Hero stories

Apr 9, 2003

Dark Star Safari by Paul Theroux
Tom Michael and I went out to Fearrington Village tonight to hear Paul Theroux tell stories about his experience writing this book about Africa. The barn there was packed with people (mostly my dad’s generation), including some diehard fans of Theroux’s writing, me included. I handed him a letter I wrote in 1999 when I was in Vanuatu; I’d sent the letter to my dad, but he couldn’t find an address for Theroux in Hawaii, where he lives half the year. The letter came back to me, and I dug it out of my files last week. I pride myself on being well-read and up on current events, but hearing Theroux talk about Orwell and Thoreau and Gordimer and even Margaret Mitchell reminded me that I am decidedly not well read. So, in the month of May, I will read classics: The Great Gatsby, The Catcher in the Rye, 1984 and Theroux’s Great Railway Bazaar.

Anton Zuiker ☄