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John Grisham

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John Ray Grisham Jr. is a highly successful American author, lawyer, and former politician. He is best known for writing legal thrillers, which are suspenseful stories centered on the legal system. Grisham has achieved massive commercial success in the publishing industry. According to the American Academy of Achievement, he has written 37 consecutive number-one fiction bestsellers. His books have sold more than 300 million copies worldwide. Grisham belongs to an elite group of writers. He is one of only three English-language authors to sell two million copies on a single first printing.

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Grisham's path to literary fame was shaped by many diverse jobs and academic shifts. As a teenager, he worked in a plant nursery watering bushes for $1.00 an hour. He also worked for a plumbing contractor and on a highway asphalt crew. At age 17, a fight involving gunfire on an asphalt crew prompted him to consider college. He also worked as a sales clerk in a men's underwear section, a job he described as humiliating. His higher education involved several changes. He attended Northwest Mississippi Community College and Delta State University before graduating from Mississippi State University in 1977. He earned a Bachelor of Science in accounting after being inspired by a fellow student.

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After completing his undergraduate studies, Grisham pursued a career in law. He earned a Juris Doctor, or J.D., from the University of Mississippi School of Law in 1981. He originally intended to become a tax lawyer. However, he found the subject too complex and instead focused on general civil litigation. Grisham practiced criminal law for about ten years. During this time, he also entered politics. He served as a Democrat in the Mississippi House of Representatives from 1983 to 1990. He represented the 7th District, which included DeSoto County. In the legislature, he served as the vice-chairman of the Apportionment and Elections Committee.

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Grisham's transition to full-time writing was driven by both personal interest and political circumstances. While in the legislature, he became less busy with political affairs after a change in leadership. This allowed him more time to work on his second novel, The Firm. His first novel, A Time to Kill, was published in June 1989. He had spent four years writing it, and it was initially rejected by 28 publishers. A small publisher called Wynwood Press eventually printed a modest 5,000 copies. The inspiration for his first book came from hearing a 12-year-old girl testify in court. This event stayed with him and eventually birthed his writing career.

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His literary career is marked by several massive commercial milestones. His second book, The Firm, sold over seven million copies. It remained on The New York Times Best Seller list for 47 weeks. Between 1994 and 2000, Grisham held the number one bestselling book spot every single year. His works have also been highly valuable to film studios. Regency Enterprises paid $2.25 million for the rights to The Client. Universal Pictures paid $3.75 million for the rights to The Chamber. New Regency paid a record $6 million for the rights to A Time to Kill.

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Grisham's stories often explore specific settings and diverse genres. Many of his legal thrillers take place in the fictional town of Clanton, Mississippi. Clanton is located in the fictional Ford County. These stories often deal with the division caused by racism in the northwest Mississippi area. Beyond legal thrillers, Grisham has explored other styles. He has written sports fiction and comedy fiction. He also produced the 2004 baseball movie titled Mickey. His writing often focuses on the rural South, as seen in his novel A Painted House.

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In recent years, Grisham has expanded his reach to include younger readers. He created the Theodore Boone series, which features a 13-year-old boy. Theodore provides legal advice to his classmates on various issues. Grisham was inspired to write for children by his daughter, Shea. He hopes these books will interest children in the legal profession. He typically writes at a fast pace, often taking only six months to complete a book. His work continues to appear at the top of various bestseller lists, including The Wall Street Journal and USA Today.

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