Anthony Doerr on Curiosity, Wonder, and the Craft of Storytelling
In Episode 5 of Season Two of The Late Start Show, Charlie Martin and Jack Nelson sit down with Anthony Doerr, University School Class of 1991 alum, New York Times bestselling author, and Pulitzer Prize winner. From library runs and Outdoor Projects days with Mr. Terry Harmon to a home that celebrated curiosity, Doerr reflects on how his Cleveland roots, US education, and early obsessions with stories forged his voice.
The conversation traces Bowdoin College, post-grad years in Telluride and mailing stories to magazines, and the life-jolting Rome Prize. Doerr unpacks his bestselling novel All the Light We Cannot See, an interrupted cell call on a train that led him to radio, propaganda, and the unseen light spectrum, and the whirlwind of global success, and a craft-first reset that produced his next ambitious novel Cloud Cuckoo Land. He urges students to “chase your enthusiasm” and find awe anywhere (even in a migrating hummingbird), speaks candidly about working through a concussion, and closes with his “why”: to arrange words that light up images in a stranger’s mind, connect us, and make the world feel a little less lonely.
Credits to Theo Walter for Production and Editing, Russ Nobles for the Intro and Outro songs, Mr. Wickboldt for being our advisor, and you for listening to our podcast and keeping up with the latest US news.
Anthony Doerr is an acclaimed American author, widely recognized for his novels and short stories. His 2014 novel, All the Light We Cannot See, became a New York Times bestseller and earned him the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2015. A University School Class of 1991 alum, Doerr grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, and his mother later taught at the school. He majored in history at Bowdoin College, graduating in 1995, and subsequently earned an MFA from Bowling Green State University. Doerr was also awarded the Rome Prize in Literature in 2005, and his work, which includes the bestselling novel Cloud Cuckoo Land, has been translated into over forty languages.