GLENN KLEIER

"I like the way the written word allows an idea to be presented over time -- as with a movie or a play, except that the idea isn't artificially compacted for a two-hour attention span. With a book, the reader controls the timeline, skimming through or taking it slow, stepping away from the story at will, re-reading passages or throwing the whole thing in the garbage, if that's the prevailing emotion. It's a private, one-on-one communication that creates a direct intimacy between writer and reader."

"I'm easily consumed by the process. It can interrupt me in the middle of a meal or an activity, wake me at four in the morning. I feel compelled to get the thought down clearly before I lose it."

From Mother Teresa to Ross Perot, writer Glenn Kleier has impressed some impressive people. Given an early copy of his manuscript in 1996, Mother Teresa called Kleier's novel "a wake up call." Prior to publishing his debut novel, Kleier also served as co-chair of Perot's United We Stand political party in Kentucky.
photo/courtesy of Glenn Kleier

University of Cincinnati alum Glenn Kleier's debut work, "The Last Day," achieved critical acclaim and wild commercial success after its 1997 release. The controversial millennium thriller that netted its author an unprecedented $1 million advance revolves around a woman with strange powers who claims to be the Messiah. Kleier, A&S '72, is the president of a national marketing and communications firm in Louisville, Ky. He is finishing up a new novel that he describes as "The Sixth Sense" meets "A Beautiful Mind."