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Well, it was a book of stories about the South Pacific. Remember, eleven days later, after he came to us, it got the Pulitzer Prize and then came South Pacific, Rodgers‘and Hammerstein's musical version of Michener's stories.

The first Michener book that we published was called Fires of Spring, a more or less autobiographical novel. I think that today James Michener is the most financially rewarding of all the really top-grade writers. His Hawaii and The Source have both been enormous best-sellers and continue to sell year after year.

Has success spoiled him at all? It does to some and doesn't to others.

Michener is the same man today as he was when he won the Pulitzer Prize. He's modest to a degree. He's quite confident of his own ability, and why shouldn't he be, but I mean that he doesn't flaunt it.

He's married to a Japanese-American girl who was born in this country. She's a brilliant girl who has been a godsend to him.

The wonderful thing about Michener is that he never writes two books alike. Some authors get typed. You say, “Oh, god, is he doing it again?" Not Jim. Every time he does a new book, it's about another part of the world.

He seems to have a genius for being in the right spot at the right time. I told you that he happened to be in Hungary