Grisham para niños
- List of bestselling novels in the United States
