
Sign up to save your podcasts
Or


One of America's greatest living novelists begins every book by writing the the last sentence first. In this episode, John Irving, author of The World According to Garp, A Prayer for Owen Meany, and The Cider House Rules, explains why. And he might just convince you that his uncommon approach is the only one that makes sense! Irving also opens up about his early life, and reveals how his mysteriously absent father, his learning disability, and his passion for wrestling all contributed to his success as a writer. Whether you've read every John Irving novel or none, this is a fascinating story about the writing process, and about an author some critics have called the Charles Dickens of our time.
(c ) American Academy of Achievement 2016
By Academy of Achievement4.7
932932 ratings
One of America's greatest living novelists begins every book by writing the the last sentence first. In this episode, John Irving, author of The World According to Garp, A Prayer for Owen Meany, and The Cider House Rules, explains why. And he might just convince you that his uncommon approach is the only one that makes sense! Irving also opens up about his early life, and reveals how his mysteriously absent father, his learning disability, and his passion for wrestling all contributed to his success as a writer. Whether you've read every John Irving novel or none, this is a fascinating story about the writing process, and about an author some critics have called the Charles Dickens of our time.
(c ) American Academy of Achievement 2016

90,933 Listeners

43,953 Listeners

38,517 Listeners

43,529 Listeners

8,120 Listeners

3,919 Listeners

10,184 Listeners

1,468 Listeners

113,035 Listeners

3,746 Listeners

394 Listeners

16,446 Listeners

387 Listeners

1,631 Listeners

11,294 Listeners