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Tom Wolfe '51 Talks to Costco

The pages of The Costco Connection, “a lifestyle magazine for Costco members,” might seem an unlikely place to spot an interview with author Tom Wolfe. Nevertheless, you will find an enjoyable read, “A Genius in Wolfe’s Clothing,” in the July issue.

The 1951 graduate of Washington and Lee met at his New York home with the author, Matthew Robb. Among other subjects, Tom discussed his short-lived baseball career; his newspapering stints at the Washington Post and the New York Herald Tribune; his donning of the trademark white suit; and his thoughts about blogging.

He also tells how his four years of Spanish, presumably at W&L, came in handy in 1959, when the Washington Post wanted someone to cover Fidel Castro and Cuba. “I didn’t dare tell them that, in those four years, we had no conversational Spanish. The whole idea was to eventually read Don Quixote in the original.”

If you want to know whether he shops at Costco, you’ll have to read the piece for yourself.

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