Not all of you may share to the same degree my love and respect for Pat Conroy, but in this statement released this morning I am staggered. He has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He was quoted to have said in October, the celebration of his 70th birthday, that his intention was to live and to write “as well as I can, for as long as I can.” In this announcement it said, “Pat Conroy is, as he so often reminds us in his writing, the son of a warrior, and now we rally around him in support of this newest fight. We are with you, Pat. We are always with you.”  I wanted all of you to know of this announcement and bid your prayers on Conroy’s behalf.

Here is Conroy’s note:

Hey out there,

I celebrated my 70th birthday in October and realized that I’ve spent my whole writing life trying to find out who I am and I don’t believe I’ve even come close. It was in Beaufort in sight of a river’s sinuous turn, and the movements of its dolphin-proud tides that I began to discover myself and where my life began at fifteen.

I have recently been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. With the help of the wonderful people at M.D. Anderson I intend to fight it hard. I am grateful to all my beloved readers, my friends and my family for their prayers. I owe you a novel and I intend to deliver it.

Much love,
Pat Conroy

My publisher will forward mail
Pat Conroy
c/o Doubleday, 1745 Broadway, 13th floor, New York, NY 10019
DDAYPub@randomhouse.com