Many of Thomas Averill’s works are about Kansas history, especially focusing on the underground railroad, slavery and issues between the union and the confederacy. 

He read an excerpt from “Found Documents from the Life of Nell Johnson Doerr,” his fictional story from the perspective of a young woman who was against slavery during his talk Monday.

“I fear I’ve given up my heart, along with everything else, and yet my heart is here too with my song and our work to carry slaves to freedom, our mission to make Kansas territory the free state of Kansas,” Averill said. “You can tell she’s a very determined woman, from the get-go.”

Averill’s books are filled with his own historical research.

“I weave real facts in with my own fiction,” Averill said. 

Benjamin Budds is one of his focal subjects in the research he does to make his books more life-like. 

“Benjamin Budds has an interesting history, because he was a lawyer from back east who came to Kansas to work on the underground railroad,” Averill said. “Benjamin Budds had a real place running across from Kansas City, Kansas…and a letter I got to read, an actual letter I didn’t make up, he describes housing a runaway slave family in his home, borrowing a shotgun and defending those people for two days straight against the Confederates.” 

Averill is the second person to attend ESU this semester as part of the visiting writers series, funded by the Performing Arts Board and creative writing         department.

“He is one of Kansas’s great voices,” said Amy Sage Webb, professor of English, modern languages and journalism. “He delights in his subjects and in sharing them with us.”

Webb considers Averill a mentor who “welcomed her” into writing. 

Averill is an O. Henry award winner, a national award given for exceptional short stories, and professor emeritus of English at Washburn, according to Webb. He taught creative writing, Kansas literature and folklore and film for 37 years. 

The event had 30 attendees, composed of students, faculty and Emporia community members. 

The next writer to visit will be award winning screenwriter and director Kevin Willmott, who will talk about his new film “BlacKKKlansman,” according to Kevin Rabas, chair of English, modern languages and journalism. 

Willmott, a current KU professor, will be at 3 p.m. tomorrow in Plumb Hall room 303.