John Miller | Courtesy
“The Polygamist King: A True Story of Murder, Lust, and Exotic Faith in America” by Director of the Dow Journalism Program John Miller released as a Kindle Single on Dec. 8.
Winter is the season to curl up with a book — or a Kindle Single.
Director of the Dow Journalism Program John Miller’s sixth book “The Polygamist King: A True Story of Murder, Lust, and Exotic Faith in America” released Dec. 8 as an e-book. The 17,000-word biography shares the life of James Strang, one of the Mormons who claimed leadership of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints after the assassination of Joseph Smith. Published through Kindle Single, readers can purchase it on Amazon.
“It’s a great story of murder and sex and faith,” Miller said. “I thought there was a way to do this that can introduce the story to a new generation of history buffs.”
Miller said he first heard about Strang’s story over a decade ago, and it has fascinated him ever since.
After the death of Smith in 1844, Strang said angels selected him to be the sole leader of the church. While he vied for the position in Illinois with other contenders, including Brigham Young, the Mormon church rejected his leadership, so he broke off, declaring himself “king” over his own branch.
“The idea that there was a crowned king in the state of Michigan, who was also this very charismatic leader in the Michigan State Legislature,…he has fascinated a lot of people,” said John Hamer, pastor at Community of Christ Toronto Congregation and a historian on Strang and his followers, who are known as Strangites.
At the church’s peak, 12,000 people were members of Strang’s church on Beaver Island in Lake Michigan. Strang was assassinated in 1856, which led to all but the collapse of the church. A small following still exists in Wisconsin.
Strang’s story caught the attention of Miller, an avid Michigan historian. Learning more about him over the years, Miller said he knew he wanted to write his story but thought a magazine article would be too short while a book too long.
“In National Review, I don’t know if I’ve written more than 3,000 words,” said Miller, the national correspondent for the magazine. “What’s a short book? That’s 60,000 words. There’s nothing in between. With the rise of the e-book, there is.”
Hearing about the Kindle Single, which allows writers to publish works of any length, Miller said he found a medium with which he could experiment and that would work for what he wanted to accomplish.
“It deals with some big things about the nature of faith, about the nature of leadership, about changing definitions of marriage,” Miller said. “It doesn’t give us any easy lessons for us today, but…apart from being entertained and informed, I hope people might come away with it with some things to think about.”
Assistant Director of the Dow Journalism Program Maria Servold said she read an early copy of the story in one sitting.
“Not only was it a definitive history, but it was interesting to read,” Servold said. “You knew you were not committing to a full novel length…and yet, it feels a little more permanent than a magazine article.”
Miller said he read everything he could find on Strang. He also traveled to Beaver Island to get a sense of what the land looked like.
“It’s one of the most exotic places in Michigan, and it has this bizarre history,” Miller said.
He said he is eager to share its story through the e-book format and discover if the electronic revolution is economically viable.
“If it gets books into the hands of people, that’s excellent,” Miller said. “It gives writers more freedom and readers more choices.”
