“Do you think that Hemingway knew he was a writer at twenty years old? No, he did not. Or Fitzgerald, or Wolfe. This is a difficult concept to grasp. Hemingway didn't know he was Ernest Hemingway when he was a young man. Faulkner didn't know he was William Faulkner. But they had to take the first step. They had to call themselves writers. That is the first revolutionary act a writer has to make. It takes courage. But it's necessary”

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About Pat Conroy

American novelist and memoirist of the late 20th century, Pat Conroy is best known for his vivid, often autobiographical fiction that blends Southern Gothic elements with raw emotional honesty. His works, including *The Prince of Tides* and *The Great Santini*, explore family, masculinity, and the weight of memory with unflinching clarity.

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