"Heroes For My Son," by Brad Meltzer
Jeff Glor talks to Brad Meltzer about his book "Heroes For My Son."
Jeff Glor: What inspired you to write the book?
Brad Meltzer: My son. On the night he was first born, that's when I asked myself the question for the very first time: What kind of man did I want my son to be? I have three children now. I've long ago realized I have little say in the matter. But at that moment, I decided that I wanted to write a book over the course of my son's life - and then when I eventually gave it to him, he'd realize what a brilliant father I was.
But the book was just a list of silly platitudes -- until a friend of mine told me this story about the Wright Brothers: Every day Orville and Wilbur Wright went out to fly their plane, they would bring enough materials for multiple crashes. That way, when they crashed, they could rebuild the plane and try again. Think about it a moment: every time they went out - every time - they knew they were going to fail. But that's what they did: Crash and rebuild. Crash and rebuild. And that's why they finally took off.
I loved that story. I still love that story. And that's the kind of story I wanted my son to hear: a story that wouldn't lecture to him, but would show him that if he was determined ... if he wasn't afraid to fail ... if he had persistence (and a side order of stubbornness), the impossible becomes possible.
Since that time, I've been collecting heroes for this book, which has been one of the most rewarding projects of my life.
JG: What surprised you the most during the writing process?
BM: How many heroes there are. In fact, that's what I love most: there are so many heroes everywhere. Not just famous ones like Mr. Roger, Abraham Lincoln, and Lucille Ball. But regular people like Frank Shakwitz and Alex Scott. It affirms my belief that ordinary people change the world.
JG: What would you be doing if you weren't a writer?
BM: I don't know what else I'm qualified for. My only real talent is that I can say the alphabet backwards. Faster than anyone.
JG: What else are you reading right now?
BM: "Man's Search For Meaning" by Viktor Frankl. And "Locke & Key" by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez.
JG: What's next for you?
BM: Well, my daughter kept asking me, "Where the heck's my book!?" So on April 10th, I'm coming out with "Heroes For My Daughter." And then onto the sequel to "The Inner Circle."
For more on "Heroes For My Son," visit his website.
