Best-selling author Dan Browndelighted a huge crowd at the Prescott Park Arts Festival Monday during an interview where he touched on everything from his Exeter upbringing to fan fiction to his early failures as a writer.
Brown, who graduated from Phillips Exeter Academy, was interviewed by writer Michele Filgate before a screening of "Angels & Demons," based on Brown's wildly popular Robert Langdon series.
"I've had the privilege to be on some pretty nice stages, but this takes the cake," Brown told the crowd of about 1,000.
Brown said the work ethic he learned from his New Hampshire upbringing helped him through his early struggles as a writer.
"Writing a novel is an exceptionally difficult process," he said. "I failed many times. I wrote three books that didn't really sell …one of them was called 'Angels & Demons.' Of course that's changed now."
Watch Brown talk about his Exeter upbringing in the video above.
Below are excerpts from the interview:
On his method of dealing with writer's block by hanging upside-down:
"It's true, you got me.
"Thank you for bringing that up and making me sound strange (joking)."
On the popularity of young adult books:
"The young adult market is enormous right now in publishing. There's a lot of pressure on me and many authors to write a 'young' series.
"I have no plans for a young adult series."
On how religion influenced his writing:
"Religion played a big part of my life when I was a kid. I grew up an Episcopalian. We went to Christ Church in Exeter.
"My father simultaneously ... saw the beauty of nature in the lens of mathematics. I understood (religion and science) as being able to co-exist."
On spirituality and death:
"The picture out there is bigger and more mysterious than we ever imagined. I have a feeling that in the split-second before we all go, we probably realize, 'Wow I didn't even come close to figuring this out.'"
On his favorite writers:
"I love Malcolm Gladwell."
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
