For 'seabiscuit,' I Interviewed 100 People I

I Think Authors Can Get Into Trouble Viewing The Subject Matter As Their Turf

... Character Reigns Preeminent In Determining Potential.

In 1938... The Year's #1 Newsmaker Was Not Fdr, Hitler, Or Mussolini. Nor Was It Lou Gehrig Or Clark Gable. The Subject Of The Most Newspaper Column Inches In 1938 Wasn't Even A Person. It Was An Undersized, Crooked-legged Racehorse Named Seabiscuit.

Having A Lot Of People Suddenly Depending On Me To Get The Job Done Was A Marvelous Motivator. The Book And Movie Deals Seemed To Flip A Switch In My Head, And Off I Went

I Identified In A Very Deep Way With The Individuals I Was Writing About Because The Theme That Runs Through This Story Is Of Extraordinary Hardship And The Will To Overcome It.