Thomas Alexander Boyd (July 3, 1898 – January 27, 1935) was an American journalist and novelist, born in

Defiance, Ohio Defiance is a city in and the county seat of Defiance County, Ohio, United States, about southwest of Toledo, Ohio, Toledo and northeast of Fort Wayne, Indiana, in Ohio's northwestern corner. The population was 16,494 at the 2010 United State ...

. Boyd was raised by his mother's family due to his father's death before he was born. While still in school, he and a friend enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and saw service in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, where he was gassed in 1918. Upon discharge from the occupation forces in 1919, Boyd tried several occupations before becoming a writer for newspapers in

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

and

St. Paul Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

. He opened a bookstore, Kilmarnock Books, in St. Paul, which became the locus of literary figures, including

Sinclair Lewis Harry Sinclair Lewis (February 7, 1885 – January 10, 1951) was an American writer and playwright. In 1930, he became the first writer from the United States (and the first from the Americas) to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature, which was ...

. He was urged to write and produced the 1923 novel '' Through the Wheat'', based in part on his own war experiences and set partly during the

Battle of Belleau Wood The Battle of Belleau Wood (1–26 June 1918) occurred during the German spring offensive in World War I, near the Marne River in France. The battle was fought between the U.S. 2nd (under the command of Major General Omar Bundy) and 3rd Divisi ...

. Another war novel, ''The Dark Cloud'', followed in 1924, and a book of short stories, ''Point of Honor'', in 1925. Boyd later remarried and became interested in Socialist causes during the Depression, eventually running as the Communist candidate for

governor of Vermont The governor of Vermont is the head of government of Vermont. The officeholder is elected in even-numbered years by direct voting for a term of 2 years. Vermont and bordering New Hampshire are the only states to hold gubernatorial elections every ...

. He died suddenly in 1935 of a stroke.

Selected works

* '' Through the Wheat'' (1923) novel * ''The Dark Cloud'' (1924) novel * ''Points of Honor'' (1925) stories * ''Shadow of the Long Knives'' (1928) novel * ''

Simon Girty Simon Girty (November 14, 1741 – February 18, 1818) was an American-born frontiersman, soldier and interpreter from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, who served as a liaison between the British and their Indian allies during the American Revolution. H ...

, the White Savage'' (1928) biography * ''Mad Anthony Wayne'' (1929) biography * ''Light-Horse Harry Lee'' (1931) biography * ''Poor John Fitch'' (1935) biography * ''In Time of Peace'' (1935) novel

References

External links

*
Thomas Boyd Research Notes for ''Poor John Fitch''
at Dartmouth College Library {{DEFAULTSORT:Boyd, Thomas Alexander 1898 births 1935 deaths 20th-century American novelists 20th-century American male writers Novelists from Minnesota American male novelists People from Defiance, Ohio United States Marine Corps personnel of World War I United States Marines