Size+and+Shape+DD

We all tried to judge what kind of a person John McPhee is through his writings, but this interview gave a clear picture of the man behind the genius articles.

From the twenty-some pages I read, McPhee seems like a passionate and disciplined writer. He still remembers the names of his high school and college teachers which seem to play a significant role in what he is today. He spoke to the interviewer about a particular pattern that he follows when writing or researching for articles, which shows that he's a very disciplined writer.

When responding to a question (Does constant writing make writing a new piece less daunting?) he said "Right now, I'm at a place where I'm getting near starting something"..at the age of 62? Remarkable.

If you think McPhee's articles are/seem easy, this interview will prove you wrong. If you think his articles seem difficult, this interview will show you exactly how difficult they can be. One wonders about his geology pieces thinking, "Why does he write about this?" He often asks himself the same question. McPhee admits that he is often lost, but he pushes himself to know more, to write more, and he does this without realizing it.

When asked where he gets his ideas from (the questions we all have been wondering for so long) he tells the interviewer that all the things he wrote about are things he was interested in when he was young- something I found so fascinating I had to re-read it to make sure I had read it right. I mean sure I was interested in biology when I was young but I never did anything about it. This man on the other hand found out everything there is to know about his subject of interest. I guess that's what makes a good writer.