What Keeps John Irving Up At Night?

What Keeps John Irving Up At Night?

Question: What keeps you up at night?
John Irving:  Well, my first child was born when I was still a college student, I was an awfully young father the first time and I don't know if my age contributed to my terror that something might ever happen to this child, but having children in my life, having them be such a presence in my life for as long as they have been, that boy was born when I was 22, I'm 67 now, and my 18 year old still lives under my roof in my house for another year before he's off to university. 
And that's kind of a long time from the age of 22 to 67 to have had one or more of my children living at home with me for all those years.  It certainly has informed what I write about, how childhood and adolescence are in 10 out of 12 of my novels, such a vital part of the story. 
So I supposed it would surprise no one to think that my principle anxieties in my real life are parental.  They're anxieties for my children and my extension now, for my grandchildren, and for my wife.  For everyone I love.  I'm a natural worrier, it's what I do for a living.  I create characters that I'm very fond of and visit upon them the worst things I can imagine.  It's, as you might well understand, it's hard not to do that when you leave your office.  You don't have the opportunity to stick your imagination under your desk and say to hello to it again the next morning, it comes with me.  It goes where you go.
So, with three children and four grandchildren, I have a lot to worry about before I turn my attention to the state of the world.  But it's not that that leaves me entirely at ease either.

October 29, 2009

Question: What keeps you up at night?
John Irving:  Well, my first child was born when I was still a college student, I was an awfully young father the first time and I don't know if my age contributed to my terror that something might ever happen to this child, but having children in my life, having them be such a presence in my life for as long as they have been, that boy was born when I was 22, I'm 67 now, and my 18 year old still lives under my roof in my house for another year before he's off to university. 
And that's kind of a long time from the age of 22 to 67 to have had one or more of my children living at home with me for all those years.  It certainly has informed what I write about, how childhood and adolescence are in 10 out of 12 of my novels, such a vital part of the story. 
So I supposed it would surprise no one to think that my principle anxieties in my real life are parental.  They're anxieties for my children and my extension now, for my grandchildren, and for my wife.  For everyone I love.  I'm a natural worrier, it's what I do for a living.  I create characters that I'm very fond of and visit upon them the worst things I can imagine.  It's, as you might well understand, it's hard not to do that when you leave your office.  You don't have the opportunity to stick your imagination under your desk and say to hello to it again the next morning, it comes with me.  It goes where you go.
So, with three children and four grandchildren, I have a lot to worry about before I turn my attention to the state of the world.  But it's not that that leaves me entirely at ease either.

October 29, 2009