THC: Like the "Lord of the Rings" movies.

AM: (chuckling) Something like that.

THC: Who is Hank based on?

AM: Hank is imaginary. I conjured up a kid who has to be bright, a kid whose tolerance for bullshit is very very low, and whose susceptibility to influence by someone who is good is very high.

I've seen so many kids who are rebellious, whose teeth are on edge all the time. They're hard kids to deal with because they can be wiseguys, but there's something charming about them. There's a piece of all those kids in there.

THC: How much of the novel is autobiographical?

AM: The entire book is imaginary; it's not a work of autobiography at all. Having said that, it's me who's doing the writing. You can't escape your own life experiences when you're writing and you shouldn't try to. I shouldn't write about underwater exploration of caves, I just don't know anything about it. Or race car driving. Well, unless I did research.

THC: That would be pretty fun.

AM: You bet.

THC: So the part with the fishermen who are ultra-serious about their little hobby...?

AM: That's me. I make fun of the guys who dress funny, but that's my love.

THC: OK, now, since the world revolves around us, I have to ask, how do you feel Harvard students will relate to this book?

AM: (laughing) I'd be delighted if any of them read it! College students are or should be omnivorous when it comes to reading. I hope they're reaching far and wide, reading both deep and light stuff.

I think that if this is a fair and reasonably accurate portrait of growing up in America, then it's relevant to kids at Harvard.

THC: What will different audiences get from this novel?