What was the inspiration behind the book?
This was a project that I was initially a little reluctant to take. My writing this book was first suggested to me during a round of golf, much as I recount in the book itself, by Mr. Clinger. But the project really intrigued me as much as the two men behind the story initially intrigued me. Sebastian was really the inspiration behind the book. He was a larger than life figure who inspired many people in life, so it seemed a fitting tribute to share some of his wisdom with the masses by writing Conversations on the Bench. I certainly didn’t know him in the way so many people did. I didn’t have the luxury of knowing him and interacting with him for years. I really only got to know him in person during one trip I made to Myrtle Beach for a symposium that he and Mr. Clinger were hosting. But even so, I could tell he was an inspirational person just with the limited interaction I had with him.
