Fittingly, retired astronaut Scott Kelly’s memoir, Endurance: A Year in Space, A Lifetime of Discvery (Knopf, Oct.), written with Margaret Lazarus Dean, began with another book: Tom Wolfe’s classic saga of the early days of America’s space program, The Right Stuff.
Kelly, who set the record for the total accumulated number of days spent in space by an American astronaut, admits he was a directionless college freshman with terrible grades before he read that book. Unable to concentrate on his studies, he woke up every morning and struggled to think of a reason to go to class. But Wolfe’s story of America’s space pioneers provided Kelly not only direction but lifelong inspiration.
Of the early astronauts, Kelly says the man he knew best was John Glenn. But, he adds, “The astronaut that other astronauts, myself included, use as a role model is John Young—moon walker, although he would say moon worker, and first commander of the space shuttle.”
A veteran of four space flights, Kelly describes in Endurance his yearlong mission, 2015 into 2016, on board the International Space Station. He also details the difficulties, including isolation from loved ones and the comforts of Earth, as well as the risks of depressurization and the debilitating effects of his weightless environment. To help him overcome them, Kelly says, he turned to examples like famed explorer Ernest Shackleton, whose voyages to the Antarctic Kelly read about late at night.
“Any time I thought [being in space for a year] was hard,” Kelly says, “I thought what the crew of [Shackleton’s ship] Endurance had to endure, and it put things right back into perspective.”
A passionate advocate for space exploration, Kelly also uses the pages of Endurance to lay out the benefits of his mission. He points out that weightlessness mimics the symptoms of aging. There’s also the same type of practical experience necessary for undertaking even longer expeditions, including NASA’s long-awaited voyage to Mars.
Although Kelly will be speaking about his adult book at this morning’s breakfast, he is also working on a children’s account of his recent space mission. This fall, Crown will publish a picture book adaptation of his memoir, My Journey to the Stars (Oct.), and Kelly is also planning to write further books for young readers. “I want to show kids that you can accomplish your goals, regardless of where you start from,” he adds.
Today, 8–9:30 a.m. Scott Kelly will appear at the Adult Book and Author Breakfast, Special Events Hall.
Today, 10–11 a.m. Kelly will sign samplers of Endurance in the ABA Members Lounge booth (721).
Today, 2–3 p.m. Kelly will sign samplers of Endurance in the Penguin Random House booth (1921), at Table 3.
Today, 3:30–4:30 p.m. Kelly will sign collectible prints of My Journey to the Stars, in the Penguin Random House booth (1921), at Table 2.
