Gilbert Cruz

I get the impression, I think you've said this maybe before, that it's a book that still resonates greatly with people after all this time.

I get the impression, I think you've said this maybe before, that it's a book that still resonates greatly with people after all this time.

Speaking of letters, your first novel, of course, started as a letter. Your memoir was a letter to your daughter. And I'm wondering if we could talk about the exercise of writing letters for you. It's just not something that people do anymore. Sure.

Speaking of letters, your first novel, of course, started as a letter. Your memoir was a letter to your daughter. And I'm wondering if we could talk about the exercise of writing letters for you. It's just not something that people do anymore. Sure.

That's so many words to have exchanged with another person. What did you learn about her from these letters?

That's so many words to have exchanged with another person. What did you learn about her from these letters?

Do you feel like there's just something inherent in, as you say, the intimacy of letter writing, the access you have to someone's inner feelings that just cannot be replicated when you're with that person, for the most part?

Do you feel like there's just something inherent in, as you say, the intimacy of letter writing, the access you have to someone's inner feelings that just cannot be replicated when you're with that person, for the most part?

Got it.

Got it.

Is it true that Roger reached out to you after hearing you on the radio by writing you a letter? Yeah. Well, an email. An email. Okay.

Is it true that Roger reached out to you after hearing you on the radio by writing you a letter? Yeah. Well, an email. An email. Okay.

I was seeing him sitting down, taking out a piece of paper, writing a letter. Okay. An email.

I was seeing him sitting down, taking out a piece of paper, writing a letter. Okay. An email.

That's quite powerful. You convinced a man to just get rid of his entire life and move across the country.

That's quite powerful. You convinced a man to just get rid of his entire life and move across the country.

No, you didn't need to, clearly. Yeah.

No, you didn't need to, clearly. Yeah.

Yeah, no material baggage. I read an interview with you where you said that when you got a divorce in your early 70s, some people around you thought maybe this is a little crazy. How did that feel to you at that stage in your life?

Yeah, no material baggage. I read an interview with you where you said that when you got a divorce in your early 70s, some people around you thought maybe this is a little crazy. How did that feel to you at that stage in your life?