WHY I WRITE By Jon Krakauer

I write because I like to find the truth.  I like to dig deep into unexplainable events and try to get the truth out of them to enlighten my audience.  As a journalist I like to report on the truth, and sometimes I feel a short magazine article does not fulfill this instinct I have.  I must search for the answers when in some cases there are none to be found.  As a human being we are all curious in nature, but most people do not have the will to take their curiosity to the next level. Such ambition has always been instilled in me and clearly shows through all the challenges I endeavour to take.  In the case of Chris McCandless I felt I had to find the answers, because no one else would have.  His story would have compelled some to, but I had to take it to the next step, and I feel this determination is what makes me a good author.  I do not speculate, I do the research and find the facts.  By researching these unique people's stories I hope to learn about myself in some regards.  I often times see myself in people like Chris McCandless and by learning about them I can better understand my being.  In the same respect I hope for the reader to share in the experience, and find some of themselves in the truth of these real life stories.  I write because it is my job, for myself and my audience, to know the true accounts of these peoples lives, and by finding out their story I hope for us to better understand ourselves.