James A. Michener

Based on the titles of his books, almost any place could make a claim on James Michener. “Hawaii.” “Alaska.” “Texas.” “Tales of the South Pacific.” “Mexico.” “Chesapeake.” And, for anyone left out, “The World is My Home.” Maine has its own direct connection to the beloved author of these broad stories: his home, albeit of the summer variety, in Brunswick.

Mr. Michener, who died Thursday in Texas at the age of 90, was generous in his descriptions of the places he wrote about and generous with the fortune that came with fame. He established countless scholarships and grants to encourage writers. President Gerald Ford awarded him the Medal of Freedom in 1977.

His down-to-earth accessible style of writing attracted millions of readers. His books are entertaining and informative, full of good spirit and a sense that the world, ultimately, is understandable. Back in 1992, Mr. Michener spoke with the NEWS about his beginnings and how others might find success. One key, he said, was the family dinner.

“I would suppose that any young person who is a member of a family that eats together at dinner in the evening — and talks about about things, and argues, and kicks ideas around — would have a great advantage. And if you’re denied that, I don’t know how you would do it.”

Mr. Michener was born in New York in 1907 and grew up with his adoptive Quaker parents in Doylestown, Pa. He first visited Maine in the 1930s, when he worked on an economic survey of New England. He contributed to the politics of the state many years later when Lewiston insurance salesman James B. Longley asked Mr. Michener for advice before running for governor in 1974. As the author recalled in ’92, Gov. Longley “was a true believer. He believed in everything he did. He believed God had appointed him for a special purpose. … And he could sell insurance.”

It is easy to think that this was one true believer describing another. Mr. Michener’s special grace and generosity, ever present in books he wrote, will be missed.