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Pat Conroy

Life as a Novelist

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Eulogy for a fighter-pilot by Pat Conroy

Preface to Gone with the Wind

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• INTRO (1:54)
• PROGRAM (1:13:03)

When critics assess the works of best-selling author Pat Conroy, they inevitably note his ability to explore the great themes of life - the struggle for equality and justice, the value of intellectual freedom, and the necessity for individual autonomy. They note, as well, his remarkable ability to evoke feelings that many of us share.

Whether it is the racism found in The Water is Wide, the tyranny of authority in The Great Santini, the coexistence of honor and brutality in The Lords of Discipline, or the cruelty and betrayal exposed in The Prince of Tides, Pat Conroy does not flinch from writing about the evils and harsh realities of life. Yet, despite a past that includes the most ruthless of personal experiences, his work resonates with an affirmation of life and a quest for the liberation of truth. As a writer, he has reached out to all of us and given a voice to the pain and hope that we share.

Pat Conroy paints the motifs of our American experience through characters so vivid that they make us shudder with recognition. Life is not easy in Pat Conroy's world, nor in ours. But his artistry makes it more bearable.

On this audio program, Pat Conroy gives an insight into his life as a writer and describes the people and events that have influenced his work.

He is also the author of:

• The Water Is Wide
  Mass Market Paperback - 260 pages Reissue edition (September 1994)
• The Great Santini
  Paperback - 440 pages Reissue edition (December 2, 1987)
• The Lords of Discipline
  Paperback - 498 pages Reissue edition (January 1, 1986)

This program was recorded June 29, 1999 at the Smithsonian Institution.

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