Michael Chabon Visits Southwestern University

It was a dark and stormy night...when 4 of us from the book group, and Frank, joined a full auditorium of other fans at Southwestern Univ to hear Michael Chabon lecture. His talk was as eloquently written and as tightly knit as his book!

Using an autobiographical framework and the theme, "origins," Chabon told us how he came to write The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay. He claimed that when he was about 4 years old, his father had brought him an old recording of long-gone radio shows. At that early age, Michael grasped the concept of history. This was the beginning of a dialogue between Michael and his father about his father's past. The comic book connection came from his father bringing him a lot of comic books and Michael being excited about the continuity of both him and his father reading comics when they were children. He told of an afternoon when he and a friend pretended they were superheroes; he said that the memory of collaborating with his friend to create a fantasy was the origin of the team of Kavalier & Clay and their comic creations.

Chabon discussed a failed writing attempt, the successful Wonder Boys, and the gollum, tying them all in with his personal history, too. It was a wonderful talk! At the end, he entertained several questions from the audience. Most were about being a writer and writing; methinks some English students from Southwestern were in attendance! Chabon's bottom line on writing was that it takes discipline and hard work!

Leaving the theater, we passed Frank in the long line for autographs. Frank had 5 Chabon books with him! In the car on the way home, Dorothy said she had wanted to ask Chabon the origin of the Antarctica section of Kavalier & Clay. That one left me wondering!