Interview: Dean John Eadie and Professor Katherine Fishburn introduce popular writer Pat Conroy; Fishburn describes the correlations between the writer's life and his works. Conroy begins his lecture, using humor and captivating storytelling, by detail the hardships of his childhood and family life in the south. He also describes his family members' reactions to his novels and what he calls “the meeting between the old and new South.” Conroy discusses the powerful influence that his family had on his writing. He remembers the last days he had with his mother, who died of leukemia and how, when he was around her, he wrote The Prince of Tides (1991). Conroy exposes the thinking process of the writer. The lecture is followed by questions from the audience. Conroy explains that his works are all strongly autobiographical and many of the questions deal with this aspect of his writing. Conroy clarifies the hardships of being a young author and describes the difficulties of writing and publishing his first book, The Boo (1970). He explains his reasons for using personal experience in his novels and how this was against his family loyalties. The Great Santini (1976) is particularly autobiographical of Conroy's difficult and frightening childhood. This book was turned into a movie, and Conroy discusses the filming of the movie. He explains his theory on writing as a kind of therapy as well as a source of hope for him. Conroy concludes his lecture by covering other subjects such as poetry, his family life at present, and Barbara Streisand and the filming of The Prince of Tides (1991).