Thom Béchamps’ story "The Mother to Want," can be found in the Mercer County Community College’s "Kelsey Review."
By: Dana Lynn Flatekval
ALLENTOWN Thom Béchamps recently accomplished his dream of becoming a published writer with his emotional short story of a young boy who learns to cope with his mother’s illness.
The Allentown resident’s story, "The Mother to Want," can be found in the Mercer County Community College’s "Kelsey Review," an annual journal that features literary and artistic talent in the county.
Robin Schore, editor of the Kelsey Review, said only the best submissions are selected for publication.
The story takes place during Christmastime and focuses on Doyle, a teenage boy, who lives at the Jersey shore with his mother, father, younger brother, Sean, and older sister, Megan. Early on, the story takes the reader on an emotional roller coaster as Doyle learns that his mother has been hospitalized for severe depression.
"When I was a young kid I said I wanted to write before I die," said Mr. Béchamps, 42, who works in Middletown as a technical writer and Web site developer for AT&T.
Mr. Béchamps said the ideas just come to him.
"I think of themes and emotions that people can relate to," he said. "A lot of these ideas I’ve been kicking around these years."
Although his stories are entirely fictitious, Mr. Béchamps said the characters have some personality traits of his friends and family. The stories focus on a small distinct group of characters boys and girls who range in age from early teens to their early 20s.
"I think I relate to all the characters because I take pieces of each of my friends and mold them into people you can relate to," he said. "There is a piece of me in each of the characters as well."
All of Mr. Béchamps’ stories have an underlying Catholic tone and reflect the years he attended Catholic school. He said people usually feel compelled to talk about their private school experiences.
"It’s similar to when people talk about war experiences," he said. "It brings people together."
Mr. Béchamps said this story is meant to draw on people’s emotions.
"I still get a little choked up at the end of the story," he said. "I want people to feel what Doyle is feeling."
Mr. Béchamps lives on Twain Drive and has been an Allentown resident for six years.
In 2003, he attended Rider University because he wanted to become a high school teacher. He wrote "The Mother to Want" while studying with Robbie Clipper Sethi, an English professor at the university. Mr. Béchamps took a creative writing fiction course and an independent study with Dr. Sethi.
Dr. Sethi said she likes how Mr. Béchamps gets into the "South Jersey Catholic culture."
"I don’t think there is enough writing out there like that," she said.
Currently, Mr. Béchamps is working on a collection of stories titled "And of the Sons," which will feature "The Mother to Want."
"I am looking at getting it published," he said. "I am more than half the way done and I have about three more stories to complete."
He said the "creative output has been really rewarding."
"It’s almost like you are talking to yourself," Mr. Béchamps said. "These are the thoughts and feelings that don’t necessarily come out in day-to-day conversation."
Mr. Schore said copies of the literary journal featuring his story are available free of charge at any branch of the Mercer County Library System.