New York Story
Steeped in the irrational exuberance of the Internet boom, Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time chronicles the author's search for a meaningful career after graduation. There's a short stint in baseball's minor leagues, stretches as a private investigator and a sports memorabilia expert, and the inevitable stab at making dotcom millions. Along the way, there are highs, lows, and plenty of soul-searching.
But Goodwillie also manages to pin down just what it means to be a writer in a book the Washington Post calls "a clever, compelling page turner." He captures the allure and drudgery of confronting a blank page and creating something unique. And Goodwillie credits Kenyon with giving him an initial taste of the writer's life.
"There is a certain romantic quality to writing that Kenyon fosters because it's such a beautiful place and you have all these great names from the past-John Crowe Ransom, E.L. Doctorow, Randall Jarrell. That history is all around you," says the history major. Goodwillie recalls seeing author and Kenyon graduate P.F. Kluge, the College's writer-in-residence, conducting research for his book Alma Mater.
"He would come down to our baseball games and interview us," Goodwillie says. "I remember watching this man who had written a few bestsellers-watching a real writer work-and it was fascinating. Kenyon is a place where people are really trying to write. They're very much a part of the community."